Caracal
CaracalCaracalCaracalCaracal

Caracal

Caracal caracal

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Garden Route National Park
21 Verified records at Garden Route National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's active Active throughout day and night

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, relatively short tail, and long canine teeth. Its coat is uniformly reddish tan or sandy, while the ventral parts are lighter with small reddish markings. It reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulder and weighs 8–19 kg (18–42 lb). It was first scientifically described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1776. Three subspecies are recognised. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Caracal sighting in Garden Route National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Garden Route National Park

Leopard
VU Endemic

Leopard

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera pardus

<5% · Rare
Cheetah
VU

Cheetah

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Acinonyx jubatus

Insufficient data
African Wildcat
LC

African Wildcat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Felis lybica

Insufficient data
Serval
LC

Serval

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Leptailurus serval

Insufficient data
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
LC

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Arctocephalus pusillus

20–30% · Possible
Cape Genet
LC Endemic

Cape Genet

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Genetta tigrina

10–20% · With luck
African Clawless Otter
NT

African Clawless Otter

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Aonyx capensis

10–20% · With luck
Cape Gray Mongoose

Cape Gray Mongoose

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Galerella pulverulenta

5–10% · With luck
Southern Elephant Seal
LC

Southern Elephant Seal

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Mirounga leonina

5–10% · With luck
Egyptian Mongoose
LC

Egyptian Mongoose

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Herpestes ichneumon

<5% · Rare
Marsh Mongoose
LC

Marsh Mongoose

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Atilax paludinosus

<5% · Rare
Honey Badger
LC

Honey Badger

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Mellivora capensis

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
5–10
Feb
5–10
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
<5
Aug
10–20
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️🌙 When They're Spotted

Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)

☀️🌙Day & Night
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
2 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
3 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
4 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
5 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
6 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
7 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
8 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
9 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
10 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
11 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
12 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
13 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
14 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
15 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
16 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
17 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
18 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Caracal in Garden Route National Park?

About 7% of wildlife watchers report a Caracal sighting in Garden Route National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Caracal in Garden Route National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Caracal in Garden Route National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Garden Route National Park