African Wildcat
Felis lybica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyFelidae (Felids)
- GenusFelis (Palearctic and African Small Cats)
- SpeciesFelis lybica (African Wildcat)
The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It inhabits a broad variety of landscapes ranging from deserts to savannas, shrublands and grasslands. The African wildcat is the ancestor of the domestic cat (F. catus). Some African wildcats were domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East. Interspecific hybrids between both species are common where their ranges overlap. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a African Wildcat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Lion
Panthera leo
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Slender-tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Northern Small-spotted Genet
Genetta genetta
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️🌙 When They're Spotted
Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)
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 | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 6 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 10 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 12 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 14 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 17 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 18 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 19 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 21 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 22 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a African Wildcat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.