Video: Elusive Golden Cat Filmed - by National Geographic
African Golden Cat
Key Facts
* Endemic to Africa *
* Fur lies forward on head & neck *
* Very few studies *
African Golden Cat Facts
SCIENTIFIC NAME Caracal aurata
NAME ORIGIN
The Golden Cat gets the name from its reddish coat. The full common name is the African Golden Cat which distinguishes it from the similar Asian Golden Cat.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable (Global). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-1. <www.iucnredlist.org>.
(Note that within each country the conservation status can differ to the global status.)
The African Golden Cat is endemic to Africa and only occurs in the tropical forests of equatorial Africa.
The African Golden Cat has a stocky build with a short tail and the coat varies from reddish to grey.
BEHAVIOR
The solitary African Golden Cat feeds mainly on rodents and birds, and is active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular) and at night (nocturnal).
From the few African Golden Cats that have been kept in captivity, gestation (pregnancy) is 75 days with two kittens in a litter and weaning at about six weeks.
Further Information on African Golden Cats
- African Golden Cat Conservation Status - IUCN Red List
- African Golden Cat : CatSG - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
- African Golden Cat Literature pdf - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
- Bwindi Caracal aurata Project - Research Uganda
- African Golden Cat Fact File pdf - Arkive Wildscreen
- African Golden Cat : ISEC - Int. Soc. for Endangered Cats
