THE CARACAL 



make off instantly, as a general rule. On the con- 

 trary, should the Rooi-kat be surprised in his 

 native haunts in the act of devouring his prey, he 

 will as likely as not spring upon the disturber of 

 his meal. I have knov^m of several cases of Euro- 

 peans and natives being frightfully mauled by these 

 cats. A farmer in the v^estern part of the Cape 

 Province v^as v^ending his w^ay homev^ard by a 

 forest path, v^hen he surprised a Caracal busy de- 

 vouring a small antelope. Without even a warning 

 growl it leaped upon his chest and endeavoured to 

 grip him by the throat. He, however, managed 

 to hold it off from that vital part. After a terrible 

 struggle he managed to get out his clasp-knife, and 

 had to actually sever the animal's head from its 

 body before he could release its jaws, which had 

 a firm grip on his chest, the large canine teeth 

 being buried deep in his chest muscles. Even after 

 the head was completely severed from the body 

 the grip remained as firm as ever. The only way 

 by which he could disengage the jaws was by 

 actually carving away the muscles of the jaws, 

 which were set and rigid. The farmer reached home 

 in a terrible condition. His face was seamed with 

 deep scratches, his chest was badly bitten and 

 torn, and the fronts of his thighs dreadfully 

 lacerated by the claws of the animal's hind feet. 



Another farmer was attacked in a similar manner 

 by a half-grown Caracal. He was walking past 

 some bushes at dusk, and saw something move. 



157 



