64 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



mountainous, or densely-bushed flat country. In the 

 day-time, like other cats, it prefers to lie up in thick 

 cover, but I have seen individuals asleep under a tree 

 almost in the open. I noticed one standing in slight 

 shade at 8 A.M. on a hot morning in summer, and at first 

 mistook it for a steenbuck. Its food consists of birds 

 of all kinds, even the larger birds of prey, which it 

 attacks on their roosts at night. I have seen remains 

 of the large and powerful tawny eagle undoubtedly killed 

 by a caracal, and on one occasion came across those of a 

 martial hawk eagle, largest and fiercest of all birds of 

 prey in the eastern Transvaal, which apparently had 

 met a like fate, though it must be admitted that there 

 was some little doubt whether in this case a leopard had 

 not been the aggressor. Besides birds, the caracal preys 

 on all the small mammals and lesser antelopes, such as 

 duikers and steenbucks, and the young of creatures of 

 the size of impalas and reedbucks, together with sheep and 

 goats when they offer themselves. When I was shooting 

 on the hills near White River, a very large male caracal 

 was killed, which proved to contain the greater part of a 

 steenbuck. The incident occurred in a piece of thick 

 bush, and I distinctly recollect Mr. Munnik, unable to see 

 clearly through the covert, calling out that he had shot 

 a lion cub, and our momentary anxiety we were armed 

 only with shot guns lest the infuriated mother should 

 suddenly appear upon the scene ! 



A dog must be both large and courageous to cope 

 successfully single-handed with one of these powerful 

 little cats ; my Irish and fox terriers have often 

 returned severely worsted from the fray. If pursued 

 by dogs, however, they will usually take to trees, being 

 expert climbers, and can then be easily shot. When at 

 bay, they spit and growl after the fashion of most of the 



