A cyclist had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when he spotted a female caracal and her cubs crossing the bike path as he was riding through the slopes of Constantiaberg on Sunday.
In an official social media statement, Parkscape shared Bruce Stirling Morgan’s sighting, indicating that the cyclist was “on the Jeep track on his way up to the mast when he spotted the caracal and her two youngsters.”
Unfortunately, Morgan did not take any photographs of the cubs with their beautiful mother. Although these wild cats are often spotted around Table Mountain and other areas, they are known to be elusive and are cautious of humans. Spotting a mother with her cubs is extremely rare as the Cape caracal species could face the risk of extinction.
The spotted caracal, dubbed Hope, has allowed the Urban Caracal Project, an organisation dedicated to the conservation of these felines, to further study reproduction in the species.
Picture: Facebook, Bruce Stirling Morgan