Day 4 brought me my very first photographs of an African Wildcat Felis silvestris cafra It paused briefly when we stopped and I managed two shots and then it disappeared among the vegetation. Something, however, piqued its interest for it returned, walking slowly towards us down the dune. We were so excited – the Kalahari offers very few second chances! It is believed the ancient Egyptians domesticated the African Wild Cat to control mice and rats which raided their granaries and that the domestic cat Felis silvestris catus was bred from these tamed animals. Apart from the difference in ear colouration (note it's reddish-brown) and the longer legs, this species could easily be mistaken for a domestic cat, to which it is so closely related that interbreeding is possible and therein lies one of the main threats to the survival of the wild subspecies in its pure form. African wild cats and domestic cats often interbreed in the proximity of human habitations. African Wildcats are nocturnal and prey on rodents, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. The female holds a territory and does not get any help from males in rearing her litter. Photographed in the wild in early morning light in the Auob dunes just after Houmoed, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park © Gerda van Schalkwyk. All rights reserved. This photograph and all others on my photostream are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog or forum, nor linked to without my written permission.
