Black-footed Cat: A Threatened Feline
Looking like an adorable domestic feline, the black-and-white cat confuses humans. For this reason, we should not get carried away by its flirtatious appearance: it is a voracious predator that has no mercy when it comes to hunting and, apart from that, is in danger of extinction.
There are multiple causes that have led to the decline in the population numbers of this fascinating species. Read on if you want to know more about this deadly but lovable feline.
The small but deadly African feline
The black-and-white cat ( Felis nigripes ) is one of those animals that is confusing because of its appearance. At first glance, it has the shape of any domestic cat: small body, spotted back and characteristic black legs.
However, anyone who is in his presence will guess that it is not just any cat. For example, this animal does not meow: a kind of hoarse roar escapes from its mouth, similar to that of other big cats, such as the lion.
Finally, this feline is considered the most lethal in the world, ahead of the well-known leopards, tigers or lions. Its fatality rate towards small vertebrates is staggering and may be due to the fact that it tends to hunt at night, making it extremely difficult to guess its onerous presence.
Among their favorite prey are birds, reptiles or other small mammals. So, appearances can be deceiving: this “cute kitten” is a natural predator, so it is necessary to be careful when handling it.
Habitat and way of life of the black-footed cat
The black-footed cat inhabits central southern Africa, an ecosystem with a desert climate. Because of this, these animals usually spend much of the day in their burrows, sheltering from the heat. At night, they hunt in these dry environments of savannas and grasslands.
A lone hunter from the savannah
Despite their wide range, black-legged cats have a very low population density. They are found in countries such as Namibia, Bostsuana or South Africa. Their energy requirement is very high, so apart from hunting very effectively, they cover enormous distances at night.
Their hunting habits, as we have already mentioned, stand out for being extremely accurate, since almost 60% of their attacks on prey are successful. This is a figure clearly higher than that of the rest of the felines. In addition, despite its small size, the black-footed cat is capable of hunting Cape hares, larger and heavier than it.
Regarding their reproductive habits, we can highlight that the females usually mate twice a year in periods of a couple of days. Therefore, they usually have two litters per year.
Conservation status of the black-footed cat
Unfortunately, this feline is in danger of extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in the category of «Vulnerable (VU)».
As with so many animals, habitat loss is one of the main problems it faces. The savanna and natural grassland landscape of the interior of South Africa and Namibia is gradually being transformed into intensive grasslands and crops, which limit the way of life of this animal.
The danger of illegal cheating
The conservation status of this feline – like that of many other living beings – also suffers due to illegal hunting. Numerous traps, traps and the use of poisons for other wild animals reduce the already small population of the black-footed cat.
Conservation programs
Given its threatened status, the black-footed cat has been the subject of some conservation programs. At the Bemfontein Nature Reserve in South Africa, researchers are studying the ecology, hunting behaviors and prey preference of these cats using radio tracking.
Captive conservation programs for the black-footed cat have also been developed. The one carried out at the Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) stands out. Since 1963, an outstanding colony of cats has been maintained in this place, with which genetic information is obtained to improve their gene diversity and thus ensure their survival.
A unique feline that must be preserved
Thus, by way of conclusion, we can highlight that the black-footed cat is a feline with a great hunting instinct and a particular way of life that must be preserved. Despite conservation efforts, hunting of this animal must be totally limited, in order to improve its endangered populations.
