Cape Town - The Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA Wildlife Department said it was thrilled to recently release a caracal cat back into the wild after a brief stay with them to recover from some nasty injuries sustained in a fight with a dog in Camps Bay.
The CoGH SPCA Wildlife Department said it receives an average of seven calls a year about caracal cats needing their help.
“Most often these are cats that have been struck by speeding cars while crossing roads, cats caught in poachers’ snares or cats suffering from some sort of sickness,” the SPCA said.
“When we received a call about a caracal wounded in a fight with a dog in the upmarket suburb of Camps Bay, we marked it down as a first.
“Caracals, despite their reputation as killers par excellence, are extremely shy creatures and will rather avoid a confrontation, even if it is only with a domestic dog, than risk taking a bite,” the organisation said.
This particular caracal was picked up lying on the roadside by a brave and caring member of the public and taken to a private vet who stabilised her and gave the SPCA a call.
The organisation however noted that caracals should never be handled, even if they appear docile and members of the public should call their nearest SPCA for help.
“The adult female cat had sustained a nasty bite wound to her throat, that fortunately didn’t hit any of the major arteries, deep enough to expose part of her jaw bone. She had a bite wound on her right front foreleg and some bruising around her shoulder.
“Our veterinary surgeon patched her up, and prescribed some pain meds, food and cage rest.
“Our Wildlife Department team then took over, providing for her daily needs; ensuring that she had the right nutrition and enough fluids to help speed her recovery.
“As soon as she was looking fit, we contacted our friends at SANParks and were granted permission for a release near Kasteelpoort, part of her mountain home range,” the CoGH SPCA said.
As the late summer sun climbed above the distant Helderberg peaks to greet the Wildlife team, assisted by the Urban Caracal Project and a SANParks ranger, they placed the caracal’s carry box in a small clearing in the fynbos.
They carefully unlatched the cage door and in a split second, the caracal was out the door and into freedom, the only sign of her was a rustling in the bushes as she went.
The organisation reminded mountain users to keep their dogs on a leash when hiking, for both their safety and the protection of local wildlife.
Contact the CoGH SPCA on: 021 700 4140
Cape Times