The behavioral ecology of urban caracals

Human activities are increasingly challenging wildlife by disrupting ecological connectivity and threatening population survival. Yet, human-altered environments sometimes offer resources that attract adaptable species. Urbanization, in particular, presents unique challenges and opportunities for wildlife. This motivated my 2014 journey to South Africa to launch the Urban Caracal Project. Our knowledge of how different species adapt to urban settings remains limited. Wild felids are particularly interesting to study in this context– they are highly mobile, live in low density populations, and can have expansive territories, making them especially vulnerable to habitat changes. This raised intriguing questions– could caracals, medium-sized wild cats, survive in the Cape Peninsula, cut off by roughly 860 square kilometers of densely urbanized Cape Town? And if they could, how were they navigating the challenges of the urban-wildland interface?

To answer these questions, I began by capturing and fitting GPS-collars on 26 caracals, mostly within the Cape Peninsula region, which is primarily comprised of iconic Table Mountain National Park. The collars provided me with frequent location data every 3 hours throughout the day, as well as detailed 20-minute interval data every 10 days, allowing me to study their behaviors at the urban-wildland boundary. I examined whether caracals became more nocturnal near developed areas to avoid human activity. Alongside GPS-tracking of caracals, I led a team that back-tracked caracal movement paths (based on the GPS-collar data) to visit their hunting and resting sites, and I co-supervised a graduate student that analyzed the foraging data to determine what the caracals were eating and what kind of habitat they selected to forage in. Our overall aims were to determine whether proximity to urban areas altered their movement or hunting habits.

We found that caracals are adapting well to the urban edge. Those living closer to urban areas tend to stick to the fringes, especially at night. Young caracals were typically just 50 meters from the urban edge, while adults were generally than 500 meters away. Importantly, caracals use vegetation for cover to avoid human detection. These findings suggest that caracals are potentially habituated to human activity. Our hunting data further supports this– caracals exploit resources near urban areas, preying on over 65 species, primarily vlei rats and guinea fowl, which seem to thrive at the urban edge. Despite urban pressures and human activity, these caracals hunt at the urban edge and within vineyards, with vegetation remaining crucial for their concealment. Interestingly, when feeding, instead of fleeing from human disturbance like larger wild cats, urban caracals stay put, using surrounding vegetation to remain hidden. Read the publications for these studies here, here, and here.

While it’s great news that caracals are learning to take advantage of resources at the urban edge, this brings them closer to a number of threats. Vehicle collision is a leading cause of mortality in the Cape Peninsula and surrounding Greater Cape Town area. But hunting and feeding close to the urban edge also puts them at risk for exposure to toxic pollutants including anticoagulant rat poisons and even persistent organic pollutants such as DDT. Read the publications here and here.

We have learned so much more about these urban caracals than can be quickly compiled here. If you are interested in learning more about urban caracals and all that I have accomplished with my Urban Caracal Project Research Program, please refer to our publication list that continues to grow:

Serieys, L.E.K., Leighton, G.R.M., et al. 2024. Denning and maternal behavior of caracals (Caracal caracal). Mammalian Bioliology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-024-00429-z

Kyriazis, C.C., Serieys, L.E.K., et al. 2024. The influence of gene flow on population viability in an isolated urban caracal population. Molecular Ecology 33(9): e17346.

Kraberger, S., Serieys, L.E.K., et al. 2024. Two lineages of Papillomaviruses identified from caracals (Caracal caracal) in South Africa. Viruses 16(5): 701.

Leighton, G.R.M., Froneman, P.W., Serieys, L.E.K., Bishop, J.M. 2024. Sustained use of marine subsidies promotes niche expansion in a wild felid. Science of the Total Environment 914: 169912.

Serieys, L.E.K., Bishop, J.M., et al. 2023. Anthropogenic activities and age class mediate carnivore habitat selection in a human-dominated landscape. iScience 26(7): 107050.

Leighton, G.R.M., Froneman, W., Serieys, L.E.K., Bishop, J.M. 2023. Trophic downgrading of an adaptable carnivore in an urbanising landscape. Scientific Reports 13(1): 21582.

Parker, K.H., Bishop, J.M., Serieys, L.E.K., et al. 2023. A heavy burden: Metal exposure across the land-ocean continuum in an adaptable carnivore. Environmental Pollution 327: 121585.

Leighton, G.R.M., Bishop, J.M., Merondun, J., Winterton, D.J., O’Riain, M.J., Serieys, L.E.K. 2022. Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge. Animal Conservation 25(2): 244-258.

Leighton, G.R.M., Bishop, J.M., Camerero, P.R., Mateo, R., O’Riain, M.J., Serieys, L.E.K., 2022. Poisoned chalice: Use of transformed landscapes associated with increased persistent organic pollutant concentrations and potential immune effects for an adaptable carnivore. Science of the Total Environment 822: 153581.

Leighton, G.R.M., Bishop, J.M., …Serieys, L.E.K. 2020. An integrated dietary assessment increases feeding event detection in an urban carnivore. Urban Ecosystems 23: 569-583.

Viljoen, S., O’Riain, M.J., Penzhorn, B.L., Drouilly, M., Serieys, L.E.K., et al. 2020. Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in caracals (Caracal caracal) living in human-modified landscapes of South Africa. Parasites and Vectors 13: 1-16.

Serieys, L.E.K, et al. 2019. Widespread anticoagulant exposure in predators in a rapidly growing South African city. Science of the Total Environment 666: 581-590.

Serieys, L.E.K. et al. 2019. High seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in an urban caracal (Caracal caracal) population in South Africa. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55(4): 951-953.