KWS intelligence officers visited our office at Oltukai in the evening just for our usual updates on what is happening in the ecosystem, Mr. Daniel Yiankere accompanied by Hamdi Ahmed. They informed us that they were called upon to rescue an animal that the community at Ilbisil did not have an idea what it was. They produced a baby cat from a small box and I asked them what it was but they did not have a hint. They bought it into our office and immediately I identified it to be a Caracal kitten. The name Caracal is derived from the Turkish word “Karakulak” meaning “black ear”. To make my confirmation factual, we checked in the internet and they were satisfied with the photos and the information given.

I was surprised and eager to know where the rescue happened and found out that it was reported to Kenya Wildlife Service Amboseli on the 25th August 2008 by Naingola Ole Ncheki who thought it was a cheetah or lion cub. This happened after it was separated from its mother by dogs accompanying young boys who were grazing cattle at a place called Ilbisil on the 21st August 2008, 100 km North of Amboseli National Park. I wondered how it survived for five days. Naingola Ole Ncheki informed the KWS officers that the rescuers were feeding it with meat and milk since it's a cat. The herding boys explained that the mother disappeared with the other two kittens upon the ambush by dog, but no one knows what happened after that.

The little male Caracal has been calling all the time for its mother, though the KWS personnel had some meat for it. I asked them what will happen to it and they told me that it will be taken to an orphanage in Nairobi National Park.

Caracals are found in most regions of northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and southwestern Asia. They are found in woodlands, savannahs, and in scrub forests, but avoid sandy deserts. Caracals are hunted for their skin and known to take domestic livestock. I hope the poor thing survives.