Small African Animals sometimes seen on safaris

Some of the smaller African animals i.e Honeybadger, Caracul, Civet, and Genet not generally seen




Few cats can imitate the caracals sudden spring to pull down a bird in mid flight, sometimes as high as three meters, a remarkable feat for such a small animal.

The soft thick coat has no distinct stripes but is clearly spotted on the underside and has a shorter tail and longer ears than any other African cat

Caracul Pawprints


african caracul walking

honeybadger at waterhole Hwange

Honey Badger / Ratel


About 61 cm long excluding the tail, it has a coat that is black on the lower half of the body and pale gray above.

The name ‘honey badger’ is derived from its supposed habit of following the Honeyguide bird to a bees nest, the honey badger rips it open. The bird and the honey badger then share the honey.


The ratel has very thick, loose skin that is difficult to grasp. The skin around the throat is so thick that it is said to defy the bite of a dog or a leopard

Honeybadger Pawprints




Small cat with short legs, pointed snout and ringed tail. The muzzle is pointed and the ears are rounded. No two animals are exactly alike. Two to four young are born during the summer months, usually in the mother's daytime shelter.

Genets are often seen at night in the wilds. The small-spotted genet has habits similar to the large-spotted genet: it is nocturnal, scales trees, uses tree-holes, undergrowth or disused burrows as shelter in the day, and eats insects, mice and rats, geckos, frogs, snakes and scorpions. It stalks its prey like a cat.

In defence it will arch its back and the hair down the spine will bristle, while also emitting an unpleasant odour from a secretion in its anal glands. Genets return to the same place day after day, hunting mostly on the ground. They spit and growl like cats when they are angry or threatened. Their normal call is a clear metallic note

Genets were kept as pets by the ancient Egyptians, the genet was kept as a rat catcher The domestic cat eventually replaced the genet, probably because it is more efficient at killing rats-and perhaps because it is less smelly





The ancient Egyptians believed a jackal-headed god, Anubis, guided the dead to those who judged their souls. Such beliefs were probably encouraged by the jackal's cleverness, nocturnal habits, eerie howling and scavenging.


The common jackal lives in open savannahs, deserts and arid grasslands. Side-striped jackals are found in moist savannas, marshes, bushlands and mountains. The sliver-backed jackal lives primarily in savannas & woodlands.




Jackals are opportunistic omnivores. They cooperatively hunt small or young antelopes such as dik diks or Thomson's gazelles or even domestic sheep.


Jackals are noisy. Family or pack members communicate with each other by a screaming yell and yapping, or a sirenlike howl when a kill is located.

Jackals are very cunning and resourceful. Although usually considered scavengers-they do pick over kills made by large carnivores and frequent rubbish dumps-they also hunt and kill a variety of prey

Jackal Pawprints




A long legged half-dog half-cat like creature with long course body hair and a vivid pattern of black spots.







African Wild Cat

Similar in appearance to a large tabby cat, they are not often seen. They hunt at night, preying on small mammals, birds, frogs and insects. Their young are born in a hollow tree or burrow


Small is beautiful.....Exclusive, beats it


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