The caracal is a medium-sized wildcat found in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of MP.
- The National Board for Wildlife and Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has included the caracal in the list of critically endangered species.
- The recovery programme for critically endangered species in India now includes 22 wildlife species.
- In India, it is called siya gosh, a Persian name that translates as ‘black Ear’.
- The caracal is also found in several dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia.
- The caracal has traditionally been valued for its litheness and extraordinary ability to catch birds in flight.
- The caracal is an elusive, primarily noctural animal, and sightings are not common.
