Caracal cubs
© Marion Vollborn/Minden Picture
Caracal cubs
These caracal cubs will grow to become medium-sized wildcats. They roam the savannahs, deserts and forests of much of Africa and parts of the Middle East. Adult caracals are trim and sleek, with long, powerful legs, which allow these skilful hunters to leap more than three metres in the air to catch birds. Also called the desert lynx, caracals are fast and stealthy – they have stiff fur on the pads of their feet so they can stalk silently. Their short coat is a gorgeous gold, but it’s those distinctive face markings and ear tufts that give them character. There’s debate in the wildlife community about the purpose of the tufts. Some believe they enhance the cats’ hearing or help camouflage the caracal; others think tuft twitching is a way to communicate.
Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA
Polar bears, Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada
Lion cub and mother, Sabi Sabi, South Africa
Arctic fox, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway
Mother cheetah and cub, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Polar bear, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Clouded leopard
Giant panda cub in Bifengxia Panda Base, Sichuan, China
