Few people know that wild cats called caracals (a.k.a rooikat or African lynx) still live in Western Cape. If you are an avid hiker you may have been blessed to witness these majestic  reatures in its natural habitat.

The African Lynx are mainly nocturnal predators living around Table Mountain. They are predators which survive mostly on rodents and birds.

Many of our African Lynx die from exposure to diseases carried by domestic animals, such as toxoplasmosis, parvovirus and feline AIDS. They are also being killed by ingesting poisons through prey, that urban residents put down for rodents and other small pests.

The Urban Caracal Project does research by collecting data to better understand how caracals are adapting to rapid urbanisation and human encroachment on their natural territories.

It is vital that we learn, for example, just how badly exposure to poison affects caracal health, and how that might affect the remaining caracal population in the future.

David Barritt, executive director of Network for Animals, said: “It is fascinating and rather comforting that these marvellous creatures manage to survive on the fringe of a city of five million people with dense urban areas.

“If we can manage to ensure that caracals survive so close to Cape Town, it gives hope that our children and grandchildren will one day see them living happily on Table Mountain.”

Leopards are now locally extinct on the Cape Peninsula, making caracals the largest remaining predator, and only about 60 of them are estimated to still roam the mountains. However, people may be killing them without even knowing it. Caracals on the Cape Peninsula die from exposure to poisons and diseases.

New research shows Cape Town's caracals have metal pollutants in their blood, including heavy metals and metalloids, such as arsenic, mercury and lead. Caracals using areas closer to people and roads had higher levels, as well as those feeding in aquatic food webs (i.e., eating seabirds and waterbirds), as these areas are sinks for pollutants.

Because caracals are an indicator species, this does not bode well for ecosystem or human health in the area. It will be a sad day when seeing these majestic creatures on our mountains is no more.