The lean feline; the Jungle Cat

Wilpattu National Park

Lesser-known facts

Once again, similar to other cats, Jungle Cats too can climb trees. Similar to other felines, they utilize not only their sight and hearing during their hunts, but also their strong sense of smell and they tend to sway from side to side while they run. Jungle Cats mostly hunt for rodents, frogs, birds, hares, squirrels, juvenile wild pigs as well as reptiles including turtles and snakes.

Where to find them 

Jungle cats are found in plenty across Egypt through Southwestern Asia and in the Indian subcontinent. In Egypt, these cats prefer to live in swampy grounds and reed beds, whilst in India, they prefer woodlands, open plains, grasslands, agricultural crops and scrubs. The Jungle Cats living in Sri Lanka can be found in dry arid shrub jungles as well as in thousand meter high mountainous forests. 

Fun facts

Like most other cats, jungle Cats hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey - using reeds and tall grass as their cover during the process. They are adept at leaping, and at times attempt to catch birds that are in mid-flight. Although these cats can run up to a speed of 32 kilometers per hour, they rarely pursue prey which escapes their initial pounce.