A very young “domesticated” caracal was found in a terrible condition in a yard in Hennenman.
“We were horrified when we were called to rescue a caracal in a residential area, hiding under a tree,” says Thea Smit, chairperson of the Virginia SPCA.
Smit says the young male was extremely compromised.
“This is not a wild caracal that lost his way. Someone kept him inside and fed him gemorskos. Caracals are predators. They belong in the wild, not your home.”
The animal had massive iron deficiency and severe hyperkalemia.
“They may seem cute and cuddly, like many wild animals, but their diet and natural lives are of utmost importance,” says Smit.
“If you know of anyone keeping indigenous wildlife without permits and in compromised conditions, please notify the Virginia SPCA.”
The young cat has been admitted to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, and the staff there are doing their best for him.
“We are rooting for this boy in the hope that his fight for survival will not be in vain,” says Smit.
She believes the swift reaction of Virginia SPCA inspector Ernest Khakhau and field assistant Peter Kamwaza saved him.
