NUR-SULTAN – The Ustyurt Nature Reserve located in the Mangystau Region recently posted photographs of a caracal with her kitten on its Instagram account. The species is included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
Female caracal with its kitten. Photo credit: Ustyurt Nature Reserve’s Instagram account. Click to see the map in full size
“Carakals can be found in deserts, semi-desert areas, and mountain valleys of Kazakhstan. The exact number of animals is still unknown. Their number has been decreasing from year to year, so the species is protected and listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a species of ‘least concern,’ ” wrote the IUCN’s press service on Instagram.
Another photo of caracal in the reserve. Photo credit: Ustyurt Nature Reserve’s Instagram account.
The caracal is a medium-sized wildcat, which is similar to a lynx, but it is actually smaller, slimmer, and with a monotonous color. Its tassels and the outer side of the ears are black, therefore the animal was called caracal – it translates as “black ear” from the Turkic language.
At present, the caracal inhabits certain areas of the Mangystau Region.
