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Thanks all for your help!

Typical AWC behaviour

Hi

Sorry looks too big for African Wild Cat. Could it be a serval?

No sorry, The tail is too long and the head is too big in propotion to the body. Well of course that's IMO

If these photos were taken from "far away" then IMHO it is much to big for an African Wild Cat and I would be far more inclined given the length of the tail and the size of the body and head proportionately to go for a Cheetah Cub - just old enough to have lost its mantle!

I don't think so Penny, look at the ears in the top pic. They look too sharp (word seem sout of place with these pics I know ) to me to be Cheetah ears. But I was having the same doubts about the tail's length. Than I found the following site

So I guess it's wild cat

IMHO I would go for Caracal or Serval. It is too big for an AWC. A big AWC will stand no more than +- 15cm (ground to underbelly) off the ground and these pics look more in the region of 25-30cm.

KTP is far too dry for servals and a caracal's tail is a lot shorter and it is more squat

HI

I saw a serval in the Kruger. It was3 to 4 years ago between Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge.I also still think the sighting was not an AWC it is far too big. The AWC I have seen are only a little bigger than Domestic Cats

Nicki

I once nudged a serval with my car... (have the skin @ home ) and it ran off so quickly that I couldn't get a good view of it. But I still think that this is a wildcat. KTP is not suitable for servals.

Not a Serval but a Caracal. Still say too big for AWC, as Nicolette says AWC's are only slightly bigger than domestic cats

It's an AWC! They walk with their tails up and are slim like the one in the picture.

Caracals are more thick set and have shorter tails!

There are as many servals in KTP as Kaiser Chief's goals against Man United!

Just for a bit of added interest I referred one of the pictures to my son who is a game ranger (travelling in USA at present) and he said categorically not AWC and more likely caracal, cheetah cub or serval but he was concerned at the length of tail.

Based on this I go with my gut instinct that it is a cheetah cub.

Why doen't someone ask Jannie from KTP to take a look and give us his qualified opinion.

This one is a real "poser" though!

Once again I consulted my trusted old friend Photoshop to assist with TE's query.
The front legs show black stripes across the legs about halfway down. Black tip to the tail, which could be ringed but not clear enough.

Now I can't remember if the Caracal's got a black tip to the tail. I couldn't see any on pics I found on the net. A Cheetah's tail has got a white tip. AWC's tail is striped with a black tip.

Another thing about the tail. If you look at the tail length in relation to bodylength the caracal is on average about a quarter to a third and the AWC closer to half the body lenght.

Cheetah tend to walk with theirs hanging down. I don't think I've ever seen one walking with its tail in the air like that.

I would say AWC.


Jeez, what am I doing? I should be working.

Thanks for the tech expo Johann,

I have seen many AWCs and this is one.