{"id":7390,"date":"2025-05-12T10:53:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T10:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/?p=7390"},"modified":"2025-06-23T13:05:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T13:05:38","slug":"small-cats-of-mara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/journal\/small-cats-of-mara\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Cats of Mara"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we think of the Masai Mara, our minds instantly leap to the roaring royalty, lions, leopards, and cheetahs that rule the plains with power and poise. But lurking quietly behind the scenes, beneath golden grasses and within bushy thickets, is another set of elusive and enigmatic felines, the small cats of the Mara.<\/p>\n

The African continent is teeming with wildlife, all thanks to its ever-flourishing biodiversity. Eastern Africa, especially Kenya, is the most sought-after destination for an exciting wildlife safari holiday. Undoubtedly, Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve is the spot ranked on top when it comes to experiencing premium wildlife safari.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The big cats are prevalent and often attract attention in Mara. Lions stalking their prey, leopards napping on trees, and cheetahs sprinting at a lightning fast speed are bound to captivate anyone. But did you know the existence of small cats of Mara, that are equally as interesting as their counterparts? Although lesser known and obscure, these small cats of Mara are a captivating group that contributes to the reserve\u2019s ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n

In comparison to the big cats, the small cat species are harder to locate, making their sightings incredibly exciting. Here are the small cats of Mara found in the reserve that deserve their very own spotlight irrespective of their tiny size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

African Wild Cat\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The African wild cat is considered to be the ancestor of the domestic cats we see today. They were tamed by the ancient Egyptians centuries ago. Resembling a tabby cat, these species have longer legs and a unique walking form.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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African wild cats look exactly like a domestic cat, except they are slightly oversized. Their coats range from hues of red, and sand yellow, to even brown and grey. They are marked with faint tabby spots and stripes while their legs have black bands over them. A significant feature that distinguishes them from the other small cats of Mara is the reddish brown tint found at the back of its ears. Another way to identify an African wild cat is through their posture. Their upright stature while sitting resembles the cat carvings on the Egyptian tomb paintings. They hunt and feed on birds, fishes, small mammals, reptiles and even carrion.<\/span><\/p>\n

African wild cats have a wider distribution, found not only in Africa but also throughout central Asia such as China, India, and Mongolia.\u00a0 They adapt to diverse habitats such as savannahs, deserts, rocky terrains, and even forests. A major threat to this species is inbreeding with domestic cats. Due to this, it has become nearly impossible to find purebred African wild cats. However, it remains among the most famous small cats of Mara.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Serval\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Often mistaken for a tiny cheetah, Servals are another species of the small cats of Mara. Their most striking feature, and the only way to distinguish them from other small cats of Mara, is by looking at its ears, which appear huge when compared to the rest of their body. These ears specialize in selective hearing, especially during a threat or a hunt. The small black spots on its coat, replicating that of the cheetah, are another characteristic to identify a serval. Moreover, their long necks have earned them the title of \u2018giraffe cats\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weighing at least 20 to 40 pounds and measuring up to 60 centimeters, Servals are endemic to Africa. They are best spotted in Masai Mara and in specific national parks of Tanzania, Botswana, and Namibia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to their long legs, servals are agile hunters, running around 40 to 50 miles per hour and jumping at a height of at least 10 feet. They hunt rodents, fishes, insects, reptiles, birds, and other small prey. They are nocturnal creatures and are best seen during early morning or night time game drives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caracal\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The biggest out of all small cats of Mara, Caracals are also called red cats in Afrikaans. However, the name caracal is derived from the Turkish language which means black ear. This is attributed to its striking feature, its back ears, which also makes them easily recognizable. The black ears are covered by long black tufts that are believed to help them with hearing. A set of 20 muscles found in their ears control the ear movement. They live in a wide variety of habitats including arid regions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Having slender bodies, lean legs and appearing elegant, caracals are medium sized cats. Their body is covered with short brownish to reddish fur void of any spots, unlike other small cats of Mara.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caracals can weigh up to 18 kgs, run up to 50 miles per hour, and jump at a height of 4 meters. They feed on smaller to medium-sized mammals such as small antelope, monkeys, birds and other rodents. They are difficult to spot due to their amazing ability to camouflage in the wild and their elusive nature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The small cats of the Mara may not always steal the headlines, but their role in the ecosystem is just as vital as that of the big cats. Elusive, graceful, and full of personality, they offer a whole new perspective on the wild. So, the next time you head out on a safari, keep your eyes peeled \u2014 you might just spot one of these secretive little predators weaving their silent stories through the grass.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we think of the Masai Mara, our minds instantly leap to the roaring royalty, lions, leopards, and cheetahs that rule the plains with power and poise. But lurking quietly behind the scenes, beneath golden grasses and within bushy thickets, is another set of elusive and enigmatic felines, the small cats of the Mara. The …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"cozystay_single_post_hide_site_header":"","cozystay_single_post_site_header_source":"","cozystay_single_post_custom_site_header":"0","cozystay_single_post_custom_sticky_site_header":"","cozystay_single_post_hide_page_title":"","cozystay_single_post_site_footer_hide_main":"","cozystay_single_custom_site_footer_main_source":"","cozystay_single_custom_site_footer_main":"0","cozystay_single_post_site_footer_hide_above":"","cozystay_single_custom_site_footer_above_source":"","cozystay_single_custom_site_footer_above":"0","cozystay_single_post_site_footer_hide_instagram":"","cozystay_single_post_site_footer_hide_bottom":"","cozystay_single_custom_mobile_menu_source":"","cozystay_single_custom_mobile_menu":"0","cozystay_single_custom_mobile_menu_animation":"","cozystay_single_custom_mobile_menu_width":"","cozystay_single_custom_mobile_menu_custom_width":375,"cozystay_single_post_template":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-masai-mara"],"loftoceanMetas":{"authorName":"Ilora Retreats Team","categories":[{"name":"Masai Mara","link":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/journal\/category\/masai-mara\/","count":11}],"date":"May 12, 2025","featuredImageSRC":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Small-cat-150x150.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7390"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7756,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7390\/revisions\/7756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilora-retreats.com\/mara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}