Caracal denning behaviour in the Cape Peninsula

Denning and maternal behavior of caracals (Caracal caracal)

Serieys, L., Leighton, G.R.M., Merondun, J., Bishop, J.M.

Research Square 2024 

Abstract
Knowledge of behaviors surrounding reproduction in wild species is essential to the development of effective
management and conservation strategies. Many carnivores use dens to increase the safety and survival of their neonatal
young while females shift to central-place foraging to meet the energetic demands of raising young. Caracals (Caracal
caracal), a medium-size wild cat, have a widespread geographic distribution but limited information from minimal
observations exists on the behaviors associated with denning and caring for young. We report observations of dens used
by four caracals in the surrounds of Cape Town, South Africa, including the duration of den use, maternal home ranges,
and movements away from dens. Three of four females established denning in September and one in December,
suggesting a birth pulse during the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer. Of seven den sites we documented, six
were in dense shrubland fynbos vegetation and one among boulders; all of which had thick overhead cover. Females and
neonatal young used 1–3 primary dens for approximately six weeks, followed by the use of short-term auxiliary dens.
Female maternal home ranges were approximately 31% the size of their home ranges estimated using all their data. Trips
away from the dens averaged 12 hours while the average maximum distances across all trips away from dens for each
female was 1135 m (range = 801–1327 m). Our observations inform our understanding of the timing and physical
characteristics of caracal dens and help fill research gaps on the natural history of caracal denning behavior