{"id":2206813,"date":"2026-08-26T06:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2206813"},"modified":"2026-08-23T09:20:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T08:20:53","slug":"experts-looked-inside-cape-towns-largest-predator-what-they-found-has-them-worried","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/experts-looked-inside-cape-towns-largest-predator-what-they-found-has-them-worried\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts looked inside Cape Town’s largest predator. What they found has them worried"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of Cape Town\u2019s caracals have rat poison in their bodies. The discovery, reported in\u00a0Environmental Pollution<\/em>, raises concerns about the hidden effects of rodent control on wildlife, and calls for tighter regulation of these chemicals.<\/p>\n

Caracals\u00a0are\u00a0wild cats\u00a0native to Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia, instantly recognisable by their long, tufted ears.<\/p>\n

The nocturnal cats typically feed on birds, rodents and other small mammals. In urban areas, this creates a problem because caracals can encounter rodents that have eaten anticoagulant poisons. The chemicals prevent blood clotting and can cause fatal internal bleeding.<\/p>\n

Researchers analysed the livers of 102 caracals that had died, mainly in road collisions, and found that 78% of the samples contained rodent poison.<\/p>\n

Most individuals were exposed to at least three different compounds, but some had up to six compounds in a single sample. Older animals had higher burdens, suggesting that the cats are being exposed to the chemicals repeatedly over time.<\/p>\n

The compounds were dominated by second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, which are more potent and persistent than their first-generation predecessors. A poisoned animal can take up to two weeks to die, during which time rodents may continue feeding and carry high concentrations of the chemicals, potentially exposing non-target predators and\u00a0scavengers.<\/p>\n

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\"Caracal\"
The caracal \u2013 \u00a0a medium-sized cat with long legs and striking black ear tufts \u2013 is Cape Town’s largest predator. Credit: Ondrej Prosicky\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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\u201cCaracals are red warning lights at the top of the food web,\u201d says Gabriella Leighton from Stellenbosch University, South Africa.\u00a0\u201cCaracals move easily through natural areas, farms and suburbs and eat many kinds of prey. What accumulates in their bodies provides a broader picture of contamination across the landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although caracals rarely die from eating poison-laced rodents, conservationists are worried that sublethal doses could be harming the cats. Studies on North American\u00a0bobcats\u00a0have linked exposure to rodent poisons with inflammation, poor immune system functioning and greater disease susceptibility. We don\u2019t know if caracals react in the same way, but the high levels of exposure suggest cause for concern.<\/p>\n