Pay a Visit to Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Center
Cats fascinate many people for many different reasons. Wild cats especially capture the imagination with their secret lives and elusive natures. There are numerous kinds of wild cat species in the world and South Africa is home to quite a number of them. Kwazulu-Natal’s Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Center is a great place to learn more about South Africa’s wild cat species.
The most commonly known South African wild cats are the lion, leopard and cheetah. All of these big cats are absolutely fabulous animals that are covered widely by various media sources. However, they are not the only wild cats living in this country, and the Endomeni Cat Rehabilitation Center invites visitors to get better acquainted with Servals, Caracals and African Wildcats as well as Cheetahs. Each of these animals is distinctly different in nature, size and patterning but they all belong to the cat family and are most commonly found in the wild. Servals are mid-sized cats with small heads and large, upright ears. Their yellow-tan coats are covered with small black, sparsely spaced spots, bands and stripes while their under parts are white or light tan and their tail is ringed with black. An interesting aspect of this cat is that all its legs are proportionately longer than that of many other members of the cat family, the hind legs being particularly longer than the front legs. Servals are extremely playful and are a true joy to become better acquainted with through observation.
Most people better know the Caracal as a Lynx, but the local version is quite distinctly different in not only size but also in marking and shape. It has a reddish-brown coat, tufted ears and distinct white markings around its eyes, mouth and under parts. Most people are surprised to learn that this beautiful cat is actually an endangered species! The African Wild Cat is quite often mistaken for its domestic cousins as they are similar in size and appearance. They are, however, different from the domestic cat in several ways and always have the same coloring and stripes. They have been known to become easily domesticated and very few pure South African Wild Cats still exist as they mingle and breed easily with domestic cats. The Cheetah, with its small head, distinct tear marks around the eyes and slender, agile body need little introduction.
These are the four predators that visitors can learn more about at the Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Center in KwaZulu-Natal. Visitors not only get to interact with a number of the species, but learn more about the care, breeding and rehabilitation functions performed by the center. The center not only strives to help create awareness about these wonderful creatures, it also creates jobs for the local community. This is one experience you do not want to miss out on!
