HOEDSPRUIT – It is Africa’s smallest wild cat and although only listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, they are rarely seen due to their strictly nocturnal nature.
Though small in size, the black-footed cat has the personality of a tiger and can even catch and kill prey larger than itself, such as the Cape hare.
As the threats to their survival include indiscriminate methods of predator control, habitat destruction and depletion of prey, it is of utmost importance that a viable captive breeding population is established and maintained – unfortunately, black-footed cats are difficult to keep and even more difficult to breed.
“That is why the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) is incredibly proud and privileged to announce the birth of two kittens. They are healthy and growing up real fast,” said Mr Henk Labuschagne, general assistant at HESC.
