Rodents are generally the most frequent prey species but small mammals, birds and primates are also eaten.

This cat is predominantly terrestrial as almost all confirmed sightings were of animals on the ground. Golden Cats hunt using a stalk-and-rush technique. Golden Cats can adapt well to logged areas where thick understory vegetation and higher rodent densities occur. Their density is highest in pristine, undisturbed forest. They can be found from sea level up to 3,600 metres in deciduous rain forest, montane forest, bamboo forests, alpine moorland, wooded savannah and riverine forests that extend into the drier, more open areas. These cats live in moist equatorial rainforest of all kinds. No records of these cats exist for Benin or Nigeria, leaving a large gap between existing populations. They are endemic to tropical Africa and found in two widely disjunct populations in west central Africa and along the west coast to the north. The tail is less than half of the head body length, and has a dark line on the upper side, a dark tip and is often banded with darker rings.Īfrican Golden cats are the only forest-dependent wild cat in Africa, and their least known felid. The backs of the small, rounded ears are black.

Small white patches are visible around the eyes, mouth and along the cheeks. Spotting is more extensive in western populations. Their head is relatively small with a fairly large muzzle, irises of green to golden brown. There are four different coat patterns found throughout the Golden cat’s range: spotted all over spots on the back and neck indistinct no pattern except on flanks and no pattern except on belly and inner legs. The underparts are whitish, and the belly and inner sides of the limbs can have variable amounts of dark spotting. Both red and grey phases occur in the same areas, but few melanistic specimens have been recorded.

There are two colour forms: golden/reddish brown and silvery/dark slate-grey. About twice the size of a domestic cat, they are medium sized but sturdy, powerful animals, with stout, relatively short legs and large paws. The African Golden Cat Caracal aurata is one of the least-known felids in the world.

The Golden Cat by Max Brand