RANTHAMBORE Caracal in Ranthambore
Caracal (Caracal caracal): Dry scrub and rocky ground on the outer edges; reported from zone 9.
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In one line: Caracal (Caracal caracal) — IUCN Red List: Least Concern (globally; very rare in India). Dry scrub and rocky ground on the outer edges; reported from zone 9.
| Scientific name | Caracal caracal |
| IUCN status (global) | Least Concern (globally; very rare in India) |
| Legal protection in India | Schedule I; a small, declining Indian population. |
| Where our guides see it most | zone 9 (Kuwalji) |
“Where our guides see it most” is a habitat pattern from our own safaris in recent seasons, not a live location. Content checked 4 November 2026.
Identification
A medium cat with a plain tawny coat and long black ear tufts; 8–18 kg.
Habitat in Ranthambore
Dry scrub and rocky ground on the outer edges; reported from zone 9.
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Check my date on WhatsAppBehaviour
Secretive, mostly nocturnal; leaps to take birds from the air.
When to look
Exceptionally rare: dawn and dusk on the outer edges, reported from zone 9.
Worth knowing
One of India’s rarest cats; a Ranthambore sighting is exceptional and we say so.
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If you ever get one, any photograph is a record: send it to us for the sighting archive.
Conservation
Schedule I; a small, declining Indian population. Status is the IUCN Red List global category; it describes the species worldwide, not the Ranthambore population.
Questions
How rare is the caracal in India?
One of the country’s rarest mammals, with a small, declining population in the dry north-west. A Ranthambore sighting is exceptional and we say so.
Other wildlife of Ranthambore
Bengal tiger · Indian leopard · Sloth bear · Striped hyena · Golden jackal · Mugger (marsh crocodile) · Sambar deer · Chital (spotted deer) · Nilgai (blue bull) · Wild boar · Chinkara (Indian gazelle) · Hanuman langur · Red-headed vulture · Indian peafowl
Dated sightings archive
Verified entries for this species from our sightings archive: dated, zone-level, sourced. Not a live position.
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Sources and how we know
Species facts follow standard references (IUCN Red List, the Wildlife Institute of India and NTCA status reports). “Where our guides see it most” is our drivers’ own experience from recent seasons: a habitat pattern, never a live location or a promise.
- Research IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global categories)
- Research Status of Tigers in India 2022: summary report (NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India)
- Official National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Government of India
- Official Rajasthan Forest Department
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