Meet the Big Cats (2nd List)

1. Clouded Leopard

Sunda clouded leopard

2. Snow Leopard

3. Caracal

Caracals live on rocky hills or grasslands in the Middle East, Africa, and south Asia. The animal is one of more than 30 species of small wild cats. Most caracals grow about three feet long and can weigh over 40 pounds. The feline is usually most active after sunset. And this cat likes its me-time—adults spend much of their days alone, hunting for birds, rodents, rabbits, and gazelles.

A caracal crouches in the tall grass, eyeing a bird perched on a nearby shrub. Suddenly the wild cat bursts from her hiding spot and bolts toward the fowl. As the bird takes off, so does the caracal. She leaps up six feet and swats her prey with her paw, causing it to fall to the ground. Then the cat scoops up the bird in her mouth. It’s dinnertime.