Iberian lynx now number more than 1,000 animals. The species had disappeared from Portugal, and many feared it would be the first cat species to go extinct in modern times.įast forward to today. Its main prey, European rabbits, had a population crash due to a virus. It had been persecuted relentlessly by farmers, and the lynx wasn’t legally protected until the 1970s. Native to Spain and Portugal, the Iberian lynx had been in precipitous decline for decades. In 2002, it was the most endangered wild cat on the planet, with a population of only 94 animals.

© Diego Delso / Wikimedia CommonsĪmong North American nature lovers, Europe is often considered “less wild.” And yet, some of the most exciting wildlife conservation initiatives and successes have occurred there. I saw several black-footed cats there during night safaris that also provided views of aardvarks, Cape porcupines, hedgehogs and more. This habit means they can be reliably sighted on specialized night safaris in suitable habitat, particularly in the ranchlands around Kimberley, South Africa. According to Smithsonian, the black-footed cat “catches more prey in a single night than a leopard catches in six months.” In fact, its fast metabolism means that, at night, it is almost constantly hunting. Those who have seen big cats in the wild know that it is difficult to see them on the hunt.

And while it’s found in arid regions of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana (all popular safari destinations), it is nocturnal and quite rare. The black-footed cat weighs only four pounds. But how about the smallest cat? That’s a much more difficult sighting.

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