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African black-footed cat: Looks innocent but is the 'world's most dangerous' cat

The black-footed cat is small in size, has round eyes, mottled fur, and black stripes on its body and tail, but possesses a skillful hunting ability that has become a "terror" for many other creatures. This is the most dangerous cat species in the world.

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The Black-footed cat, scientifically known as Gyra, is considered the smallest African cat, even smaller than the common alley cat.

Despite its small size, its hunting ability is up to 60%, far surpassing other famous killers of the cat family such as tigers, leopards, lions. which are only about 20 to 25%. Each year, an African black-footed cat can hunt and eat up to 3,000 rodents.

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Black-footed cats have eyesight six times better than humans, giving them perfect night vision. They also have very sensitive hearing.

To successfully catch prey, black-footed cats often sneak under bushes and grasslands to search for potential prey. Sometimes, they lie in ambush for hours at the entrance of their prey's den. When they see their prey, black-footed cats will dash through grass taller than a person in a split second, tossing the prey into the air and pouncing on it.

African black-footed cat: Looks innocent but is the 'world's most dangerous' cat Picture 3 African black-footed cat: Looks innocent but is the 'world's most dangerous' cat Picture 4

 

However, black-footed cats are not good at climbing due to their short tails and bodies. Instead, they spend a lot of time digging and expanding their burrows and territories on sandy ground.

Each night, this cat can travel up to 20 miles to hunt for prey.

These adorable animals have a fast metabolism, so they have to hunt constantly. On average, they can kill 10 to 14 rodents or small birds every night, more than a cheetah can kill in a month.

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Black-footed cats are found mainly in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. They are the rarest cat species on the African continent. They prefer to live in areas with high densities of rodents and birds, such as grassy plains, scrub deserts and sand plains. Black-footed cats are nocturnal and when the sun rises they rest in burrows dug by other species or hide among rocks or hollow termite mounds.

Black-footed cats are generally solitary except during breeding seasons and when raising young.

Unfortunately, the African black-footed cat is endangered due to habitat destruction that reduces prey.

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