Name(s):
Threatened species of Turkmenian caracal
Nature
Caracals are percieved as a threat to livestock and as a result are persecuted by farmers and nomadic herders.
Background
The caracal, or African lynx, or desert lynx as it is commonly referred to, is distributed throughout Africa, and Asia from Turkey through northwestern India to Arabia. Displaying a large tolerance of habitat the caracal inhabits grasslands, scrubby woodlands and forested areas throughout its range. There is some evidence to support the theory that the Turkmenian caracal is not a valid subspecies and should be grouped with South West Asian form.
Incidence
The turkmenian caracal is considered as "Not Evaluated" by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2" except for populations in Asia which are under "Appendix 1".