Believe it or not, this cute cat is the deadliest feline in the world

When we talk about dangerous, bloodthirsty and deadly felines, what is the first animal you remember? Probably from lions or leopards, isn't it? In fact - these pussies are somewhat dangerous and can easily break a human being in half. But according to science, the deadliest feline in the world is the nice little black-legged cat ( Felis nigripes ), about the same size as the average domestic cat who meows on his face. roof.

Categorized as “almost threatened” with extinction, it is a rare sight to see and usually inhabits arid southern Africa (including deserts and grasslands) and can withstand high temperatures without any problem. An adult specimen measures 36 to 52 centimeters in length and up to 20 cm in height; Its weight ranges from 1 to 3 kilograms. But don't let your stature fool you: the pussy hunts more prey in a single night than a leopard in 6 months!

Recently, a group of documentary filmmakers decided to capture unpublished images of wild cats (let's abbreviate this complex name, right?) In their natural habitat to learn a little more about their activities. Tracking already cataloged specimens outfitted with radio collars, professionals had to use a special light-sensitive camera to capture feline movements during the night. Since they are small, it is easy to lose them in the middle of the vegetation, for example.

Merciless Killer

The efforts of documentary filmmakers paid off. Thanks to this special footage, they were able to scientifically prove something that many researchers already imagined: the wildcat is an exemplary hunter and leaves many other felines in his slipper. Because of its fast metabolism, it must always be active and feed frequently - which partly explains why this cute creature is so bloody at the same time.

In a single night, Felis nigripes kills between 10 and 14 prey (usually rodents or small birds), averaging one murder every 50 minutes. Even more interesting is the fact that he has a 60% success rate in his attacks on his prey; For comparative purposes, lions can only murder a victim about 25 percent of the time. In most cases, the unlucky (or lucky) manages to escape; but the wildcat, by contrast, does not know what pity is.

Filming also revealed that the animal uses three techniques for its hunting. In either method he simply runs and leaps across the fields, approaching any small animal that serves as food; in another, he “follows” his victims to the burrows and slaughters them in their own homes. Finally, the cat can also stay up to 2 hours in a hiding place waiting for an unlucky prey to come in front of him - at which point he makes his somersault.

Obviously, the black-legged wildcat does not symbolize danger to large animals such as gazelles and wildebeests (which are often the victims of larger felines), but its high success rate in killings and the amount of killings by At night they make this pussy officially the deadliest feline on earth. Now, let's come and agree: who has problems with rats at home would surely like to have such a mascot.

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