Four fluffy
Caracal kittens were born on July 21 at Germany’s Zoo Berlin.  The two male and two female cubs, with their
rusty-colored coats, bright blue eyes, and long black ear-tips, are now out of
the nest box and charming zoo visitors.

Photo Credit:  Zoo Berlin

Parents Sarek
and Amanda came to the zoo from South Africa in 2004, and have reliably
produced offspring nearly every year since. Quadruplets are rare in Caracals,
making this litter of kittens unique.  The
subspecies living at Zoo Berlin has an intense cinnamon-red coat color.

The name
Caracal is derived from the Turkish “kara kulak,” which means “black ear,” referring
to the black ear tufts, which can be nearly half the length of the ear itself.  These tufts probably aid in sound detection.

Caracals, also
known as Desert Lynx, are widely distributed throughout Africa, Central Asia,
and parts of India.  They inhabit dry
steppes and rocky terrain.  Caracals are
becoming rare in parts of their range, particularly in North Africa, Central
Asia, and India.