[Image: DeviantArt]
A male caracal has been killed near Soetwater in Kommetjie, and not by a speeding car or a snare trap, but by four domestic dogs let loose where they were never meant to be.
According to the Urban Caracal Project, the dogs were allegedly walked off-leash into the area by a woman coming from the direction of the crayfish factory—a spot where dogs are strictly banned, for good reason.
To make matters worse, this isn’t just any patch of fynbos. It’s also a critical breeding ground for African oystercatchers, whose nests are now fair game for rogue paws and wagging tails.
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Wildlife experts are spitting mad, calling it a textbook case of why leash laws exist and what happens when they’re ignored, per The South African:
“Dogs are non-native predators in these natural spaces,” conservationists explained. “Even without meaning to, they trample nests, harass animals, and in tragic cases like this, kill wildlife.”
The tragic irony? The caracal, a powerful wild cat, is no match for a pack of domestic dogs. On the Cape Peninsula, an adult male caracal weighs around 11.4kg. Many dogs weigh more than three times that. Throw in pack behaviour, and you’ve got a bloody mismatch every time.
Besides teeth, dogs bring their own biohazards. Diseases like canine distemper can infect wild cats, with devastating consequences.
A recent mortality analysis of Cape Town’s caracals shows dog attacks are no fluke—they’re a growing, deadly threat, on par with poisonings and vehicle collisions. All of them? Human-caused.
Conservationists have had enough. They’re calling on pet owners to do the bare minimum:
- Keep your dogs leashed in natural areas
- Stay the hell out of restricted zones, especially wildlife corridors and breeding grounds
- Clean up after your pets to stop the spread of disease
- Get your dog’s jabs done. No excuses.
“Natural spaces must be safe havens for wildlife,” conservationists warn. “It only takes one careless walk for irreversible damage to be done.”
And yet, here we are. Another dead caracal. Another avoidable tragedy. And still, no formal statement from authorities about fines or legal action.
But the public pressure is mounting, because what’s the point of protected areas if no one’s protecting them?
[Source: The South African]
