Profile by Phil Crosby

Jungle cat (also called Swamp cat)

Felis chaus

Several Jungle cats are known to have escaped in the UK

Possibly the only cat that barks, jungle cats are unusual in that males will also defend their kittens. Note that two jungle cats escaped in Wiltshire inc. 1975, and that in 1988 there were two dead jungle cats recovered in Hampshire & Shropshire. A further specimen was killed in Wiltshire in 1996.

Life span
Jungle cats live for about 14 years.

Statistics
Body length: 56-94 cm, Tail length: 20-31 cm, Shoulder height: 40-50 cm, Weight: male: 6.1 kg, female: 4.2 kg.

Physical Description
Jungle cats have a slender build with long legs and a relatively short tail. They have sandy to red/brown or grey fur and the tip of the tail is black. Males may have faintly striped tail and legs. The nose and chin are sometimes white, and they have large ears with black tufts. The cubs are born spotted.

Distribution
Jungle cats are found in areas of Egypt, the Middle East, Southern Asia and western China.

Habitat
In western areas, jungle cats are mostly found in open grassland or near rivers. In eastern areas, they are found on marshland, near forests. They are not found in dense tropical rainforests.

Diet
Jungle cats mainly hunt rodents and other small mammals, but they will also take birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. They may occasionally eat wild pig, chital deer and fish.

Behaviour
Jungle cats hunt both day and night. They often climb trees, and will also dive for fish. Males in captivity are protective of kittens. Family groups of a male, female and kittens have been observed in the wild.

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