Hidden by the cloak of night, a stealthy predator of extraordinary senses and feline features stalks its prey in the darkness.
The genet is cunning and skilful climber that feeds on fruit, birds, insects and reptiles; but its favourite meal is small mammals,
especially rodents.
This agile and cat-like viverid has strong legs and retractable claws and, using its long tail for balance, continuously searches for food. Thanks to its large eyes and sensitive hearing, it is perfectly adapted to the dark, through which it roams, awaiting the slightest telltale noise.
After detecting its potential prey, the lone hunter silently closes in, careful not to reveal its presence; camouflaged among the night shadows with its spotted coat, it is invisible until it pounces on its victim. This efficient hunter was used by both the Romans and by the Muslim Empire in the Middle Ages to control rodent populations in crops, on boats and in homes. And it is still used in some parts of its country of origin, Africa.
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Christiaan Ferreira - Wild Genet Cat