Determine whether there is a threat of extinction Cat Blackfeet?

Blackfoot cat (Latin: Felis nigripes) - one of the most mysterious and little-known representatives of the family of carnivores. Their habitats are limited to a few countries in southern Africa, such as Namibia, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe, partly, and perhaps Botswana, which has historical information about the Blackfeet cats are not confirmed by later discoveries.

Blackfeet cats, which are considered the smallest of the wild cats of Africa, fighting for a world title level with three main rivals - Chilean cat (kodkodom) and rusty cat that resides in India and Sri Lanka. The body length of adult male black-footed cat is 50 inches, females - 40 cm, tail length ranges from 8 to 20 centimeters.

These small predators use their protective coloration and night to hide from enemies and be invisible to prey. Their large, rounded ears catch every sound, and large eyes are perfectly adapted for hunting at night. For the retina of the eye is a special vascular layer (tapetum) that functions as a reflector needed for night vision. It increases the visual ability and causes a bright blue glow eyes.

The unofficial name of the black-footed cat - "ant-tiger." This is due to the fact that these cats prefer to settle in the devastated termite mounds, burrows of aardvarks, Strider or porcupines.

Blackfeet cats - tireless hunters. In one night they go about sixteen miles in search of prey - small mammals, especially shrews and gerbils, birds, insects and reptiles. Every half hour Blackfoot cat makes a leap of prey, and more than sixty percent of such jumps have a positive result.

In the excitement of hunting, and they do not stop in front of the victim, twice higher than their own size - black bustard or rabbit may also be in the grip claws black-footed predator. Half-eaten remains of a cat puts in a hole to come back later. Blackfeet cats hunt all night, in all weather conditions.

Their ability is admired. Like any other desert animals, cats can Blackfeet a long time without water, getting it exclusively absorbed from food. However, not every inhabitant of dry edges can boast that its menu includes 54 different species of animals. And that's not counting the habit of "ant Tigers' rummaging in the waste.

About the predatory nature of the black-footed cats are legendary. In some tribes, the Bushmen believe that such a cat can kill even a giraffe. Undoubtedly, this is an exaggeration, but even very young age Blackfoot cat exhibits a fierce hunter character.

Eyewitnesses told how they had to watch the polutorakilogrammovoy cat that more than an hour stalking ostrich weighing eighty pounds, was sitting on the nest. When the cat is already prepared to jump, ostrich stood up (with his foot was longer than the trunk Hunter) and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

It is necessary to determine whether this kind of cats under threat of extinction. And also to determine how human activities affect these amazing animals.