Performers take part in the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, central England, on July 28, 2022. (Photo by Jason Cairnduff/Reuters)
The caracal also known as the desert lynx, is a wild cat that is widely distributed across Africa, central Asia and southwest Asia into India. In 2002 the IUCN listed the caracal as Least Concern as it is widespread and relatively common. The felid is considered threatened in north Africa, and rare in the central Asian republics and India.