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.

Berber women weave traditional carpets in the village of Ait Sghir in the High Atlas region of Morocco February 15, 2015. The snowy foothills of the High Atlas mountains in Morocco are home to several Berber villages where the inhabitants make their living by farming, baking bread in traditional ovens, herding cattle, and the making and selling of honey, olive oil and pottery. Extreme weather fluctuations and erosion that causes flooding and landslides have led to a drop in agricultural productivity, the United Nations said. (Photo by Youssef Boudlal/Reuters)