The Extraordinary Visitor

Our security cameras have photographed some interesting critters coming to our yard. We have recorded visits from opossums, coyote, rabbits, deer, rats, an owl, raccoons, a ringtail cat, and rodents. And over the years we have had neighborhood domestic cats appear on film, a few that we recognize as return visitors. But, on the night of August 18th, 2023 around 3:00 a.m., one of our cameras got triggered 3 times and recorded a most extraordinary visitor:

I had been hoping that one day we would record a bobcat or even a cougar. The first thing my excited brain said was “Bobcat!” But, then I realized that the tail was long.

After looking at my North American field guides and striking out, I went to the internet searching for small cats with striped tails and came across the website of the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada (WildCatConservation.org/wild-cats/asia/jungle-cat/ )

According to their site, I think it is something called a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) native to Africa, India, S. Asia, S.E. Asia, and China.

There is another cat called an African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata) that looks similar.

I haven’t seen any notices of a lost exotic cat. I still need to check with local zoos. I did talk to my local Texas Game Warden and sent him the videos. My best guess is that it was an exotic pet that escaped. Our heat and drought have been intense and I imagine it slurped up some water from our pond and maybe nabbed a toad for dinner.

If any of you have a better i. d. for this critter, please let me know.