The African Wild Cat is an indigenous species of wild cats, native of Africa. They appear to have diverged from other subspecies about 131,000 years ago. Found throughout Africa, but absent from the tropical rain-forests and Sahara Desert, they prefer solitude. About 10,000 years ago, some African Wild Cats were domesticated in the Middle East – they are the ancestors of the domestic cat. The African Wild Cat is found in Africa and in the Middle East, in a wide range of habitats.
Also known as desert cat, they are sandy brown to yellow-grey in color, with black stripes on the tail. The fur is shorter than that of the European subspecies and it is also considerably smaller. They are mainly active during the night and twilight.
