When people talk about predators from the feline family, they first of all imagine lions and tigers. But the most dangerous of this genus is the African black-footed cat (Felis nigripes). Here we must distinguish between size and hunting efficiency. In tigers and lions, the efficiency of the attack is only 20%, that is, one successful time out of five. But in the black-footed cat, this indicator reaches 60%. At the same time, she is not afraid to attack animals much larger than herself.
It is very difficult to imagine that this is the world's most dangerous predator. After all, its length is 40-50 centimeters, height at the withers - 20-25 cm, and weight - 1.6 kg (in rare cases, the male weighs 2.5 kg). That is, in appearance it is an ordinary yard cat and in color it does not differ - gray-brown, with spots. However, in the network there is a video where this kitty attacks a crocodile, scratches out his eyes and pulls him to dry land. She also does the same with a young lion a meter long and weighing under 100 kg. Such a modest "Murka" who eats meat only.
There are two main species of the world's most feared predators. These are Felis nigripes thomasi, which is found in Botswana, in the famous Kalahari Desert, and Felis nigripes nigripes - lives in Namibia on the Karoo Plateau. The former are distinguished by their darker coloration. Their paw pads are really black, but they do not heat up on the sand, which allows wild cats to move quite comfortably in the desert terrain.
Until now, this species of feline is considered poorly studied. It cannot be domesticated. There were cases when the heroine of the article lived in the house, calmly drank milk, allowing herself to be stroked. But in spring she snapped, slaughtered all the chickens, kicked the guard dog and ran away into the woods. So no one wants to mess with it, despite its harmless appearance. The animal was first described in 1824 and was immediately defined as an untameable animal.
In Africa, the black-footed cat is called "ant tiger", because the local population knows that it will never become a pet. And the name "ant" these animals received for the reason that they prefer to capture termites and places where ants live, that is, ant hills. It turned out that they dig them up, deepen the places of residence of insects and create their homes. And who can prevent them, because they are not even afraid of lions?
Black-footed cats are characterized by their small size, round face and short but muscular paws. They are very similar to large kittens, but appearance should not be trusted, for them and an adult person is not considered a danger. So, choosing Africa for a vacation, it is recommended before the trip to familiarize yourself with the common living creatures in the region. It is better not to meet a black-footed predator, because despite its "cute" appearance, it can cause you huge problems.
Local residents understand this very well, so they try to stay away from the fierce kitty. And the cats themselves try not to cross paths with humans, and for this reason they have expanded their diet over time. Previously, they preferred only meat, primarily it was rodents, hares and rabbits. Now they do not mind eating ants, termites and grasshoppers. Although they still crave live meat, and black-footed African cats are considered one of the most dangerous predators in the world! Even despite their cute appearance and small size.
