RAHIM YAR KHAN: A rare wild cat was spotted in the Cholistan desert near Rahim Yar Khan on Monday.

Rahim Yar Khan Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Mujahid Kalim told Dawn that during patrol at 7:30am, the caracal was spotted around a group of Chankara deer to hunt them and he recorded his first video.

The caracal, a mid-sized wild cat, is considered an expert in hunting the desert animals, birds, especially rabbits, rats and deer by jumping up to 9.8 feet.

Cholistan is a natural habitat of caracal. It is native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, relatively short tail and long canine teeth. Its coat is uniformly reddish tan or sandy. It weighs 8 to 19kg.