Hisia Safaris, the journey of emotions

The genet

The genet

Hisia Safaris introduces today the genet, an animal in midway between a cat and a mongoose, and certainly a beautiful animal.

 

And when I am about to talk about it, I can't help but remember one of my first nights on safari in Africa. It was quite late, and there was no one in the lounge of Samburu Sopa Lodge, but there were my cousin and I, talking about the wonders we had seen during the day. Suddenly, he stopped talking and opened his eyes wide, staring at something behind me. From his expression, my first thought was: a lion behind me is approaching to give me a caress ... Still, I decided to face it and slowly turned around to see what had caused my cousin remained of stone was a beautiful genet that wandered around curious. It is one of the anecdotes of that trip I remember with special affection and see this wonderful animal so close was amazing. If it was a lion, I don't think I would remember with much laughter!

 

We tell you some things about them:

Where the genet lives?

It is present in several African countries indigenously but also was introduced in several European countries. With Hisia Safaris you can find both on safari in Kenya as a safari in Tanzania.

How is the genet?

The genet is an animal like a cat, although more elongated. It has a gray hair with black and brown spots all over the body. The tail, which serves for jumps and as a rudder in the race, presents 8-10 black rings and is quite long. It has white spots under eyes and a black line around the muzzle, with very long whiskers. Its front legs are shorter than the rear ones, which means that they can easily climb.

How is the genet behaviour?

Genets are nocturnal and solitary animals that live about 10 years. They are agile and silent predators that feed on small mammals, lizards and birds, and sometimes can also eat berries and fruit. They haven't serious threat from other predators, although sometimes they are attacked by foxes or birds of prey.

They have 1-3 pups per litter after about 11 weeks of gestation and have a predilection for bush areas in which to shelter and riparian habitats, although not linked to the presence of water.

 

Having said all that, we can only tell you that even if it is not one of the Big Five, genet is a beautiful animal worthy of seeing, with its agile movements and their curious expression. So at night, stay tuned because it can be at any place, even behind you! :)

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