Research overview: black-footed cat distribution in southern Africa

The black-footed cat is endemic to the arid heart of southern Africa, occurring in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia within Karoo scrub, grassland, and semi-desert. This overview compiles records describing its association with open, sparsely vegetated country offering abundant rodents and cover in the form of termite mounds and abandoned burrows. The species has a relatively small global range and naturally low density, making it one of Africa most range-restricted cats. Long-term study sites such as those in the central Karoo anchor most of what is known. Mapping its distribution accurately matters because the limited range concentrates conservation concern, and because much of the habitat lies on private farmland where land-use decisions strongly affect persistence.