Research overview: genetic isolation of the Cape Peninsula caracal population

The caracals of the Cape Peninsula occupy a near-island of habitat bounded by ocean, the city of Cape Town and agricultural land, raising concern about genetic isolation analogous to freeway-bounded felids elsewhere. This overview synthesises population-genetics research examining diversity, connectivity to caracals beyond the urban edge, and the barriers posed by development and roads. It considers the long-term viability implications of a small, semi-isolated apex-predator population and the value of maintaining corridors into the broader landscape. The synthesis links Cape Town caracals to the global theme of urbanisation severing gene flow in wide-ranging cats.