In the Moroccan Sahara, a French wildlife photographer Rémi Vaché managed to photograph one of the most secretive desert dwellers — the sand cat.
Какая лапочка. Мимими.
В пустыне Марокко французскому фотографу удалось заснять барханного кота — одну из самых неуловимых диких кошек в мире Встретить его в естественной среде крайне сложно, поэтому такие кадры считаются большой удачей. Какой же он неуловимучий
This small wild cat looks almost like a toy: huge ears, sand-colored fur, a neat little face and a completely domestic expression. But to see it in the wild is a real stroke of luck.
The sand cat, or Felis margarita, leads a predominantly nocturnal life, camouflages itself perfectly among sand and stones, and can literally dissolve into the desert landscape. During the day it usually hides from the heat, and goes hunting after sunset.
What makes this story especially touching is that it was not simply about one adult cat. A local team discovered in the desert several sand cat kittens. When the photographer reached the spot, only one little one remained nearby.
For a while they watched it from a distance, trying not to interfere. It was unclear whether the mother would return.
But the story ended well — later the kitten was once again beside her.
It is precisely moments like these that remind us how fragile and quiet life in the desert can be.
The sand cat is not among the largest or most formidable predators. It weighs only a few kilograms. But nature has perfectly adapted it to a harsh environment: its thick fur protects it from temperature swings, its paws are covered in fur and allow it to move more easily over hot sand, and its huge ears help it hear prey even underground.
In the photographs it looks almost like an ordinary kitten that you want to take home.
But this is exactly the case when cuteness is very deceiving.
Before us is a true desert hunter, capable of living where the sand becomes scorching hot by day and the temperature drops sharply at night.
In September, footage of the sand cat once again spread widely across social media — and no wonder.
Sometimes nature need only show us a small sandy face with huge ears to remind us:
the world is still full of creatures we almost never see — even though they live right beside us.
