African Golden Cat
The most sought-after feline in Africa, the golden cat is extraordinarily difficult to find. Despite a huge range and reasonably robust population, sightings are vanishingly rare. These beautiful cats spend their lives cloaked in dense jungle, and the number of spots where they can be encountered semi-reliably is extremely small. Here are our three best spots for African golden cat sightings.
1. Southern National Park, South Sudan
Other species seen here:
- African Wild Dog
- Giant Eland
- Bongo
- Giant Pangolin
- Leopard
How to visit:
Location:
We are working hard to design a 2023 itinerary to South Sudan - contact us at contact@pictus-safaris.com to be waitlisted for this tour. In the meantime, you can check out our other destinations below.
2. Ivindo National Park, Gabon
Gabon remains one of the premier wildlife-watching destinations in Central Africa. Lope, Loango and Ivindo are all fantastic wilderness areas, with Ivindo arguably the best bet for spotting African golden cat. Sightings are still extremely rare, but one or two locations here do turn up cats semi-reliably.
Other species seen here:
- Northern Talapoin Monkey
- Crowned Monkey
- Golden Angwantibo
- Putty-Nosed Monkey
- Forest Elephant
How to visit:
Location:
We currently only offer private departures to Gabon - contact us today at contact@pictus-safaris.com to secure your place! In the meantime check out our other destinations below!
3. Lobeke National Park, Cameroon
This little-visited corner of Cameroon is often overlooked in favour of the excellent Dzanga-Sangha just across the border in the Central African Republic. This is a great shame, as Lobeke offers a great wilderness experience, with forest clearings dotting the dense jungle. If one is very lucky, you may even spot a golden cat skirting the edge of these clearings in the late evenings.
Other species seen here:
- Western Gorilla
- Chimpanzee
- Putty-Nosed Monkey
- Flat-Headed Cusimanse
- Red River Hog
How to visit:
Location:
We can currently only offer private departures to Lobeke - contact us at contact@pictus-safaris.com to visit today. In the meantime, check out our small-group departures below.
Based on your interest in spotting a golden cat, you may also be interested in our top destinations for several other ultra-rare mammals:
Contact us today to book any of our incredible safaris:
Email: contact@pictus-safaris.com
Phone: +44 (0) 2034888362
Mail: 117 Canfield Gardens, London, NW6 3DY, United Kingdom
Inaccessible due to years of conflict, the game reserves to the south of Southern National Park have recently been revealed to be a hub of incredible biodiversity. Extensive surveys have shown that the forested areas of these reserves protect a booming population of golden cats, with individuals even seen near villages in broad daylight.