It is mainly nocturnal and holes up during the day in a
hollow tree or log or in the disused burrow of an aardvark
or spring hare. Its normal method of hunting is by stalking
the prey and then pouncing, and its diet includes insects
and rodents, as well as reptiles, and wild fruit which it
often eats in trees.
It seeks the shelter of the highest clumps of foliage where
it will rest in the forks of branches, making it a difficult
animal to spot. It is frequently seen near rivers, dams
and lakes, and has a slinking gait, with its head held low.
To get a better look at the surrounding countryside it sometimes
sits down in a 'begging' position with its outstretched
tail providing balance. When alarmed, it bounds away towards
cover. An average of three young are born.
