The black-footed cat ( Felis nigripes ) hunts amongst the short desert scrub in the Karoo of South Africa. 
 
 The deadliest cat on Earth isn't a shaggy-maned lion, a sleek leopard or a stealthy tiger. It's a wee cat that you've probably never heard of: Africa's smallest feline, the black-footed cat. 
 
 Native to the grasslands of southern Africa, the black-footed cat has an endearingly round face and a light brown, black-spotted body that is small even compared to domestic cats. The wild feline measures only 14 to 20 inches (36 to 52 centimeters) long, stands about 8 inches (20 cm) tall and weighs about 2 to 6 lbs. (1 to 3 kilograms), according to the International Society for Endangered Cats (black-footed cats are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature). 
 
 Admittedly, those measurements don't sound very impressive when compared to the sizable big cats that are among the world's most fearsome predators. But despite its small size, the black-footed cat hunts and brings down more prey in a single night than a leopard does in six months, according to the PBS Nature miniseries "Super Cats." [Meet the Rare and Fabulous Felines of 'Super Cats' (Photos)] 
 
 The second episode in the miniseries aired on PBS last night (Oct. 31). It featured an unprecedented glimpse of the black-footed cat, along with views of other fascinating and elusive wild felines, such as a pregnant jaguar in Costa Rica, a rare swamp tiger in India and a family of fishing cats — the only semiaquatic cats — in the wetlands of Asia. 
 
 For the latest episode, titled "Cats in Every Corner," filmmakers captured never-before-seen views of black-footed cats by collaborating with researcher Alexander Sliwa, a curator at the Cologne Zoo in Germany who has studied the black-footed cat since the 1990s. Through Sliwa, the series' makers gained access to several small cats that had already been fitted with radio collars at a study site in South Africa, "Super Cats" producer Gavin Boyland told Live Science. 
 
 Filming the tiny cats proved unusually challenging, Boyland said. Because the black-footed cats are so small, they're harder to track through tall grasses than big cats are. Since the little cats hunt mostly at night, the production crew needed to use a special light-sensitive camera to detect the felines at all, recording footage of hunting behavior that had never been captured before, Boyland explained. 
 
 And when it comes to hunting, as the filmmakers saw, the black-footed cat is extraordinarily efficient — "a real powerhouse," said Luke Hunter, Chief Conservation Officer at Panthera, a global wildcat-conservation organization. 
 
 Hunter, who served as a scientific consultant for "Super Cats," explained that small predators like the black-footed cat have accelerated metabolisms, which they need to keep fueled all the time, "so they're constantly hunting," he said. 
 
 Black-footed cats are found only in three countries: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Credit: Copyright Alexander Sliwa 
 
 Black-footed cats use three very different techniques to nab their prey. One method is known as "fast hunting," in which the cats bound quickly and "almost randomly" through the tall grass, flushing out small prey such as birds or rodents, Hunter said. Another of their methods takes them on a slower course through their habitat, with the cats weaving quietly and carefully to sneak up on potential prey. 
 
 Finally, they use a sit-and-wait approach near rodents' burrows, a technique called still hunting, Hunter said. 
 
 "They wait for up to 2 hours, [staying] absolutely immobile, just silently waiting at the burrow for a rodent to appear. And then they nab it," Hunter told Live Science. 
 
 In one night, a black-footed cat kills between 10 and 14 rodents or small birds, averaging a kill about every 50 minutes, according to Hunter. With a 60 percent success rate, black-footed cats are about three times as successful as lions, which average a successful kill about 20 to 25 percent of the time, Hunter said. 
 
 "If you're a gazelle or a wildebeest, a black-footed cat isn't at all deadly. But those success rates make them the deadliest little cat on Earth," he said. 
 
 Livestock grazing reduces the habitats of black-footed cats, which hunt birds, rodents and even insects that inhabit grassland ecosystems. Credit: Copyright Alexander Sliwa 
 
 Black-footed cats represent but one species in a highly diverse feline family, many of which are difficult to observe in the wild and are not well-understood. And though most of the felines that appear in "Super Cats" face serious threats of habitat loss and destruction from human activity, conservation efforts can yet preserve vulnerable populations, Hunter said. 
 
 "I believe it's mostly not doom and gloom. But if we don't actively conserve these species, if we don't work to reduce those threats, then we could lose some of these animals," he added. 
 
 Episode 2 of "Super Cats" is available to stream beginning today (Nov. 1). You can also watch Episode 1 — "Extreme Lives" — and learn more about the miniseries on the PBS Nature website and on PBS apps. Episode 3, "Science and Secrets," premieres Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). 
 
 Originally published on Live Science. ||||| Super Cats, A Nature Miniseries premieres nationwide Wednesdays, October 24-November 7 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Each episode will be available to stream the following day at pbs.org/nature and on PBS apps. 
 
 Stalking in the shadows, prowling almost every continent, cats are one of the world’s most diverse and successful predators. But there is far more to these charismatic and misunderstood animals than most people recognize. Filmed over 600 days in 14 countries and featuring 31 species of cat, this groundbreaking three-part miniseries narrated by F. Murray Abraham uncovers the secret lives of big cats and introduces behaviors captured on film for the first time, using the latest camera technology and scientific research. 
 
 From the solitary bachelor snow leopard in the Himalayas to the elusive swamp tiger of South Asia, to a remarkably efficient Californian bobcat that is blind in one eye, Super Cats, A Nature Miniseries reveals how cats survive and thrive in all four corners of the globe. Nature uncovers their social sides, their complex communication, devoted parental care, courtship rituals, hunting patterns and more. 
 
 Advances in technology allowed for several on-camera firsts, including the nocturnal pursuits of a tiny but deadly black-footed cat in South Africa who hunts more in one night than a leopard does in six months. Remote cameras capture exclusive intimate moments between a mother Pallas’ cat and her kittens. Low-light technology exposes a true rarity: a puma preying on Magellanic penguins, one of the few successful hunts ever caught on film. A swamp tiger takes a bath in the sea — a phenomenon previously unseen on television. 
 
 Production Credits: Episode 3 - Science and Secrets Print Narrated by 
 
 F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Produced & Directed by 
 
 GAVIN BOYLAND Photography 
 
 STUART DUNN Sound 
 
 ZUBIN SAROSH Additional Photography 
 
 SIMON ENDERBY 
 
 SUE GIBSON 
 
 DAVID LOUGEDO 
 
 JOSÉ LUIS ROUCO FERNANDEZ 
 
 KALYAN VARMA 
 
 VISUAL AIR PRODUCTIONS Additional Sound 
 
 NICK ALLINSON 
 
 ELLIE WILLIAMS Film Editor 
 
 NICK CARLINE Edit Producer 
 
 GILLIAN TAYLOR Assistant Film Editor 
 
 JACK ROBERTS Post Production 
 
 DOGHOUSE POST PRODUCTION 
 
 WOUNDED BUFFALO Graphic Design 
 
 BDH CREATIVE Sound Editor 
 
 JONNY CREW Dubbing Mixer 
 
 BEN PEACE Colorist 
 
 FRED TAY Online Editor 
 
 MICHAEL LANSDELL Original Music 
 
 BLEEDING FINGERS Score Producers 
 
 MONICA SONAND 
 
 RUSSELL EMANUEL Scientific Consultants 
 
 Dr ALEXANDER SLIWA 
 
 Dr LUKE HUNTER Special Thanks 
 
 TATJANA HUBEL 
 
 SABAH PARKS DEPARTMENT 
 
 LE PARC DES FÉLINS 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH, PALANGKA RAYA Archive 
 
 BORNEO NATURE FOUNDATION 
 
 SHANSHUI/PANTHERA/SLT/SEEF/GZC Wildlife Permits Provided by 
 
 JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA 
 
 JUNTA DE EXTRAMEDURA 
 
 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS, INDIA Director 
 
 SARA DOUGLAS Researchers 
 
 ANNA PLACE 
 
 HARRIET LAWRENCE 
 
 LEAH ARNOLD-REDMAN Production Coordinators 
 
 JO ARMSTRONG DAVIS 
 
 SUSANNA PROUSE Production Team 
 
 ARPANA PATERSON 
 
 JANE ATKINS 
 
 GEORGE PILAS 
 
 SOPHIE EDWARDS 
 
 BECKY PAYNE 
 
 ESHIKA FYZEE 
 
 NATHALIE GALVE 
 
 ELLIE KYNASTON Production Manager 
 
 STELLA STYLIANOS Unit Manager 
 
 KATE GORST Commissioning Editor 
 
 TOM MCDONALD Series Producer 
 
 GAVIN BOYLAND Executive Producer 
 
 MICHAEL GUNTON For NATURE Series Editor 
 
 JANET HESS Senior Producer 
 
 LAURA METZGER LYNCH Coordinating Producer 
 
 JAYNE JUN Associate Producer 
 
 JAMES F. BURKE Legal Counsel 
 
 BLANCHE ROBERTSON Digital Producer 
 
 HEATHER TONER Social Media Editor 
 
 KAREN HO Audience Engagement 
 
 CHELSEY SAATKAMP Budget Controller 
 
 JAYNE LISI Online Editor 
 
 STACEY DOUGLASS MOVERLEY Re-Recording Mixer 
 
 ED CAMPBELL Original Funding Provided in Part by 
 
 The Arnhold Family In Memory Of Clarisse Arnhold 
 
 Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III 
 
 Kate W. Cassidy Foundation 
 
 Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust 
 
 Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao 
 
 Anderson Family Fund 
 
 Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation 
 
 Rosalind P. Walter 
 
 The Halmi Family in memory of Robert Halmi, Sr. 
 
 Sandra Atlas Bass 
 
 The Arlene and Milton D. Berkman Philanthropic Fund 
 
 Anne Ray foundation 
 
 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Series Producer 
 
 BILL MURPHY Executive Producer 
 
 FRED KAUFMAN A BBC Studios Production for PBS and BBC with THIRTEEN Productions LLC, co-produced by France Télévisions This program was produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC, which is solely responsible for its content © 2018 BBC 
 
 SUPER CATS ADDITIONAL MATERIALS © 2018 PBS AND 
 
 © 2018 THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 
 
 Production Credits: Episode 2 - Cats In Every Corner Print Narrated by 
 
 F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Produced & Directed by 
 
 PAUL WILLIAMS Photography 
 
 SUE GIBSON 
 
 LUKE BARNETT 
 
 HOWARD BOURNE 
 
 LIANNE STEENKAMP 
 
 KALYAN VARMA 
 
 KENNAN WARD Additional Photography 
 
 NEIL ANDERSON 
 
 DOUGLAS PARKER 
 
 ALONSO SANCHEZ ESPINOZA 
 
 WILL STEENKAMP Film Editor 
 
 SAM ROGERS Assistant Film Editor 
 
 JACK ROBERTS Post Production 
 
 DOGHOUSE POST PRODUCTION 
 
 WOUNDED BUFFALO Graphic Design 
 
 BDH CREATIVE Sound Editor 
 
 TIM OWENS Dubbing Mixer 
 
 BEN PEACE Colorist 
 
 FRED TAY Online Editor 
 
 MICHAEL LANSDELL Original Music 
 
 BLEEDING FINGERS Score Producers 
 
 MONICA SONAND 
 
 RUSSELL EMANUEL Scientific Consultants 
 
 Dr ALEXANDER SLIWA 
 
 Dr LUKE HUNTER Special Thanks: 
 
 EVIE ADAMS 
 
 JANE ATKINS 
 
 MATT RICHARDS 
 
 SERGIO ESCOBAR-LASSO 
 
 BLACK-FOOTED CAT WORKING GROUP 
 
 GOINGWILD LLP 
 
 SECUNDA SYNFUELS OPERATIONS / SASOL LTD. Logistics Support 
 
 DR BARIUSHAA MUNKHTSOG 
 
 RICHARD FOSTER 
 
 BIOCENOSIS MARINA LIMITADA 
 
 THE BELIZE ZOO AND TROPICAL EDUCATION CENTER Wildlife Permits Provided by 
 
 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS, INDIA 
 
 WILDLIFE TRUST OF INDIA Directors 
 
 SARA DOUGLAS 
 
 ANNA PLACE Researcher 
 
 HARRIET LAWRENCE Production Coordinators 
 
 JO ARMSTRONG DAVIS 
 
 ELLIE WILLIAMS Production Management Assistant 
 
 SUSANNA PROUSE Production Manager 
 
 STELLA STYLIANOS Unit Manager 
 
 KATE GORST Commissioning Editor 
 
 TOM MCDONALD Series Producer 
 
 GAVIN BOYLAND Executive Producer 
 
 MICHAEL GUNTON For NATURE Series Editor 
 
 JANET HESS Senior Producer 
 
 LAURA METZGER LYNCH Coordinating Producer 
 
 JAYNE JUN Associate Producer 
 
 JAMES F. BURKE Legal Counsel 
 
 BLANCHE ROBERTSON Digital Producer 
 
 HEATHER TONER Social Media Editor 
 
 WHITNEY MCGOWAN Audience Engagement 
 
 CHELSEY SAATKAMP Budget Controller 
 
 JAYNE LISI Online Editor 
 
 STACEY DOUGLASS MOVERLEY Re-Recording Mixer 
 
 ED CAMPBELL Original Funding Provided in Part by 
 
 The Arnhold Family In Memory Of Clarisse Arnhold 
 
 Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III 
 
 Kate W. Cassidy Foundation 
 
 Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust 
 
 Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao 
 
 Anderson Family Fund 
 
 Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation 
 
 Rosalind P. Walter 
 
 The Halmi Family in memory of Robert Halmi, Sr. 
 
 Sandra Atlas Bass 
 
 The Arlene and Milton D. Berkman Philanthropic Fund 
 
 Anne Ray foundation 
 
 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Series Producer 
 
 BILL MURPHY Executive Producer 
 
 FRED KAUFMAN A BBC Studios Production for PBS and BBC with THIRTEEN Productions LLC, co-produced by France Télévisions This program was produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC, which is solely responsible for its content © 2018 BBC 
 
 SUPER CATS ADDITIONAL MATERIALS © 2018 PBS AND 
 
 © 2018 THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
– The world's deadliest cat is no leopard or tiger—in fact, it's the size of a house cat and appears just as cuddly. But the black-footed cat of southern Africa can hunt the grasslands like no other, Live Science reports. The PBS series Super Cats follows them on nightly forays, showing how they hunt and explaining why they kill more prey in a night than a leopard does in half a year. German zoo curator Luke Hunter helped by fitting several black-footed cats with radio collars, enabling the crew to track them in tall grasses. "If you're a gazelle or a wildebeest, a black-footed cat isn't at all deadly," says Hunter, who has studied the cats since the 1990s. "But those success rates make them the deadliest little cat on Earth." And the black-footed cat has tricks. It can hunt by bounding randomly through grass, sneaking up on prey in a weaving pattern, or waiting patiently by burrows for a meal to emerge. They can "wait for up to 2 hours, absolutely immobile, just silently waiting at the burrow for a rodent to appear," Hunter says. "And then they nab it." They kill 10 to 14 small birds and rodents nightly, or about one every 50 minutes—a constant hunt necessary to supply their active metabolisms. Like most felines in the series, the black-footed cat is endangered, but Hunter accentuates the positive: "I believe it's mostly not doom and gloom," he says, but "if we don't work to reduce those threats, then we could lose some of these animals." See the episode at PBS. (Or see why a judge has halted grizzly bear hunts around Yellowstone National Park.)