Picture of a European wildcat

Photo of a wildcat by Melanie Kahl for the Wildkatzensymposium in der Fachhochschule, Erfurt

As this photograph was taken in what appears to be a German zoo, I will presume that it is a European wildcat. It as taken by Melanie Kahl of BUND Bundesverband for the BUND Wildkatzen-Symposium 2016. That is the Bund wildcat symposium. ‘Bund’ is a German wildlife conservation group, as I understand it. The …

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European wildcat in western Switzerland threatened by mating with domestic cats

European wildcat

We know that the Scottish wildcat is either extinct in the wild in Scotland or very nearly so because of long-term hybridisation with domestic and feral cats. These two species i.e. the wildcat and the domestic cat readily mate. It is the wildcat’s undoing in Europe and in Africa. And today, we are told …

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Cats that live in the snow

Snow leopard Central Karakoram NP Pakistan

I am referring to wild cat species and secondly there is no cat species which only lives in the snow all the time. I guess that is common sense but the wild cat species listed, of which there are 12, spend at least part of their time in a snowy landscape more so than …

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Wildcat to be reintroduced to England’s Derwent valley at Cattiside?

Scottish wildcat kittens playing

There is talk about the reintroduction of the beautiful wildcat, which was once native to England, to the Derwent valley at a particular place, appropriately called Cattiside. This is said to be the last-known Derbyshire location of native wildcats centuries ago. As I recall, the last wildcat in England was shot for sport by …

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Scottish wildcats are extinct or on the brink of extinction in the wild

Scottish wildcat kittens playing

A study recently concluded that Scottish wildcats are now part of the same gene pool as domestic cats which means that they are functionally extinct which in turn means that they are on the brink of extinction in the wild. And I understand it, “functionally extinct” means that the wild cat population in Scotland …

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