IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Canters, K.J.; Thissen, J.B.M.; Diepenbeek, M.A.J.; Jansman, H.A.H.; Goutbeek, K. | |
| The wildcat (_Felix silvestris_) finally recorded in the Netherlands | |
| 2005 Lutra (48): 67-90 | |
Over recent years in the Netherlands a few cats have been found or seen in the field that showed characteristics of the wildcat. These observations are critically analysed here. Firstly a short overview is presented of the internal and external differences between the wildcat (_Felis silvestris_) and the domestic cat (_Felis catus_), and of the taxonomy and distribution of the wildcat. Important internal differences are the length of the intestinal tract (wildcat: <170 cm; domestic cat: >155 cm) and the intracranial volume (wildcat: >31 cm3; domestic cat: <38 cm3). The most distinguishing external differences are outlined. There are four recognisable groups of _Felis silvestris_: a. the thickset, heavily furred forest cats of Europe - the _silvestris _group; b. the light-bodied steppe cats of Asia - the _ornata _group; c. the slim, long-legged cats from Africa - the _lybica _group; and d. the domestic cat which can be found all over the world - the _catus _group. The closest wildcat habitats to the Netherlands lie to the south (in the Eifel hills, Germany, and the Ardennes, Belgium) and the east (in the area between the river Weser and the Harz mountains, Germany). Knowledge about the presence of the wildcat in the Netherlands in (pre)historical times is reviewed. Results of excavations show that the species lived in the Netherlands at least until the Roman Period. Shortly afterwards, the wildcat appears to have disappeared from the Netherlands, possibly because of deforestation. Although it cannot be excluded that it continued to live in the Netherlands after the Roman Period, we do not know of any records to confirm this. It is striking that in contrast to the wildcat, the presence and disappearance of other species of interest from the Netherlands, such as the beaver, otter, lynx and wolf, received much more attention. From the 1950s and the 1960s there have been observations of cats mainly from the province of Limburg, in the far south of the Netherlands. These findings showed one or more characteristics that pointed in the direction of wildcat. Nevertheless, not one definite positive observation has been obtained. And, in spite of persisting rumours, we have not been able to obtain any convincing information about observations from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. On 13 June 1999 a dead wildcat was found near Groenlanden, close to Nijmegen. The intracranial volume of this animal measured 40.0 cm3 and the processus condylaris was longer than the processus angularis; identification as wildcat was supported by the colour and pattern of the fur. On 1 November 2002 a road casualty, a female, was found near Vaalsbroek Castle near Vaals, South-Limburg, whose external characteristics all looked like wildcat. On 1 March 2004 a young male wildcat was caught near Heeze (province of Noord-Brabant); the external appearance of a wildcat was supported by identification by DNA analysis; this cat was released after being measured. However, it later emerged that this cat was an unintentional introduction brought back as a domestic pet from the Vosges (France), which later strayed. Besides these three, positive observations, our intensive investigations have yielded three other observations of, what could have been, wildcats: two finds, in 1995 and 2001, and a sighting in 2004. Although the presence of the wildcat in the Netherlands has now been proven, reproduction and the presence of a sustainable population have not been determined. The most obvious place of origin of the wildcats seen in the Netherlands seems to be the Eifel in Germany, although the Ardennes in Belgium might also be a source. The population in the Eifel has grown strongly during the last 15 years, resulting in an estimated total of 250 animals in 2005 alone in the northern Eifel. Several possible explanations can be given for the presence of the wildcat in the Netherlands now. These include more extensive, and more sa uitable, habitat, changes in the management of nature reserves, growing tolerance by humans towards wildcats and vice versa, and an overflow from neighbouring areas, especially the Eifel, where wildcats live. Further research is needed to show the relative importance of these and other factors. In view of the legal status of the wildcat, heavily protected by national law and by several international treaties, the, small but real, chance of an encounter with a wildcat in the Netherlands has important consequences for nature management. Current legislation permits the shooting of domestic cats running wild. This is already problematic due to the uncertainty in determining, in the field, whether or not an animal is 'running wild'. More care now needs to be exercised to determine whether one is dealing with a feral domestic cat or a wildcat. We therefore urge responsible organisations to start a campaign to inform nature-managing institutions, in particular hunting clubs, about this new situation. We recommend that individual site managers and hunters do not shoot supposed domestic cats running wild, but catch them alive to ensure a correct identification and to exclude a possible violation of the law. |
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