Freiburg (dpa/lsw) – More and more specimens of the strictly protected European wildcat are sneaking through the forests in the southwest. “The development has been going upwards for years,” said Andrea Lehning, consultant for wildcat protection and forests at the Federal Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND). According to experts, it is estimated that several hundred of the strictly protected wild cats live in Baden-Württemberg, and their number continues to increase.
Rhine plain populated by wild cats
“They now colonize the entire Rhine plain, and from there this wild animal species is increasingly spreading towards the east,” explained a spokeswoman for the Baden-Württemberg Forestry Experimental and Research Institute (FVA). Since 2018, there has also been increasing evidence that wildcats also live on the High Rhine; They are also now on the rise in the north of Baden-Württemberg. According to BUND, a total of 5,000 to 7,000 wild cats are now on the move nationwide – most of them live in central and southwest Germany.
Mild winters are good, road traffic is bad
The animals benefited from mild winters – “they ensure the survival of the wild cat both due to the good availability of food and through better rearing conditions for the young in the spring,” said the FVA spokeswoman. Clearings created by drought or by trees falling due to storms or pests also helped the animals survive. “You need so-called open land and plenty of space for movement,” it said.
The species, which was once threatened with extinction, is threatened by busy roads and habitats that have been cut up by infrastructure. When dead wild cats are found, they are usually victims of road traffic, said Lehning.
No natural enemies, but…
Above all, the domestic cat, which is much loved as a pet in this country, can become a significant threat to the conservation of the European wildcat. Because when wild cats mate with them, so-called hybrid species arise – a serious problem, especially in the southwest, according to the FVA. BUND expert Lehning and the Nature Conservation Association (Nabu) Baden-Württemberg have long been calling for free-roaming cats to be castrated in order to protect wild cats.
According to the BUND regional association, this is now mandatory in 55 municipalities in Baden-Württemberg (as of July). “And the more there are, the better,” emphasized Lehning. Otherwise the gene pool of wild cats would be diluted and the population of true wild cats could decline. The fur of the hybrids becomes thinner and, in case of doubt, they are also more susceptible to typical cat diseases such as cat disease. “There is simply an enormous preponderance of domestic cats in terms of numbers,” said Lehning. It is estimated that there are two million domestic cats in the southwest.
The wildcat has no natural enemies. Young animals are only ever caught by an eagle owl or a wolf.
Wild cats also need natural forests
According to the FVA spokeswoman, it is important to preserve forests as habitats for wild cats so that the animals do not come close to settlements if possible. In forests, wild cats meet domestic cats much less often. It is unclear whether the mixing of cats and wild cats is progressing. The development must be closely monitored in the next few years. “Where there are large, contiguous forests, there is little hybridization,” added Lehning.
The animals feel comfortable in so-called untidy forests, she said: the more fallen trees, the more tree hollows, piles of brushwood, bushes or dead wood, the better. There the animal can find hiding places for itself and its little ones and from there go on a mouse hunt.
Projects help protect wild cats – also in the southwest
As part of the nationwide BUND project “Wildcat Forests of Tomorrow”, forests, forest edges and adjacent grassland have been made attractive to wildcats in ten federal states since last autumn. The southwest is also involved. The focus there is primarily on the areas of the Odenwald Nature Park (Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis) and the Stromberg-Heuchelberg Nature Park in the districts of Ludwigsburg, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Enzkreis. Lehning reported that volunteers recently reforested the edge of a forest in collaboration with foresters and the municipality in Sternenfels (Enzkreis). Some trees were felled and brushwood was piled up from the wood from the treetops.
Wild cats are extremely shy and virtually invisible
Whether you’re a hunter, jogger or simply a forest fan – hardly anyone ever sees a wild cat. “That would be like winning the lottery,” explained Lehning. “The animals are extremely shy and extremely well camouflaged with their washed-out brownish fur.” The animals are also active at dusk and at night. “If a wild cat doesn’t want to be seen, you won’t see it.” At best, sick or injured animals sometimes showed up. “Then please don’t touch it, get help from experts.”
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