Wild cat: what is this little “tiger” that we find in certain forests in France

Who is he ? Where does he live ? What’s he eating ? We explain everything about the one we call little forest “tiger”… The wild cat has been present in our regions for millennia. It is an ethnic European who has never been domesticated.

Be careful not to confuse it with its domestic cousin returned to the wild. This is the stray cat, also called a wild cat.

How to recognize them?

Physically, wild cats are distinguished by a stocky figurea large round head and a coat light gray streaked with black stripes. They also have a black dorsal line that runs along their thick tail adorned with black rings.

The underside of their legs is black, but, as you can imagine, impossible to see…

The wild cat loves to hide in deciduous forests, wooded areas, small groves surrounded by pastures and fields to stay out of sight.

Where does the wild cat live?

Fearful, shy and solitary, this little feline is difficult to observe and it is impossible to know the exact state of its global population.

However, researchers know that it is present in 44 departments of mainland Francemostly in the Pyrenees and the large northeast quarter. It is found in Corsica under the local name of “ ghjattu volpe » (cat-fox). It was recently identified by the French Biodiversity Office.

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What is the wild cat’s diet?

Once night falls, the wild cat comes out of its hiding place and starts hunting. He finds his own food.

Just like the domestic cat, this feline appreciates all kinds of rodents (mice, rats, voles, etc.), but also birds and fish. However, it can also attack larger animals like rabbits or hares.

When not hunting, the wildcat sleeps in its burrow or high in the trees. And contrary to what one might think, this cousin of the domestic tomcat does not cause any harm to biodiversity. Since 1979, he has even been one of the protected species.

APEI-News. DP

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