Duisburg (dpa / lnw) – Four new velvet paws sneak through the high grass and the undergrowth in the Duisburg Zoo. In the wildcat enclosure, a young animal has been venturing out of the whelping box for a few days and roaming the area alongside its mother. The kitten was born in mid-July, alert and extremely playful, the zoo announced on Friday. However, visitors would need patience to observe the well-camouflaged gray ball of fur in its natural environment.
Breeding is important for the preservation of the endangered animal species native to Germany. “The increasing loss of original habitats, road traffic and the transmission of diseases by feral domestic cats have led to a significant decline in populations throughout Europe,” says zoo biologist Sandra Dollhäupl.
In Germany, the European wildcat was almost extinct except for remnants in the Hunsrück, in the Eifel and in the Harz Mountains. The animals are therefore strictly protected and the stocks are gradually recovering, the zoo said. Some areas of the wild cats, which with their thick fur are excellently adapted to life in the cold forest regions of Europe, have already been successfully resettled. Mice are the main food on the wild cats menu, with rabbits and birds also occasionally.
