We rescued orphaned wildcats

Although the majority of our zoo’s wildlife rescue activities involve saving birds, we regularly deal with small mammals in need of help as well. For example, in the first days of June, two orphaned wildcat kittens were brought to our wildlife rescue centre.

The little ones were found near Szenna in Somogy County by the experts of the Duna-Dráva National Park Directorate (DDNPI). It is not known exactly why they were alone, as experts tried to find the mother animal as well, but they found no trace of her. The little ones somehow got lost from her and were left on their own. Yet at that time they still needed maternal care, as they were just transitioning from breast milk to solid food.
The orphaned wildcat kittens have therefore ended up in our Zoo, our colleagues have finished raising them, and in recent weeks they have been preparing them to survive in the wild as grown animals.

In the meantime, we also examined whether we are really dealing with wildcats, as the matter is not always clear in every case. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is native throughout Europe, from Scotland to Portugal, all the way to Azerbaijan, although today its habitat is not continuous, but rather forms smaller or larger island-like patches. It is a close relative of the Afro-Asian, African, or Nubian wildcat, also known as the Libyan pale cat (Felis lybica), which was previously thought to be the same species as the European one (but within it a separate subspecies), and today many experts believe that although they are two separate species, they together form a so-called species complex. In Hungary, in any case, the European wildcat is considered native, which is highly protected in our country, and moreover, it was chosen as the mammal of the year in 2024. Meanwhile, domestic cats have been living in the Carpathian Basin for centuries. The wild ancestor of this domestic animal was indeed the wildcat, but since the cat was famously domesticated in the Nile Valley, they are likely to be considered descendants of the Nubian wildcat.

Nowadays, stray domestic cats and wildcats are able to interbreed, which often happens, and this hybridization poses a serious conservation problem, as there are fewer and fewer purebred wildcats. Moreover, the domestic cat has a colour variation that closely resembles the wild cat, so identification is not easy.

The suspicion arose with these two wildcat kittens as well, that although they seem to be, they might not (or not entirely) be real wildcats. This suggestion was all the more relevant as they were found in the immediate vicinity of a settlement. For the sake of safety, we therefore conducted a genetic examination on the sample taken from the animals, which conclusively revealed that they are purebred wildcats.

The successfully grown and rescued wildcats, equipped with the appropriate maturity and condition for life in the wild, were released back into nature on Tuesday, in cooperation with the Duna-Dráva National Park Directorate. They also helped in choosing the most suitable location. The choice therefore did not fall exactly on the place of discovery, but on a part of Zselic where stray domestic cats are rarely found.

The exact location of the release was a clearing in the Kardosfa forest near Zselickisfalud. Among the two animals, one immediately dashed towards the trees after the transport box was opened, while the other hesitated a bit, as if it was thanking our colleagues for their care. But then he also headed towards the forest.

One of the interesting features of the area is that due to the minimal human presence, there is very little light pollution projected onto the night sky, meaning on cloudless nights, a wonderful starry sky unfolds before one’s eyes. That’s why the Zselic Star Park is located here, which is an important site for experience-based natural science education, including astronomy.

Returning to the topic of wildlife rescue, it’s worth recalling that not only now, but also in previous years, we have helped wildcats in distress on several occasions. With these 2 animals, we have released a total of 9 rescued wildcats back into nature over the course of 5 years following successful rehabilitation.

The wildcats, chosen as the Mammal of the Year, are in the spotlight not only due to the recent successful rescue but also in connection with the upcoming Wildcat Gala and Fair, which will take place on Saturday, October 19. The event will be hosted by our Zoo in collaboration with the Herman Ottó Institute. We welcome the audience interested in felines with thematic zoo guided tours, conservation carousel, stands of our partner organizations, stage programs and presentations at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.