Chat forestier

Current Population Trend
The European Wildcat is a widespread species and the most numerous indigenous/native felid in Europe. The remarkable renaissance of the Wildcat in north-western Europe must not distract from evidence that the species is not doing so well everywhere. The Italian population is thought to be increasing (A. Angelici pers. comm.). The status and trend of the very widespread eastern and south-eastern European metapopulation is largely unknown, although at least stable in Bulgaria (D. Zlatanova pers. comm.). The Iberian population is declining (P. Monterroso pers. comm.). The Scottish Wildcat is virtually extinct (Breitenmoser et al. 2019). However, over large parts of the European Wildcat’s range, we simply lack robust information to assess its conservation status. The opposite trends in certain metapopulations and the lack of information from others make it presently impossible to assess the trend of the global population of F. silvestris.

Western-Central Europe
Trend: The central-western population is genetically divided into two subpopulations, the Western-Central-Europe subpopulation and the Central-Germany subpopulation (Pierpaoli et al. 2003, Steyer et al. 2016, Tiesmeyer et al. 2020). In both subpopulations, expansion was documented in the last two to three decades. The Western-Central-Europe subpopulation has been expanding its range in recent years in nearly all directions. In France, Wildcats expanded from their north-eastern range to the west and southwest and to the north (Say et al. 2012, Nussberger et al. 2018, S. Ruette pers. comm.). In Switzerland, the Jura and the edge of the Plateau has been repopulated (Nussberger et al. 2018) and even casual detections of Wildcats in Alpine regions have occurred (Maronde et al. 2020). In the south of Germany, a current expansion of Wildcats coming from France was documented (Streif et al. 2016). The increasing distribution in the Benelux countries represents a population expansion to the north. In Belgium the Wildcat appears to be spreading from Wallonia towards Flanders (V. Schockert pers. comm.). Only a slow expansion of the Wildcat’s range is observed in the Netherlands in the German border region, probably due to a lack of forest habitats (J. Mulder pers. comm.). The Wildcat was extinct in the Netherlands until it was recorded in late 2013 in the Province of Limburg (Janssen et al. 2016). In Germany, clear trends of an expanding range over the last decades were observed in both subpopulations (Balzer et al. 2018), resulting in a merging of the western-central-Europe and the central-German subpopulation (Steyer et al. 2016, Tiesmeyer et al. 2018). The central-German subpopulation is also expanding, particularly in the southeast and north. In Austria, an increasing number of records in the northeast (Lower Austria, along and north of the Danube River) indicate small, partly isolated populations that are slowly spreading. Immigration from neighbouring countries is very likely. Habitat for Wildcats is abundant in Austria and its quality has also increased in recent years (Slotta-Bachmayr et al. 2016).

Size
For Germany the population size was estimated at 5,000 to 10,000 individuals (National Report of the Article 17 Habitats Directive 2019).

In France, Wildcats have extended their range (in both populations) by ca. 30 % in the last 30 years (Say et al. 2012).

Assuming a conservative average population density of 0.1 Wildcats per km², it is estimated that there are 25,600 Wildcats only for the extant area of the Western-Central European metapopulation.

Eastern-Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe
This is potentially the largest and most widespread metapopulation of the species. A rigorous review of the distribution as done for other metapopulations would probably show that the Wildcat is less widespread than assumed, and that the fragmentation in southeast Europe is probably larger than shown in the current distribution map.

Austria: There is an increasing number of records in the south of Austria (Carinthia), indicating a spreading population due to immigration from Italy and probably also from Slovenia (Slotta-Bachmayr et al. 2016).

Albania: There is no reliable quantitative information on population size and trends of the Wildcat population, but the species is considered fairly widespread (with the exception of the more urbanised coastal area), but with low population density in the mountainous and hilly areas of the country (Prigioni 1996, Trajçe et al. 2008, Trajçe and Hoxha 2011). Experts estimate that there are <400 mature individuals with an unknown current population trend, but with a perceived decline of 30-40% since 1950.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: There are no quantitative data on population size, but the species is widespread (Štrbac et al. 2020). Experts estimate more than 2,000 individuals. The population trend is unknown.

Bulgaria: The European Wildcat is considered widespread throughout the country (Spassov et al. 1997). The population size was estimated by extrapolation from a limited amount of data as 1,610-4,375 individuals. The population trend is thought to be stable to decreasing, and the species has an Unfavourable - Inadequate (U1) population conservation status (Art. 17 Habitat Directive Report - Bulgaria). The population density in two mountains in Bulgaria (Vitosha and Pirin mountains) was estimated by camera traps to vary between 6 and 79 individuals per 100 km² (Zlatanova 2014a,b).

Croatia: The European Wildcat is widespread throughout the country. The population size was estimated by extrapolation from limited data as 2,216-2,683 individuals. The population trend is unknown and the species has an Unknown (XX) population conservation status (Art. 17 Habitat Directive Report - Croatia).

Czechia: The Wildcat is restricted to some isolated pockets along the border with Germany and to the western Beskid Mountains, which are connected to the distribution in the Carpathians. However, records have increased in recent years in various regions.

Greece: The species is widespread, inhabiting most of the forested mountainous areas and many wetlands, in continental Greece and on the island of Crete, with the exception of the Peloponnese. There are insufficient or no data available to assess population size. The population trend is unknown and the European Wildcat has an Unknown (XX) population conservation status (Art. 17 Habitat Directive Report - Greece).

Hungary: According to the new distribution map, the Wildcat occurs in many different parts of the country, though within a more closed distribution in the Northeast.

Italy (northeast): According to the data compiled for the new distribution map, the Wildcat is expanding westward from the region Friuli Venezia Giulia into the regions of Veneto and Trentino-South Tyrol.

Moldova: The species occurs across the country, especially in the forested areas. There are no data on population size.

Montenegro: The species is considered common and abundant in the country (Perović and Đurović 2013), but there are no quantitative data on population size or any population estimate. Also, the population trend is unknown.

North Macedonia: The European Wildcat is widely distributed, but population size and trend are unknown.

Poland: The species is restricted to the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains in the southeast of the country.

Romania: The species is widespread throughout the country. The population size is estimated at 8,005-9,150 individuals. The population trend is stable and the species has a Favourable (FV) population conservation status (Art. 17 Habitat Directive Report - Romania)

Serbia and Kosovo: The species is distributed throughout both countries, with the exception of the northeast, but it is not considered abundant.

Slovakia: The species is widespread across the country except for the western parts.

Slovenia: The Wildcat is widespread in the southern two-thirds of the country, especially in the Dinarics, but it also occurs in parts of the Slovenian Alps.

Türkiye (European part): The Wildcat is widespread in this part of the country, except for the more densely populated and agricultural areas close to the Marmara Sea area. There are no data on population size.

Ukraine: The Wildcat is widespread in the Carpathians and, according to the data compiled for the new distribution map, the species extends to the east into the steppe region between rivers Dniester (Dnister) and Dnieper (Dnipro). There are no data on population size.

Iberian Peninsula
Portugal: The European Wildcat is considered Vulnerable at the national level, on the basis of suspected declines reaching 30% over three generations in the past or future (Cabral et al. 2005).

Spain: The species is considered Near Threatened at the national level (López-Martín et al.2007). A population size estimate is only available for the Andalusia region (South Spain, 88.000 km²), where 860 (794–926) adult individuals were estimated (Gil-Sánchez et al. 2020).

The Iberian metapopulation of the European Wildcat is divided into two highly distinct biomes: i) the ‘Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub’ biome, occupying ca. 2/3 of the Iberian land area; and ii) the ‘Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests’ biome, occurring at the northern Iberian fringe (including the Pyrenees) and occupying ca. 1/3 of Iberia’s area. The ecological differences of the European Wildcat occurring in each of these biomes is striking, which is reflected in suspected different population trends.

The European Wildcat populations occurring in the Mediterranean region are estimated to be declining, with an overall fragmented distribution and occurring at low population densities. Estimated European Wildcat population densities are as low as 6.9 ± 0.19 (Gil-Sánchez et al. 2020), 3.8 ± 1.7 (Ferreras et al. 2021) or 3.2 ± 1.2 Wildcats per 100 km² (Matias et al. 2021). The estimated baseline probability of occupancy throughout Iberian protected areas is 11% (Monterroso et al. 2020). The only quantitative assessment of population trends, in the Sierra Arana (Andalucía, Spain), indicates a 67% decrease in breeding females from 2004 to 2017 (J.M. Gil-Sánchez pers. comm.). Although a general quantitative assessment of the extent of decline is not possible with the available data, both an observed decline and replacement by domestic cats in areas once occupied by Wildcats (Sarmento et al. 2009, Sobrino et al. 2009) support a hypothesis of generalised population fragmentation and reduction due to the decreasing availability of rabbits as staple prey caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (Sobrino et al. 2009).

Conversely, the population in the temperate region of Iberia appears to be stable (H. Ruiz and F. Urra pers. comm.), and occurs at relatively high population densities in some places of 60-70 individuals per 100 km² (H. Ruiz pers. comm.) and 20-40 individuals per 100 km² (Sayol et al. 2018).

Given that most of the Iberian land area is included in the Mediterranean biome, it is likely that the Wildcat populations in this metapopulation have suffered from a population reduction during the period under analysis (2005-2020). The causes of reduction have not ceased and may not be understood (including density-dependent hybridisation effects, roadkill, diseases (especially diseases of the main prey), and competition with dominant competitors).

Therefore, the Wildcat population on the Iberian Peninsula can be considered to be severely fragmented. Most of its total area of occupancy is in habitat patches with such low Wildcat numbers that, based on the species’ ecology, it is unlikely that they can support viable Wildcat population nuclei (Gil-Sánchez et al. 2020).

France (southern part): According to the "Système d'Information sur la Nature et les Paysages (SINP)" and the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS), the Wildcat is found in a large part of the French Pyrenees.

Scotland
Harris et al. (1995) estimated in 1987 a population size of 3,500 Wildcats. However, the population size was later re-estimated at 400 individuals based on the likely proportion of hybrid cats in the 1990’s (Macdonald et al. 2004). For 2016, Mathews et al. (2020) estimated a population size of 200 (30-420) using a similar method to Harris et al. (1995). In 2018, using data from Scottish Wildcat Action, the Wildcat population was estimated at only 40 individuals. This represents a 90% decline in 25 years. The UK Mammal Society Mammal Atlas shows a decline in occupancy of 68% from 1960-1992 to 2000-2016 (Mathews et al. 2019). There are very high levels of introgressive hybridisation with domestic cats F. catus as indicated by a combined genetic and pelage test (Senn et al. 2019). Despite efforts to neuter hybrid and feral cats in discrete areas in Scotland, many more fertile hybrids than Wildcats remain (Campbell et al. 2022a,b). Moreover, other factors for the decline have not been removed.

The European Wildcat is considered as Critically Endangered in Scotland. The population is undergoing an extinction, with all individuals recently sampled exhibiting genetic evidence of high levels of introgressive hybridisation. Camera-trap surveys since 2010 across the known range of the Wildcat in Scotland (Hetherington and Campbell 2012, Littlewood et al. 2014, Kilshaw 2015, Kilshaw et al. 2016) have found few individuals and widespread visible signs of introgressive hybridisation.

Apennine Peninsula and Sicily
Reliable estimation of Wildcat population densities of ~0.30 km² was provided by Anile et al. (2010, 2012, 2014), but only for optimal habitats on Sicily and hence cannot be extrapolated to the metapopulation level. In Sicily, a decreasing trend for the Wildcat population found on Mt. Etna has been observed (Anile unpublished data). The crash of the rabbit population (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on Sicily (likely due to repeated outbreaks of RHDV-rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus; Anile et al. 2019) might have further depressed this Wildcat population. The threat of disease transmission between domestic cats and Wildcats requires further study.

Estimates of Wildcat population density from other areas of Italy are unpublished. An unpublished study (Gaudiano et al. in prep.) estimated the wild-living cat (both Wildcats and hybrids) population density (~0.30 km²) for Gargano National Park. Recent guidelines for the monitoring of wildlife have questioned the reliability of the identification process of individual Wildcats through camera-trapping images, hence the application of this methodology over more study areas was discouraged (Fusillo et al. 2016).