Austria: Wildcat needs networked habitats

For ten years, Austria has been searching for the European wildcat.

On the occasion of the anniversary, an expert conference of the "Wildcat Platform" was held to discuss the current situation of the wildcat in Austria.

One of Austria's rarest mammals

As a result of the expert conference, the "Wildcat Platform" presents eight points whose implementation is essential for a lasting return of the wildcat to Austria.

The wildcat is one of Austria's rarest mammals. The Red List classifies it as regionally extinct or missing. Nevertheless, since the establishment of the wildcat reporting center in 2009, there have been 21 confirmed sightings. Most of these come from the northern (Thayatal National Park) and southern Waldviertel (Wachau) as well as from Carinthia. What is painfully missing are wildcat sightings related to reproduction in the country. Only with this is it possible to change the conservation status and implement national protection measures.

Experts from Germany and Switzerland also contributed their experience at the recently held expert conference in Thayatal National Park. In Germany, a comprehensive citizen participation project with numerous volunteers has led to many new wildcat sightings. In Switzerland, the tracking of wildcats is currently showing that they also occur in cover-rich open land, not just in forests. It is possible that wildcats are more adaptable than previously assumed.

Habitat fragmentation as the main threat

Experts, nature conservationists and hobby hunters also discussed the tension between hunting and the wildcat, necessary protection measures, and the involvement of volunteers in the search for the rare wildcat. A main focus was on the fragmentation of their habitats, which in the worst case proves fatal for wildcats. Given the small and probably isolated Austrian populations, every individual is valuable for the population's chances of survival.

Eight points for the wildcat's return

The conclusion of the expert conference is that the wildcat must be assisted in its re-expansion. For this, it requires:

• far more wildcat sightings, especially sightings relating to reproduction. One way to achieve this is to search with volunteers.
• more financial resources for wildcat research (e.g. distribution in the federal states, migration routes, etc.)
• securing habitat corridors through spatial planning
• scientific survey of existing and potential wildlife corridors
• cross-border coordination of this corridor network
• raising awareness among the hobby hunter community about the occurrence and identification features of the wildcat as well as the importance of this species for biodiversity in Austria
• sensitizing the population about unwanted domestic and wildcat hybridization: free-roaming domestic cats must be sterilized/neutered according to animal protection legislation.

These findings must now be implemented. For this, many allies are needed. From the participants of the platform through the responsible politicians, to each individual who sees a wildcat-colored cat, photographs it, or finds it on the roadside. Every sighting and every restored migration corridor are important so that the wildcat can become permanently established in Austria in the long term.