Family happiness among the wildcats

Although the newly paired wildcats couldn't stand each other at first, four little wildcat kittens have now been born.

From hissing to cuddling

In December 2017, the wildcat at the Natur- und Tierpark Goldau received a young female companion from the Tierpark Dälhölzli in Bern. However, hopes of a zoo romance were quickly dashed; the two kept out of each other's way or hissed at every encounter.

But the two wild relatives of the domestic cat had a surprise in store for the zoo staff. Although they had been fiercely hissing at each other just shortly before, they were suddenly spotted in spring sitting together on a rock, cuddling and grooming each other's fur. An even bigger and more unexpected surprise came a few weeks later, when the keepers suddenly discovered the female wildcat together with four kittens in the sleeping box during their morning rounds at the end of April.

The kittens can be observed

The young cats spent the first weeks of their lives in the sleeping box, cared for by their mother. After about two weeks, the mother carried her litter out of the hiding place, and since then visitors have been able to observe the kittens easily. More about fascinating wildlife.