The first wild cat to be identified in Vale de Côa in the last 30 years has led to all domestic cats in the area being ‘neutered’, to avoid ‘hybridisation’ (the mating between wild cats and domestic cats, weakening the wild cat strain even further). Authentic wild cats are few and far between on the Iberian Peninsula, even less prevalent in Portugal, where this latest example was ‘snapped’ in a so-called ‘camera trap’. Because wild cats are so similar to domestic cats, the animal’s lineage had to be confirmed through analysis of its faeces found in the area.
Wild cat identified in Vale de Côa after 30 years
Wild cats are not easy to distinguish from domestic cats. They are in danger of extinction, thus this new discovery in the Côa Valley is a real plus
