They disappeared centuries ago, but the wild cats have returned to the southern forests Netherlands, Said local environmentalists.
This wild cat has longer legs and a flatter head than its domestic cousin. It disappeared from modern Dutch territory in the Middle Ages due to hunting and forest clearing. Hettie Meertens, a biologist who works for the ARK Conservation Organization, said that the return of this unique round-pointed and black-ringed tail is a sign of the rewilding of forests in the Limburg region of southern Holland.
She said that since 2013, the number of wildcats in southern Limburg has been increasing because they have moved from the “saturated” habitats of the neighboring German Eifel Mountains and the Belgian Ardennes to new territories.
“The population is small, but it is increasing. The situation is fragile, but we are confident in expansion,” Mertens said, referring to the number and expansion of the territory to other parts of the Netherlands.
ARK plans to count the number of wild cats next year. This is a difficult task, requiring cameras to be installed on trees. Meertens put valerian oil (a scent that attracts cats) on the branches to encourage them to stay under the camera lens.
The cat’s return to the Netherlands was due to changes in forest management, which favored nature rather than timber harvesting. The wilderness of the forest provides fallen trees and clearing where they like to rest. Environmentalists have also been encouraging farmers to plant “cat” hedges in their fields to provide habitat for voles that cats prey on.
Since 2015, the pine marten, a weasel-like mammal, has also returned to the forests of the area.
“Ecosystems are completed with carnivores. They represent wild forests, which is very important,” Meertens said.
