Animals - Stalking wildcats with valerian
After around 200 years, the European wildcat has already returned to Brandenburg's forests. It is probably only a matter of time before the animal returns to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The Ministry of the Environment in Schwerin said in response to an inquiry that there is currently no confirmed evidence. "However, we are on the edge of the current distribution area of Brandenburg, so we are a country of expectation," said a spokeswoman.
The wildcat(Felis silvestris) is a "species of Community interest requiring strict protection" according to Annex IV of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH). This entails obligations for its conservation, development and monitoring. Promising detection methods should therefore be used in suitable areas, such as the Müritz National Park or the Schaalsee region, for the next FFH reporting period 2024-2029.
These include lure sticks that use valerian essence to attract wildcats of both sexes during the mating season (January to March). The small cats rub themselves against the stick prepared with valerian. In doing so, they leave hairs on the roughened wood. These could be identified as wildcat hairs and assigned to individuals using genetic analyses. "We will then see whether we can provide evidence in M-V," said the spokeswoman
In Brandenburg, monitoring by the State Office for the Environment (LfU) provided confirmed evidence from the Hohe and Niedere Fläming and the Schorfheide. According to the Ministry of the Environment in Potsdam, genetic analyses have identified nine wildcats in the High Fläming and three female wildcats in the Jüterbog wilderness area. The wildcat is about the same size as a normal domestic cat.
Photo traps have also been used to spot offspring. In addition, this year a tomcat was run over on the highway 11 near Pfingstberg in the Uckermark. It can be assumed that the wildcats have also returned to other areas such as the Niederlausitzer Landrücken. According to the information, the wildcat was probably wiped out by humans at the end of the 18th and middle of the 19th century in what is now Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg.
Press release from the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment from 24.11.2023
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- The European wildcat, a species of Community interest requiring strict protection according to Annex IV of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH), has already established a presence in the Fläming region of Brandenburg.
- In contrast, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, despite being on the edge of the wildcat's current distribution area in Brandenburg, currently does not have any confirmed sightings of the animal.
- The Ministry of Environment in Brandenburg has been actively monitoring the wildcat population, with confirmed evidence in areas like the Hohe and Niedere Fläming and the Jüterbog wilderness area.
- The return of the wildcat to Brandenburg and potentially Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a significant development for the environment, as the wildcat (Felis silvestris) plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of forests and animal populations.
- The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has listed the wildcat as a Heavy species, indicating its high conservation priority, and encourages the use of promising detection methods to monitor and protect these elusive animals.
Source: www.stern.de
