Thanks to the efforts of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union and other organisations, more and more sightings of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) are being recorded, even in regions where they have not been seen for a long time.
Conservation success
A look at the various regions of Austria shows the progress made in the protection and reintroduction of the wildcat. In Vorarlberg, the first images of a wildcat were captured by a photo trap in 2018. Since then, further sightings have followed, and in spring 2022, the first genetic evidence of a wildcat was even found in the municipality of Dornbirn. These successes are the result of dedicated wildlife ecology monitoring, which has made it possible to research and understand the population in more detail.
There is also good news in the picturesque Wachau region. Although the species was officially considered extinct in Austria, evidence of reproduction was found in 2020 for the first time since the 1950s. Today, the Wachau has become a hotspot for wildcats alongside other regions such as Carinthia and the Thayatal National Park.
#schongenial - We make positive things visible, already ingenious!
Source: PA golling.salzburg.at
