David Element
Wildlife
Photography and Digital Video Images
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Mammals
42 – European Wildcats
EUROPEAN WILDCAT Felis
sylvestris
·
Well, this was a surprise –
so much so that the opportunity to photograph this handsome European Wildcat Felis sylvestris
was almost missed! The photographer had been getting up early in the mornings
at a camp site in the South of France to photograph Eurasian Golden
Orioles Oriolus oriolus
as these birds were only likely to be clearly visible at that time of the day.
The ‘tabby’ cat that strolled in front of him as he concentrated intently on
the treetops caught his eye, was glanced and then casually photographed but it
was only with a double take and a closer look at the one decent photograph
obtained (using a borderline slow shutter-speed) that it was realised that this
was no ordinary feral cat! The thick tail with annular black markings is a
characteristic feature of European Wildcats and the head was relatively small
compared to the size of the body. However, one must be aware that this species
can hybridise readily with domestic cats so without any proof of its genetic
integrity the possibility of a hybrid cannot be ruled out. Many photographs
show these cats in their thicker winter coats, but this photograph was taken in
high summer. A conversation with the (knowledgeable) proprietor confirmed that
there were no feral cats on site and that there were indeed Wildcats living in
the area. So, a stroke of good luck to have seen this rather impressive beast,
(and indeed to have photographed it). It was a genuine surprise that an animal
with a reputation for being so inconspicuous had provided such an unexpected
photo-opportunity. This photograph looks particularly nice when converted to monochrome.
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