Wild kittens taken in by mistake have been released

Wild kittens taken in by mistake have been released Keystone-SDA

Three kittens found in a Geneva forest and mistaken for domestic cats have been released back into the wild. Once identified as feral cats, they were cared for by the centre for the rehabilitation of birds of prey and wildlife (CRR).

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In May, walkers found three kittens in the woods above the Verbois dam. They brought them to the CRR, which “immediately had the right reaction” by reporting them to the environment wardens, the territory department said in a statement on Monday.

The little balls of grey hair were in fact European wildcats (Felis sylvestris), a species found in the region that is very similar to domestic cats. Once identified, the CRR was able to carry out a rescue operation to maximise their chances of returning to the wild.

Protected youth

During their rehabilitation, the kittens grew up in a planted aviary with natural hiding places, where they learnt to hunt. Already old enough to avoid bottle-feeding, they were fed rodents to mimic the diet they would have received from their mother in the wild.

The CRR also took care to keep them away from humans and domestic cats, potential vectors of disease. In particular, they were monitored by motion-detection cameras, which were also able to record rare images of the intimacy of this species.

In the autumn, “all the conditions were right” for releasing the three felines, at a time when they would have naturally emancipated themselves from their mother. They were released in a small group in a “perfectly suitable natural site, already frequented by this species and not far from where they were found”, on the right bank. This was a first in Geneva, according to the press release.

“Today, everything indicates that this operation has been a success,” the canton was pleased to report. The three cats have found “a free life in the wild and will thus be able to sustainably bolster the numbers of a highly endangered local wildlife species”.

An endangered species

Once a victim of habitat loss and persecuted for its fur, the deer cat had survived only locally, in the Jura mountains. Since the beginning of the century, this “zealous agricultural auxiliary” has been re-colonising the plains of Geneva, hunting field mice and voles. But there is still a risk that this protected species will become extinct through cross-breeding with domestic cats, says the press release.

To prevent this from happening, the canton recommends that cats living in the countryside should be sterilised “as far as possible”, and that they should be kept away from forests. It also reminds people never to abandon their cats, and “even less so” in the wild. If there is no other solution, the cat may be taken to the SPA.

Finally, in the event of an impromptu encounter with grey-beige and tabby kittens in the forest, the canton advises leaving them where they are and avoiding touching them, unless they are in possible danger. They could well be young deer cats.

Adapted from French by AI/ts

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