breeding the European wild cat Fedis s. silvestris

at Berne Zoo M O N I K A M E Y E R - H O L Z A P F E L Director, Tierpark Dahlholzli, Berne, Switzerland

Reviewing the very few available breeding records for the European wild cat Felis s. silvestris it seems that it has been very seldom bred in zoos until 1960, and even more rarely reared. Goffart (1890) is the first to mention successful captive breeding of the species, in the zoos of Diisseldorf and Miinster, Germany. According to Brehm’s Tierleben (1915) a pair of European wild cats was bought in 1907 by Breslau Zoo, Germany (now Wroclaw Zoo, Poland). The female gave birth to young in five consecutive years from 1908 to 1912, and this was confirmed by Dr Lukaszewicz, the present director of Wroclaw Zoo (letter dated 12 December 1960) who told me that out of 18 young, seven died, five were eaten either by the female or the male, and only six were reared. In 1930 Schonbrunn Zoo, Vienna, received a pregnant female which gave birth to several young but ate them soon afterwards (Hediger, 1951). Lindemann and Rieck (1953) give detailed records of four cubs born in Krakow Zoo, Poland, but according to Dr Lukaszewicz these were hybrids. After we had started to breed the European wild cat at Berne Zoo in 1960, it was successfully bred in three consecutive years (1962-64) at Decin Zoo, Czechoslovakia (Still, 1965) and also in a number of zoos listed in the breeding lists of previous volumes of the Yearbook (Copenhagen in 1959, Zagreb in 1961, Augsburg and Magdeburg in 1962, Brno, Bucarest and Prague in 1963, East Berlin, Bmo, Katowice and Prague in 1964, East Berlin, Berne, Bucarest, Cottbus, Katowice, Lodz, Magdeburg, Nuremburg, Ostrava, Prague and Warsaw in 1965 and East Berlin, Berne, Calgary, Cottbus, Decin, Dvur Kralove, Innsbruck, Katowice, Leipzig, Lodz, Nuremburg, Osnabruck and Prague in 1966) but none of them seems to have published a paper on the subject, with the exception of Prague (Volf, pp. 38-40 in this volume of the Yearbook).

At Berne Zoo we bought an adult male, ‘Maurice’, and two half-grown females, ‘Sabine’ and ‘Ckline’, in October 1958 from an animal dealer in Vienna who guaranteed that they came from Bosnia (southern Yugoslavia) and were pure-bred wild cats. In the spring of 1964 we bought a fine pair, ‘Tatra’ and ‘Tchecho’, from Bratislava Zoo, Czechoslovakia.

Right from the start we placed boxes on the back wall of the cage. They had small entrances and provided a dark place where these shy creatures could hide. I think this was of critical importance for in later years we had no difficulty with breeding. We did not separate the male from the female when she had young with her, for the female is suffi- ciently aggressive during this period to chase the male away from the nest-box. The male has his own sleeping box or shelf.

32 CANIDS AND FELIDS I N CAPTIVITY

SEXUAL M A T U R I T Y AND COURTSHIP

Sabine and W i n e had their first young in 1960 at the age of two years, whereas Eliane, Sabine’s daughter (born in April 1961) had her first litter in May 1962 when she was only one year old. Tatra had her first litter at the age of two. So we may conclude that sexual maturity is attained in the year following birth but that the first parturition may possibly occur more usually at the age of two years.

Sexual activity in the male lasts from January until after the female has given birth. It is characterised by long and sometimes very loud plaintive mewing which may continue for hours in the evening and at night, and occasionally even in the day-time. We were only able to observe copulation on two occasions. On the first occasion it was between Maurice and CCline (21 January 1966). Parturition subsequently took place on 31 March, thus giving a gestation period of 69 days (nine weeks and six days), if we assume that only one act of copulation occurred. Haltenorth (1957) mentions 63 days as being the rule, yet 65 days has also been recorded in a domestic cat which mated with a wild cat. In the domestic cat the gestation period varies from between 55 and 68 days. Probably there is also some variation in the gestation period of the wild cat. The second act of copulation we observed was between Max and Eliane (6 March 1967), only 44 days before parturition (19 April). As such a short gestation period is impossible, it seems that copulation may be repeated some considerable time after pregnancy has started. Superfoetation is known in the domestic cat (Haltenorth, 1957: 72).

BIRTH

Sabine, who died in 1961, had three litters within two years: one consisting of five young (1,4), one of six young (2,4+?1), and one of three young (3,o). They were born in August 1960, April 1961, and August 1961. CCline, who died in 1966, had litters every year (except 1964), comprising one of five (3,2), one of eight (53 , of which 2,o were still-born), one of four ( z , ~ ) , one of six (3,1 f 2 still-born, sex unknown), one of six (4,2), and one of five (2,3). They were born in June (1960, 1961), March (1962), May (1963), and March (1965, 1966). Eliane, born in 1961, has had one litter every year up to 1967 (except for 1963) comprising one litter of two (I,I), one of one (o,~), one of three (z,I) one of three (I , I +?I), and one of one (sex unknown). They were born in May (1962), April (1964), 30 July (1965), 30 July (1966), and May (1967). Tatra, born in 1964, had one litter of five cubs (1,3 +? I ) in April 1966 and one litter of four cubs (1,3) in May 1967.

Thus the litter size may vary from one to eight. As the litter size increases there seems to be greater probability that the cubs will be still-born or eaten by the mother. The average litter size (out of 16 litters) is four.

If we examine the sexes of animals born in each litter, no regular sex ratio can be found. If, however, we add up the sexes from each litter (discounting those whose sex was undetermined) we get a ratio of exactly 3 I males to 3 I females. So on the whole about the same number of each sex is born.

CANIDS AND FELIDS IN CAPTIVITY 33

The birth season lasts from March to August. This means that if a birth occurs in August, it may not necessarily be the second litter of the year: it may equally be the first litter of the year. We have found that one litter a year is usual, and two litters exceptional. Thus Sabine had two litters in 1961 (z April and 18 August). This was the only instance of two litters in one year that we have recorded. Two litters a year have been reported for the European wild cat in the wild, because young have been seen in spring and autumn (Haltenorth, 1957), but I think this is insufficient evidence.

B I R T H WEIGHT

If the new-born cubs are to be weighed, the mother has to be chased out of the nest-box and shut outside, for she is at her most aggressive at this time. By greatly disturbing her in this way there is always a risk that she will move her young to another place or even eat them. For this reason we did not weigh a11 the young in all the litters: in some cases only one or two cubs of one litter were weighed. Some still-born cubs were quite wet, which meant that their weight was higher than it would have been normally. These weights were therefore omitted from Table I.

DATE OF MOTHER BIRTH WEIGHT I N G W I T H I N 24 H R S AFTER B I R T H REMARKS

I I 1 111 I V V V I

Sabine 17.8.1960 14 145 '45 '46 '47 d ? ? ? ?

Sabine 18.8.1961 152 158 163 6 6 d

s d? d d

?

Ckline 43.6.1961 1 1 2 115 128 132

Eliane 29-4-1964 I35

Ciline 29.3.1965 135 142 146 152 142 146 6 d d d ? ?

? 6 d?

s ? ? O ? d? ?

Eliane 30.7.1966 I 0 0 I02 I08

Tatra 15.5.1967 105 120 129

I1 still-born

d. same day

all d. after 1-2

days

IV eaten V partly-eaten

-

Table I. Birth weights of European wild cats Felis s. silvestris in seven litters.

34 C A N I D S A N D F E L I D S I N C A P T I V I T Y

Table I shows that the birth weight can vary between IOO and 150 g. Males are not generally heavier than females at birth. When the birth weight is less than IZO g the probability of survival seems to be low.

OPENING OF EYES The eyes of the cubs open gradually between the 7th and I Ith day after birth. First a very small slit appears between the eyelids of one eye, and this gradually broadens. A strong secretion probably facilitates the opening of the eye, but sometimes it is so sticky that the separation of the eyelids is delayed if they are not cleaned. Sometimes one eye may already be open and the other still closed. The whole process takes several days.

LACTATION A N D FEEDING

During lactation the mother cat adopts a sitting position, as a person would in an arm- chair, and the young lie, so-to-speak, on her lap. Weaning probably begins when the young are about a month old. Young born on 17 August 1960 started to feed on solid food (small bits of rats or mice) on 20 September. On 14 September their two larger premolars had just broken through on either side in the upper and lower jaw; the canines had probably broken through before (see first dentition below). On 8 October I observed a cub that still tried to suck. Thus the whole lactation period probably lasts about six to seven weeks. At that time the five cubs ate 10 mice a day; from 10 October to 20 October they ate from 15 to 25 mice. We can therefore assume that weaning was completed at the age of two months. Young born on 29 March 1965 fed on minced mice for the first time on I May, an observation which confirms that young begin to feed on solid food at the age of one month.

GROWTH RATE

We weighed two litters of five and six cubs every week for the first three months. It was hard to distinguish individuals week after week, especially during the first two months, but certain colour differences helped. Any errors of weight attribution arising will not significantly affect the general result. Details are given in Tables 2 and 3.

Tables 2 and 3 show that the weight increase during the first fbur weeks is generally less than IOO g each week (from 4 to 13 g daily), although exceptions may occur (see Male I11 in Table 3). From the fifth week onwards, when the young cats start to eat solid food, the weekly increase in weight is usually between 70 and 300 g, although it may sometimes be less than 70 g. Only on two occasions did we note an increase of more than 300 g (see Female V in Table 2, 20 to 27 October, and Male I11 in Table 3, 10 to 17 August).

When the weight increase is high one week it is low the following week, so that there is some sort of compensation, probably due to fluctuations of appetite which may decrease

C A N I D S A N D F E L I D S I N C A P T I V I T Y 35

I I 1 I 1 1 I V V

D A T E s 1 e 1 0 1 ? 1 ? 1

18.8.1960 142

24.8 228

31.8 326

7.9 385

14.9 410

21.9 610

28.9 780

5.10 860

13.10 1035

20.10 1230

27.10 1410

3.11 1640

IO.II 1765

17.11 sold

86

98

59

25

200

‘70

80

I75

‘95

I80

230

125

I45

204

282

312

350

420

530

600

760

890

‘05 5

I 140

I 300

I440

I45

212

290

325

370

420

540

640

760

890

1125

1225

1300

I470

67

78

35

45

50

I20

I00

120

130

235

100

75

170

146

212

295

350

380

450

590

675

785

910

1140

1260

I 400

I570

‘47

222

296

357

430

490

630

720

825

920

1225

I280

‘405

1610

75

74

61

73

60

140

90

105

95

305

55

‘25

205

i = weekly weight increase

Table 2. Weekly weight increases (in g) of five European wild cats Felis s. sifvestvis born to the female ‘Sabine’ on 17 August 1960 at Berne Zoo.

when the weather is hot. In three cases we even noted a loss of weight during one week (Table 3)) perhaps due to intestinal parasites (Tuxucnrn cat;).

As already stated, the birth-weight of males in general is not higher than that of females. However, some vigorous males may gain weight more rapidly than females ( e g Male I in Table 2, and Male I11 in Table 3).

Our data concerning the increase of weight more or less coincide with those given by Lindemann and Rieck (1953: 94) for three wild cat male young found in the wild in the south of the Harz, Germany, at the age of about eight days and reared later by a domestic cat.

In addition to weighing the young of two litters, we also took weekly measurements (forehead to anus and tail) of two litters (five young and three young respectively). The measurements, taken over a period of two and three months, are given in Table 4.

36 C A N l D S AND FELIDS I N CAPTIVITY

I I1 I11 IV V V I DATE 8 i d 4 i d 4 i 8 i S i ? i

2/3.1961 112

8.6 178

15.6 267

22.6 355

29.6 405

6.7 530

'3.7 625

20.7 810

27.7 890

3.8 945

10.8 890

17.8 1060

24.8 1180

31.8 1315

7.9 1480

66

89

88

50

'25

95

'85

80

55

-55

170

I20

I35

'65

I 28

205

300

365

420

550

660

835

935

'035

I020

I295

I470

1485

1615

77

95

65

55

130

I I 0

I75

I00

I00

-15

275

I75

15

130

78

I I0

I00

90

'30

225

210

75

I 60

1 I0

-

I 80

250

310

360

465

625

750

810

860

9'5

I I20

I245

1370

'570

70

60

50

'05

I 60

'25

60

50

55

205

'25

'25

200

190

275

320

385

495

640

850

930

870

965

I210

1300

'445

1560

85

45

65

I10

145

210

80

- 60

95

245

90

'45

'15

200

280

370

400

525

660

870

930

990

1140

1380

I490

'550

'755

80

90

30

'25

135

210

60

60

150

240

I I 0

60

I I 0

i = weekly weight increase

Table 3. Weekly weight increases (in g) of six European wild cats Felis s. silvestris born to the female 'Cdline' on 213 June 1961 at Berne Zoo.

Table 4 shows that the growth rate of the head, body and tail length is fairly uniform in individuals of one litter. As to the relation between the head-rump and the tail, the head-rump measurement is at first about three times longer than the tail. Later on the tail is little more than half as long as the head-rump measurement in the young of Litter I, and about two thirds of the length of the head-rump measurement in the young of Litter 11. As the kittens grow, the head-rump measurement is increasingly difficult to take as the animals become livelier and more aggressive. Moreover, the head which is bent downwards in new-born young changes position gradually so that it is difficult to take exact measure- ments. Thus the measurements given in Table 4 must be taken as an average.

C A N I D S A N D F E L I D S I N C A P T I V I T Y 37

L I T T E R I (5) b. 17.8.1960 L I T T E R 11 (3) b. 29.3.1965

HEAD-ANUS TAIL HEAD-ANUS TAIL

D A l E em cm DATE cm cm

18. 8.1960 24. 8.1960 31. 8.1960 7. 9.1960

14. 9.1960 21. 9.1960 28. 9.1960 5.10.1960

13.10.1960 20.10.1960 27.10.1960 3. I I. I 960

10.1 I .1960 17.11.1960

15.5-16 16.5

I 9-20

22-25 23-26

24.5-27 24.5-27

25-32 2 6 3 2

29-32

20-22

-8

-* -+

5-5.5 66 .5 66 .5

10-10.5

12-13.5

8-9.5

10.5-13

12.5-14.5 14.5-16 15.5-17.5 16.5-18 18-20

18-21

I 8-22

29.3.1965 6.4.1965

13.4.1965 20.4.1965 27.4. I965 4.5.1965

I I .5.1965 18.5.1965 1.6.1965

14-16 16-16.5

21-22.5 25-25.5 25-26.5 26.5-28 31

33.5

-

5-6 7.5-8

10-11.5 13-13-5 I4 14-5-15 16 19-19.5

* Kittens too lively to be measured

Table 4. Minimum and maximum measurements, taken at weekly intervals, of two litters of European wiId cats Fefis s. sihestris at Berne Zoo.

DENTI T I ON

The formula of the first dentition is given by Haltenorth (1957: 50) as-

1.2.3. I 2.3.4. I I - 1.2.3. P -- - 26 M absent c i 2.3.4.

In the first dentition P2 are very small. We made observations on three young of Ctline, born on 29 March 1965. On I May they ate their first minced mice. On 4 May the canines were already through. The tips of the incisors had just come through the gums of the lower jaw, whereas those on the upper jaw were just on the point of coming through. The cusps of the premolars were about 2 mm long. On 11 May the canines had reached a length of about 3-4 mm, the upper incisors had just come through, and the lower incisors were about 0.5 mm long. The height of the largest cusp on the premolars was 3 mm, and the small cusps were 0.5 mm. On 18 May the upper incisors had emerged and were about 0.5 mm long; the lower incisors were hardly any longer. The premolars were about the same length as on I I May. Thus the development of the first dentition is completed at the age of about six to seven weeks (five weeks according to Haltenorth, 1957).

38 CANIDS AND FELIDS I N CAPTIVITY

R E F E R E N C E S

BREHM, A. E. (1915): Brehms Tiedeben, 3. (4th edn.) 0. zur Strassen (ed.) Leipzig u. Wien: Hiblio- graphische Inst.

GOFFART, V O N (1890): Zucht von Wildkatzen in der Gefangenschaft. Zool. Cart., FvankJ31: 193 - 195.

H A L T E N O R T H , TH. (1957): Die Wildkatze. Neue Brehm Buch. No. 189.

H E D I G E R , H. (1951): 3agdzoologie-auch fu r Nichtjager. Basel: Reinhardt Verlag. (2nd edn. 1966. )

L I N D E M A N N , w. and R I E C K , w. (1953): Beobachtungen bei der Aufzucht von Wi1dkatzen.Z. Tierpsychol.

STILL, v. (1965): Die Zoologischen Garten in der CSSR. Freunde Kdner Zoo 8 : 133-106.

VOLF, J. (1968): Breeding the European wild cat Felis s. silvestris at Prague Zoo. Int. Zoo Yb. 8 : 38-40.

10: 92- 1 1 9 .

breeding the European wild cat Felis s. silvestris

at Prague Zoo J I R I V O L F Curator of Mammals, Zoologicka zahrada Praha, Prague, Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia is one of the few European countries where, until now, the European wild cat Felis s. silvestris continues to be found over a large, continuous area. It occurs through- out almost the whole of Carpathia in the eastern part of Czechoslovakia. Population density is lowest in the mountain conifer forests and is highest in the oak forests where the ground is hilly. It is in the border country between the forests and the open heath and farmland that the European wild cat finds the bulk of its food.

Owing to strict protection, the population of European wild cats in Czechoslovakia has at least doubled during the past 10 years and today amounts to between 2,700 and 2,900.

At present, this increase is the result of higher population density, rather than a larger area of distribution. In some part of Central and North-East Slovenia as many as five to seven wild cats are found in an area of 1,000 hectares. Most European wild cats exhibited in Czechoslovakian zoos are of local origin.

At Prague Zoo, the foundation stock of European wild cats consisted of a pair caught in the autumn of 1962 in the Tribec Hills of Central Slovenia. The animals were half-