They live withdrawn, hidden……mostly sleeping during the day and hunting at night. Hardly anyone catches a glimpse of them. But they are there! They still live in our forests: the European wildcats.

No, wildcats are no runaway domestic cats. It is a spe-cies of its own with the scientific name Felis silvestris. They seem a lot stronger and are a lot wilder than our kitty cats. They roamed Europe’s forests long before the Romans brought the first domestic cats with them on their way across the Alps.

…but they are still there.

linking-up Germany’s forests with each other, forming connections between the last habi-tats of the European wildcat, in all 20,000 kilometres consisting of bushes and trees: this is the ambitious goal of the BUND project “A Safety Net for the European Wildcat”, pro-bably Central Europe’s largest nature conser-vation project.

The once expansive forests of our country are nowa-days fragmented by agriculture, settlements and roads. For strict forest residents such as the European wildcat they are scattered like islands in the sea. The remaining habitats are too small to ensure the survival of the Eu-ropean wildcat. Green corridors can offer them new habitats and facilitate the exchange between the so far isolated regions.

With this brochure the BUND wants to inform you about the European wildcat and what it does to pro-tect them. And a little bit more: we want to get you interested in this project. Help to secure the “safety net for the European wildcat“ – support us!

European wildcats kittensThe BUND wants to give them a future.Please help us!

Introduction

02

The European wildcat profile

LooksSimilar to a tabby domestic cat but with a bushy black-ringed tail with a dull black tip; coat pattern not rich in contrast but washed out. With its winter coat it gives the impression of being a lot stockier and stronger than a domestic cat.

SizeAbout the size of a domestic cat

WeightFemale cat around 4 kg; tomcat around 5 kg

Offspring2 – 4 (max. 6) kittens per litter, born between March and September, most litters in April, second litter in autumn, normally only in cases where the first one is lost

FoodIn Central Europe mostly mice, rarely and depending on availability: wild rabbits, lizards, frogs, insects, small birds, carrion as an exception; hardly any vegetarian food

TracksPaw print like a domestic cat: round outline, pad and 4 toes, but no claws in the print (of the 5 front toes the thumb does not appear in the print, the hind paws only have four toes)

Gestation period63 – 69 days

Age7 – 10 years, in captivity more than 15 years

DistributionApprox. 3,000 – 5,000 animals in Germany, dispersed in small populations (see map p. 7). German Red List of Threatened Species, Category 2 (critically endangered)

Dear readers,

Your BUND

European wildcat team

Also other forest animals, such as badgers, pine martens and surprisingly even many bird and bat species, depend on camouflage and avoid the cros-sing of open fields and populated areas.

Without linking-up their habitats and the possibility of a genetic exchange and migration these species will not survive in the long term. Their susceptibility to inbree-ding and diseases increases. The individual populations are too small to survive in the long term.

The fate of the European wildcat is thus just one example of the fate awaiting many of the endange-red species which are native to Central Europe. As a result, protecting the wildcat helps to protect entire eco-systems. That is why the European wildcat is called a “target-species” by conservationists.

… and protec tion

To ensure the survival of the European wildcat a net-work of corridors is required which reconnects the fo-rests. When following the wildcat many other animals can once again find a place to live in a landscape moul-ded by human beings.

Habitat ...

European wildcats only live in forests, thus they are often called forest cats. In search of mice they prefer to roam the outer and inner borders of the woods.

Small bright glades, hidden meadows in the forests and quiet fringes of the forest rich in hedgerows are the favourite places of the European wildcat. The more di-verse the inner structures of the woods the deeper they advance into them. And vice versa: where bushes and hedgerows offer them camouflage European wildcats venture out of the woods.

… THREAT …

Not so long ago European wildcats lived almost everywhere in Europe. Today they have disap-peared from many original habitats or are thre-atened with extinction.

Today the once expansive forests account for approxi-mately only 30 per cent of Germany’s total land area. Furthermore, this area often consists of arable forests poor in structures. The primeval beech mixed forests have become extremely rare.

Moving to other habitats is almost impossible for the European wildcat because it does not put a paw in cleared landscapes. Ever increasing traffic, settlement areas and agricultural activity in the countryside have driven back forest animals such as the European wild-cat to a few remaining habitats. For a long period of time the survival of the European

wildcat was threatened by hunting. Though wildcats are under close season all year round, in many regions they are being shot by hunters because they mistake them for stray cats. Through educational work con-servationists are having increasing success in coun-teracting this. Without bushes and trees as hiding spots fields with a

width greater than 50 metres present an obstacle.

Young animals cannot conquer new territories because cleared agricultural landscapes, roads and populated areas prevent them from doing so.

The connectivity of intact forest also helps other ani-mals, allowing even plants to conquer new habitats.

04

… and furthermore – the wildcat routing map

The first tree is planted. From right to left: Wolfgang Fremuth (Frankfurt Zoological Society, FZS, project promoter), Volker Sklenar – the environment minister for Thuringia, Ron Hoffmann – head of BUND Thuringia, Tho-mas Mölich – BUND project leader, Angelika Zahrnt – the former head of the BUND, Volker Wachendörfer (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU - German Federal Foundati-on for the Environment, project promoter)

To ensure the survival of the small tigers in our countryside the BUND has been working on the “safety net for the European wildcat” since July 2004. The vision: a nation-wide network of wildcat forests in Germany.

It all started with a pilot project in Thuringia. The national park Hainich – one of Germany’s most pri-meval forests – shall be connected with the Thurin-gian Forest situated at a distance of 20 kilometres. Both forests are ideal habitats but at the moment the European wildcats only live in the Hainich in larger numbers. The Thuringian Forest is out of their reach.

Up to now!

After intensive preparation the first 20,000 bushes and trees were planted in autumn 2007 for a green corridor – a connection of both forests.Before the project could be implemented, employees and BUND volunteers observed the wildcats of the Hainich for several years, determined the ideal course of the corridor, negotiated with landowners and aut-horities, and established financial models.

Apart from the network of the forests the second me-aning of the word safety net became clear: Only when politics, authorities, associations, landowners and other parties involved work together it will be possible to save the European wildcat. The BUND in Thuringia succeeded in initiating and leading this dialogue, an example that sets a precedent.

The Safety Net for the European WildcatPilot project in Thuringia…

2006 The course of the corridor is set and the route is inaugurated with a public fun run. More than 2,500 people celebrate together with the BUND.

Connecting the Hainich with the Thuringian Fo-rest is a first important step on the way to ensu-ring the survival of the European wildcat. But to secure this in the long run a lot more has to be done. Thus, in September 2007 the BUND pre-sented a wildcat routing map. It shows how the current habitats of the wildcat can be connected with each other and with the forests which could be suitable habitats – both nationwide in Germa-ny as well as beyond its borders.

If the existing forests and planned corridors not yet built are added up, then a network of forests, trees and bushes of a length of more than 20,000 kilometres will be created in Germany alone (see map next page), ma-king this Central Europe’s biggest nature conservation project. The task will take several years as well as re-quiring a significant investment of effort and money.

It will be easier to achieve this goal if it is possible to integrate local nature protection plans. In individual cases these could be statutory “carry-over arrange-ments”. In Thuringia, for example, the road construc-tion company responsible for the relocation of the au-tobahn A4 near Eisenach is paying for a large part of the corridor planting.

The wildcat routing map allows people responsible in the federal states and communities to integrate their plans in a sensible and coordinated strategy. Apart from the preparations it will be an important task for the BUND to “remind” the authorities of these pos-sibilities, to accompany these processes and to guide them with their expertise. In many cases plantings and land purchases on the part of these authorities will be necessary to facilitate corridors.

The so-called green bridges allow wildlife to safely cross streets and railway tracks. These bridges as well as special underpasses play an important role when it comes to habitat connectivity. However, they do not make sense on their own without being linked up with a network of green corridors. European wildcats can also swim across unspoilt rivers.

06

Hamburg

Bremen

Berlin

Leipzig

Dresden

Munich

Stuttgart

Frankfurt

Cologne

Hanover

N

0 80 km 40

E i f e l

H u n s r ü c k

T a u n

u s

S p e s

s a r t *

Harz Mountains

Palatinate Forest

Leine-Weser-Bergland

Hainich

Bienwald

Harzvorland

* by reintroduction (start 1984)

V o r d e r e r B a y e r i s c h e r W a l d *

Rothaargebirge Mountains

W e s t e r w a l d

H e s s

i s c h e

s B e r g

l a n d

R a n d p l a t t e n d e s T h ü r i n g e r B e c k e n s

BavariaThe Bund Naturschutz in Bavaria (BN) was the first regional association of the BUND which addressed the issue of European wildcat in a more concerted manner. Even before the first plans for a connection of the forests emerged, the reintroduction of the European wildcat was given priority in the protection efforts here since 1984.

In two breeding and reintroduction centres in the Ba-varian Forest and in the low mountain range Spessart animals are prepared for a life in freedom. In this way more than 500 animals have been reintroduced into the part of the Bavarian Forest known as Vorderer Ba-yerischer Wald, into the Steigerwald and in particular, into the Spessart.

The Spessart has become home again to the Europe-an wildcat. Increasingly more positive news is coming from other northern Bavarian low mountain ranges (Rhön, Hassberge, Steigerwald and Fichtelgebirge): the European wildcat has been seen there regularly as well. It is slowly reconquering its original habitats in those forests that still provide suitable habitat structures.

The task for the next years to come has to be to pre-serve and improve the living conditions for the Eu-ropean wildcat in Bavaria’s forests. The fight of the BN against a further fragmentation of the Bavarian landscape through new traffic routes and the out-of-control development is not least vitally important to the European wildcat.

The basis for a permanent return of the European wildcat to Bavaria is an improved connection between the Bavarian and the remaining areas of distribution in Germany.

The BUND European Wildcat Project is gro-wing constantly. A summary of current and planned activities in further regional associa-tions as of 12/07:

The BUND European Wildcat Project

The dark green areas show forests which are already populated by European wildcats. The two main areas of distribution of the European wildcat in the centre and west of Germany are separated from each other and fragmented.

08

L a u s i t z

LüneburgHeath Colbitz-

Letzlinger Heide

Schorfheide

F l ä m i n g

Upp er Palatinate Forest

F r ä n

k i s c

h e A

l b

S c h w

a r z w

a l d

S c w ä b

i s c h e A

l b

A l p e n

Franconian Switzerland

Fichtelgebirge

Odenwald Steigerwald

Thuringian Forest

Kaiserstuhl

R h ö n

Ausläufer Rothaargebrige

Haßberge

Swabian-Franconian Forest

Wildcat researchers have investigated which forests could be suitable for the European wildcat. These areas are marked in light green. Up to now, these forests are beyond the reach of the wildcat or are rarely accessible because cleared agricultural landscapes, roads and settlements present an obstacle. For more information on the respective forest areas see p. 8 – 12.

Green corridors connect wildcat forests

The light green line shows the German Green Belt: the former border between East and West Germany was turned into a nature conservation corridor by the BUND, which offers habi-tats to wildcats as well as other rare animal and plant species.(www.bund.net)

The yellow lines show the approximate course of the future connections. In total a network of a length of 20,000 kilometres will be created. The exact course will be determined together with authorities and landowners. The linking-up with international corridors could be the next step.

Legendthe German Green Belt

wildcat occurrence

suitable wildcat habitats

wildcat corridors

HesseAt the moment European wildcats can be found in Lower Saxony in the Harz Mountains in its northern foreland including Hainberg, Radberg as well as the area south of the Siebenköpfe. In the southern and western foreland of the Harz Mountains the wildcats have advanced across the Rotenberg to Northeim, Göttingen and the Hes-sian Uplands. Solling, Brahmwald and Kaufunger Forest are also populated with frequent sightings. In the north-west they have gradually advanced up into the Deister although their presence here is by no means an established one.

In Lower Saxony only Solling and the Harz Mountains or the Harz Mountains and the Lüneburg Heath toge-ther offer adequately large habitats capable of suppor-ting permanent wildcat populations.

Therefore, the regional association is working on the connection of forest patches between the Harz Moun-tains and the Heath. The foundation is a routing map which is based on the current European wildcat distri-bution figures from the responsible statistics agency. Starting from the north-eastern border of the Harz Mountains around Bad Harzburg a corridor route in the direction of the Oderwald is going to be investigated in sections for its continuity and from there to Elm/Lappwald.

Necessary measures for closing the gaps shall then be implemented step-by-step and with the help of coope-ration partners. Areas along the “German Green Belt” on the former border between East and West Germany are of particular importance.

Baden-Württemberg Lower SaxonyThe European wildcat could be found up until the beginning of the 19th century in the un-fragmented forests beside the Rhine and in the Black Forest as well as in the lowlands of Baden-Württemberg around Heilbronn.

The last European wildcat in the federal state was re-gistered in 1912. From that time on it was not possi-ble to clearly categorize the reports received. The first clear evidence came from the FVA* Baden-Württem-berg (*Forestry Education and Research Centre of this federal state) in spring 2007 with two dead wildcats being found at the Kaiserstuhl. As a study shows, there is a strong possibility that the European wildcat is starting to populate the forests of Baden-Württemberg again. There are suitable areas of unspoiled nature in particu-lar in the Black Forest and in the Swabian Alb.

With the long-term target “from the Palatinate to the Alb” the regional association got involved in “the safety net for the European wildcat”. The first step is to build a green corridor so that the populations with a high number of individuals in the Vosges and the Palatinate Forest have the chance to migrate into the northern Black Forest.

The regional association offers expert advice here to the authorities of the federal state. The crossing of the fragmentation axes Rhine-BAB5-B36-B3-Rhein-talbahn (Rhine Valley line) between Karlsruhe and Basel is a particular challenge. The second step is to connect the south-eastern Black Forest with the Swa-bian Alb via the Baar-Heuberg region.

The BUND’s protection of the European wildcat also has a long tradition in Hesse, since the big forest areas in Hesse play a key role as a con-necting link between the areas of distribution in the centre and west of Germany and thus also between Eastern and Western Europe.

As early as the end of the 1980s, the situation of the European wildcat was addressed in publications and at events. Eventually a project for stocktaking of the Eu-ropean wildcats and mapping out the green corridors started in 2004. In 2007, for example, a wildcat rou-ting map was established for Hesse and the presence of wildcats was confirmed in the region nationalpark Kellerwald recently.

Confirmed populations exist in Rheinhardswald, Meis-sner, Kaufunger Forest, Söhre, Ringgau, Knüll, Seu-lingswald, Spessart, Rothaargebirge Mountains, Rhein-gau- and Hochtaunus. There were several sightings in the Habichts- and Michelsrombacher Forest, while there was just one in Schlitz. The regional hunting as-sociation also spotted them in Vogelsberg, Rhön and Odenwald.

From 2008 the exact connection routes have to be specified on site, gaps have to be closed and the pro-ject has to be further promoted by public relations work and dialogue.

Single sightings (including paw prints) in previously un-populated forest patches demonstrate a high willingness to roam, in particular on the part of young tomcats. The many road kills are proof enough of the risks involved.Corridors facilitate the safe migration of females and males and thus, the development of new populations and the mating among them.

10

There are larger, well-studied wildcat populati-ons in the Eifel in North Rhine-Westphalia. Also on the right hand side of the Rhine there are wildcats, for example in the Rothaargebirge and Eggegebirge mountains. Although in these areas more detailed investigation is necessary.

As first part of the project involved the BUND together with the North Rhine Westphalian Ministry for Nature Conservation, the Environment and Consumer Protec-tion adjusting the wildcat routing map according to the known distribution data for the European wildcat in the Eifel. The goal is to detect gaps in migration corridors and determine which of these gaps shall be closed first.

This adjustment will also take into consideration data from the project “green line in the west” where the BUND has recorded old Westwall (Siegfried Line) bun-kers and saved some of them for nature conservation, particularly for wildcats.

The second step will involve incorporating areas of North Rhine-Westphalia on the right-hand side of the Rhine into the programme, investigating the obvious current dispersal of the European wildcat in these areas and adjusting the routing map taking this knowledge into consideration.

North Rhine-WestphaliaBUND regional associations

Wildkatzenbüro Thüringen – Thomas Mölich (Projektleiter)WildkatzenbüroPostfach 1108Hauptstraße 98 (Schloss) – 99947 BehringenTel.: 03 62 54 / 8 59 62E-Mail: wildkatze@bund.netProjektmitarbeiterin Sabine Jantschke (Erfurt)Tel.: 03 61 / 5 55 03 18

Wildkatzenbüro Lower Saxony – Mandy Henning-HahnSchieferweg 10 – 38640 GoslarTel.: (Mo-Mi): 05 11 / 965 69-0 (BUND LV Nds.)Tel.: (Do-Fr): 0 53 21/311 96 30Fax: 053 21 / 311 94 32E-Mail: Mandy.Henning-Hahn@nds.bund.net

Wildkatzenbüro Ba-Wü – Laura BollwahnBUND-Landesverband Baden-Württemberg e.V.Landesgeschäftsstelle Stuttgart Paulinenstraße 47 – 70178 StuttgartTel.: 07 11 / 62 03 06-14Fax: 07 11 / 62 03 06-77E-Mail: laura.bollwahn@bund.net

Wildkatzenbüro Hessen – Sonja Gärtner BUND Landesverband Hessen e.V. Triftstraße 47 – 60528 FrankfurtTel.: 069 / 67 73 76-16Fax: 07 21 / 151 41 83 96E-Mail: sonja.gaertner@bund-hessen.de

Wildkatzenbüro Bayern – Dr. Kai Frobel Bund Naturschutz in Bayern e.V.Referat Arten- und BiotopschutzBauernfeindstraße 23 – 90471 NürnbergTel.: 09 11 / 818 78 19Fax: 09 11 / 86 95 68E-Mail: kai.frobel@bund-naturschutz.de

Other BUND regional associations have also fo-cused on the European wildcat. In Saxony-Anhalt, for example, the regional association together with the Fachhochschule Anhalt are establishing plans for the creation of several wildcat corridors in the northern area of the Harz Mountains. Fur-ther focal points will be given priority here in the planned public relations works.

European wildcat officesAlmost half of Germany’s wildcat populations live in Rhineland-Palatinate. Considering this, the federal state bears a special responsibility in preserving habitats for these populations. In addition, connections have to be developed to neighbouring states in the north and east.

The regional association is currently trying to minimi-se further destruction and fragmentation in the plan-ning of infrastructural works and new quarries. A first success story is the consensus agreement between the BUND with the operator of the airport Frankfurt-Hahn to prevent the clearance of large European wildcat ha-bitats.

Based on the nationwide wildcat routing map the fol-lowing corridors shall be built first:

• Bienwald–PalatinateForest• Mittelrhein–Westerwald/Lahn/Taunus• crossingofthemotorwayA61intheareaof Stromberg and Rheinböllen• PalatinateForest–NorthernPalatinate Uplands – Hunsrück

Currently there are preparations going on together with BUND volunteers to inform the local public of the need for action. The next step is to start building the corridors together with the cooperation partners.

Rhineland-Palatinate

For up-to-date information on the safety net for the European wildcat go to:

www.bund.net/wildkatze and www.wildkatze.infoThe detailed wildcat routing map with all planned cor-ridors can also be found here. (in german)

12

BUND Landesverbände (LV)

Baden-WürttembergPaulinenstraße 4770178 StuttgartTel.: 07 11 / 62 03 06-0, Fax: -77

BerlinCrellestraße 3510827 BerlinTel.: 030 / 78 79 00-0, Fax: -18

BrandenburgFriedrich-Ebert-Straße 114a14467 PotsdamTel.: 03 31 / 237 00-141, Fax: -145

BremenAm Dobben 4428203 BremenTel.: 04 21 / 790 02-0, Fax: -90

Bund Naturschutz in BavariaDr.-Johann-Maier-Straße 493049 RegensburgTel.: 09 41 / 297 20-0, Fax: -30

HamburgLange Reihe 2920099 HamburgTel.: 040 / 60 03 86-0, Fax: -20

HesseTriftstraße 4760528 Frankfurt/MainTel.: 069 / 67 73 76-0, Fax: -20

Mecklemburg-Western PomeraniaZum Bahnhof 2019053 SchwerinTel.: 03 85 / 56 54 70, Fax: 56 36 61

Adressen

NiedersachsenGöbenstraße 3a30161 HannoverTel.: 05 11 / 9 65 69-0, Fax: -27

North Rhine-WestphaliaMerowingerstraße 8840225 DüsseldorfTel.: 02 11 / 30 20 05-0, Fax: -26

Rhineland-PalatinateGärtnergasse 1655116 MainzTel.: 061 31 / 231 97-3, Fax: -1

SaarlandEvangelisch-Kirch-Straße 866111 SaarbrückenTel.: 06 81 / 81 37-00, Fax: -20

SaxonyHenriettenstraße 509112 ChemnitzTel.: 03 71 / 301 47-7, Fax –8

Saxony-AnhaltOlvenstedter Straße 1039108 MagdeburgTel.: 03 91 / 543 33 61, Fax: 541 52 70

Schleswig-HolsteinLerchenstraße 2224103 KielTel.: 04 31 /660 60-0, Fax: -33

ThuringiaTrommsdorfstraße 599084 ErfurtTel.: 03 61 / 555 03-10, Fax: -19

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Everything for the European wildcat The BUND needs your support for this!

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Three of the initiators of the safety net having a conversation with the federal president: from left to right: Hubert Weinzierl, Horst Köhler, Dr. Burkhard Vogel and Thomas Mölich

... plant trees ...

Employees and BUND volunteers determine with the help of a computer the ideal course for the green corridors…

... and put up “lure sticks” sprayed with valerian onto which the European wildcats can rub themselves and leave hair ...

...investigate these hair samples in the laboratory (genetic analysis) to gain a better understand of the degree of relation between the animals ...

... control migration by means of picture traps ...

%... and talk to the public and politicians BIC

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Credits:responsible: Dr. Norbert Franckcopy and editing: Thomas Mölich, Mark Hörstermann design: www.dieprojektoren.depictures: front page: dpa picture Alliance and picture press; p. 6 top: DEGES; p. 12 top: Rudolf Krumrey; bottom: alimdi; p. 15/16 top left: Jens Weber; top centre: Thomas Mölich, top right: Harald Kleisinger, centre right: Jule Gombert; bottom right: DBU archive, Peter Himselremaining pictures: Thomas Stephancharts: Marc Venner translation: Romy Bartsch

editor: Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. Friends of the Earth GermanyAm Köllnischen Park 1D-10179 Berlin Tel.: +49 30 / 275 86-40 Fax: +49 30 / 275 86-440