Wild Cat – Felis sylvestris

It is impossible to separate true Wild Cats from feral cats in the field, and the chances are the animal you are observing is a hybrid, no matter how much it looks like the real thing.

Tony Williams, from la Réserve naturelle de la Chérine in the Brenne, tells me that he once found a dead one on the road in front of his house at Rosnay. Externally it looked like a Wild Cat, but tests revealed it to be a hybrid. However, he says that research conducted ten years ago indicates that there are genetically pure Wild Cats in the Brenne. They are not common, but may be on the increase.

There are some good photos and information on the French website Tous les Félins.