The Secret Felines of Europe: Hunting with the Iberian Lynx & Wildcat

The face of Europe has changed over the centuries as the result of industrial and agricultural revolutions. Yet against all odds, some curious cat species have learned to survive in the shadows, even venturing into the heart of our towns. Several of them have come close to extinction. They owe their existence to last-ditch operations to save them. This is the tale of three of these felines and their fight for survival. In the east of France, there is a mysterious local legend. Tales of a secretive creature slinking through the forests at night. Able to see in the dark and move like the wolf, some believe it could be a golden jackal, or even a stray dog. Dozens of abandoned carcasses are found in its wake. Strangely intact, the signs point to a furtive creature that kills for pleasure, perhaps some kind of wild beast. When dawn breaks, peace returns to the countryside. Outside, only the purring of man-made machinery disturbs the silence. Cultivated fields create artificial clearings in the thick forest. When farmers cut the grass to make hay, a number of animals are made homeless. This radical change suits one curious creature that lives in the heart of the forest. At the end of the day, the farmers leave, and the wild animals return. Among them, herbivores like roe deer. Hidden in the forest, the creature waits patiently for its arch rival, the fox. These clearings attract animals that come down from the mountains, such as chamois, and a range of other potential prey that take advantage of the close-cut grass. As soon as the humans leave, the herbivores and carnivores use these peaceful spots to socialize. Common foxes scout and seek, but only at nightfall will they have an advantage over their prey. Just like the mysterious predator in the woods that is mainly active at night. It has panoramic eyesight that can see over 200 degrees, but it is colorblind and short-sighted. It is unable to see the color red, and has trouble seeing beyond 20 feet, unlike humans who can see clearly between 100 and 200 feet. This solitary hunter blamed for many misfortunes is the European wildcat. These large cats measure up to 3 feet long and weigh as much as 18 pounds. When their pupils are dilated, they can distinguish moving objects much better than humans. Wildcats look much like domestic tabby cats, but their coats have a long black line along the back, stripes on their bushy tails, and often white bib. Until the 20th century, these cats were persecuted throughout Europe. Nowadays, they take refuge in the forests, which provide at least a third of their habitat. Sometimes they hunt on the plains, but out in the open they are in competition with other predators, in particular their main rivals, foxes. Willing scavengers, foxes see well at night due to their vertical pupils, much like those of crocodiles or snakes. This is an unusual trait amongst dogs, but common in felines. But the two rivals are hungry for fresh meat. To find food amongst the grass, foxes use their highly developed hearing and sense of smell. They have 450 times more olfactory cells than humans. Solitary hunters, they mainly stalk small, abundant prey such as voles. To find their victims, foxes follow a scent trail, pinpoint their location using their ears, and pounce. Foxes are even able to sense the Earth's magnetic field using a ring of shadow in their eyes that darkens when they are aligned with magnetic north. When the shadow and the sound of the prey align, it's time to pounce. Foxes use these characteristic bounds to break through the roofs of the vole's underground burrows. This hunting technique is highly efficient and is imitated by wildcats, but with much less success. Lighter than foxes, they struggle to break through the burrows. Most of their attempts end in failure, and on average, wildcats eat only every second day. Hunting trips are often cut short. Like vampires, they fear the presence of humans and daylight. In the villages, they are regarded with suspicion. So, wildcats have learned to make themselves invisible and take refuge in the forest. Today, Europe's wild animals have adapted to the measures that have been put in place to protect them. Like this chamois that has come down from the mountains without fear to eat the fresh shoots and buds. Since the 1970s, wildcats have been protected throughout Europe. Little by little, they have crept up. But under the midday sun, hunting is more complicated when voles are active, and when tipsy chamois cause a commotion. Sugar from the fresh buds has fermented in their stomach. When the reveler finally leaves the restaurant, the hunt can continue. For the first time since the end of the 19th century, it is now possible to witness wildcats hunting in broad daylight. Just like foxes, wildcats keep in check the small rodents that invade fields of wheat. Anything caught is eaten, bones and all. So who is the mysterious creature that sees in the dark and kills for fun? For more than a century, we have heard its purring presence. Cars are one of the last remaining threats for wildcats. But they are not the only one. Like a detective at a crime scene, biologist Sébastien Devian examines the carcasses of cats that have been run over. When we find a cat at the side of the road, we start investigating. We start by looking at its coat and in particular a certain number of characteristics, such as rings at the level of the tail or a black stripe on its back to find out if this cat could be a wildcat. Once we have this first answer, we can continue our investigation and take tissue samples to access the DNA of the animal. We take two types of samples, hair samples, making sure that we have the root bulb that contains DNA, or ear samples to get tissue that also contains DNA. The DNA of the animal is its identity card. It is this DNA that will give us the information that tells us if it is a wildcat, a domestic cat or a hybrid resulting from the reproduction between a wildcat and a domestic cat. Wildcats are not the only cats in the countryside. Wildcats and domestic cats separated during evolution about 200,000 years ago and since then the two cats have gone their separate ways. In Europe, the main threat to wildcats is hybridization with domestic cats. There are many domestic cats in the countryside, often not neutered, and these cats will come into contact with wildcats in the meadows or on the edge of the forest. The domestic cat will then reproduce, mate with the wildcat and produce hybrids. These hybrids will then be able to reproduce in turn with wildcats and the domestic cat DNA will penetrate the wildcat's DNA. These wildcats will then be genetically polluted by domestic cats and in the long run, within 100, 1000 generations, wildcats could disappear from our forests. Yet there's a very simple way to protect wildcats. In the countryside, please have your cats neutered. It's the best way to limit hybridization and protect the wildcats in our forests. If their domestic cousins aren't neutered, they can always count on other wild animals to drive them off. Throughout Europe, habitat fragmentation and changes in the landscape have threatened the survival of many felines. But all is not lost. Over the last two decades, the Iberian Peninsula has witnessed a surprising big cat comeback. It's hard to believe that large cats could survive in this landscape, shaped by intensive agriculture. This arid land is one of the hottest and sunniest areas in Europe. The key to surviving here is being able to find water. To provide for crops and animals, farmers dig deep underground and in so doing, hold the destiny of one wild animal in their, the Iberian lynx. A majestic feline with an uncertain future. This discreet animal lives a ghost-like existence in a world transformed by humans. Odrina is a five-year-old female. Like most Iberian lynxes, she was named by Spanish biologists who recognize her thanks to characteristic markings on her fur. In the middle of summer, daily temperatures often rise above 40 degrees Celsius. The fields are dry and crops have been cut short. But there are a few areas where hills and shrubs provide cover and shade. One of them is the Sierra Marina, a mountain range that extends over 450 kilometers in the south of Spain. This is where we find Odrina. On land that is no longer cultivated, where it rarely rains during the summer, dotted with small oases, artificial watering holes. Originally intended for cattle, this source of water attracts many wild animals from the surrounding countryside. For Odrina, it's a godsend. She is the queen of the scrubland. All year long, this spot provides a source of birds and water, as well as the lynx's favorite prey, rabbits. European rabbits have made a dramatic comeback after being decimated by myxomatosis. An opportunity not to be missed. Though she can leap more than 4 meters, Odrina rarely chases after rabbits. She tracks them, quietly, using smell and sound, and goes for the kill when they think they're safely hidden in the bushes. Rabbits are the lynx's daily bread, making up 90%, sometimes as much as 100%, of their diet. Their survival is dependent on this source of prey. Odrina has found a territory where there are plenty of rabbits, and settles there. It is an environment surrounded by open areas shaped by mankind. Faced with other competitors, she marks the invisible borders of her territory by spraying urine. Odrina has established her home in this solitary kingdom. But for how long? Six months later, winter plunges the Sierra Morena into frozen, hushed inertia. Thick, icy fog covers the area, silencing the birds. This is the moment chosen by another creature to make its appearance. This is Raffo, a young male from another lynx population further south. He has traveled hundreds of miles through the cold winter nights to find his soulmate. But nobody is answering his calls. The place seems deserted, apart from a few animals that prick up their ears at anything that dares to break the winter silence, marking themselves out as potential. This territory in the Sierra Morena mountains is promising. It ought to be adopted and protected. In other words, marked. But the smell of a female floats in the air. Perhaps she will answer his calls. Odrina is no longer alone. Lynxes are able to reproduce from the age of two. But Odrina has only gone into estrus since she has had this territory. Female lynxes also call to let males know they are in need and that they are open to invites. After three weeks, Raffo leaves the hills of the Sierra Morena and returns to his solitary life. When summer arrives, Odrina must learn to share her territory with the next generation. She has given birth to two youngsters who will be named by the scientists if they survive their first year. Born in the wild, these kittens are a symbol of the extraordinary return of Iberian lynxes, a species that was on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the century. For biologists, this healthy family is the result of a 20-year-long fight to save the species. For the youngsters, the future remains uncertain, including the near future. They have only a year to learn the rudiments of life as a lynx, like learning to hunt rabbits. After they are weaned, they will spend six months learning by imitation alongside their mother. On average, only half the young survive their first 12 months. But despite their discretion, numerous biologists monitor their development. Each female that reaches maturity will reinforce the genetic heritage of this population. Today, Iberian lynxes are no longer ghosts. They owe their survival to a last-ditch effort to save them, launched at the beginning of the century. Anton Alvarez, technical coordinator for the World Wildlife Fund's lynx program in Spain, is part of the team that tracks each surviving animal. Twenty years ago, the lynxes were in a bad situation. There were only 100 individuals left. A census showed that the lynx population was critically endangered. It was the most endangered feline species in the world. It was divided into two populations, and there was no connection between the two. The rescue program involves genetic mixing between these populations, reproduction in captivity, and reintroduction into the wild. To follow them closely and evaluate their chances of survival, the cats are equipped with radio collars. VHF collars have to be pinpointed. In other words, an operator has to go out with an antenna to identify the collar from several locations, enabling the triangulation of its exact position. The priority is to ensure the genetic diversity of the survivors. We know what genes are found in certain populations and those found in captivity, so we are releasing the lynxes that are most needed in those places. Doing this, we are trying to increase genetic diversity as much as possible. The fight against inbreeding is paramount because the species is subject to so many other dangers, including getting run over, poisoning, and poaching. Despite this, the results are encouraging. In 2022, there were more than 1,200 individuals, 12 times more than 20 years ago. The future of the Iberian lynx looks promising, but we mustn't forget that we have to keep working on it. We need to reduce the main threats, and until we have at least 750 breeding females in the Iberian Peninsula, we will not have a favorable conservation status. The return of these cats brings a ray of hope to all wildlife rehabilitation initiatives. It is possible to reverse the decline of a species. Iberian lynxes are now colonizing new territories thanks to dynamic protection measures and abundant rabbits. Recently, they've even been spotted on the outskirts of Barcelona and as far away as Portugal. Future generations may end up colonizing the south of France. Iberian lynxes will always be a source of conflict. Though many will fight for their protection, they are sure to face poaching by hunters and opposition from sheep farmers. Humans have a love-hate relationship with cats, a relationship that has recently been put to the test by an extraordinary geological event on the borders of Europe. Off the coast of Africa, the Canary Islands are part of Spain and the Old Continent. But tall basalt stacks betray the island of La Palma's volcanic origins. Europeans colonized the fertile valleys and introduced a new species in order to control rodents, domestic cats. For nearly 7,000 years, these felines, originally from ancient Egypt, have taken up residence in our homes. Today, 500 million of them populate our planet. Yet this cat shares 95% of its genome with tigers, as well as some of their instincts. When a female cat sniffs the pheromones of a healthy male, she answers the call of the wild. Our journey takes us to a town made of volcanic rock, coated with whitewash and bright blue paint. The streets are narrow, twisted, and steeply sloped. Over the centuries, Greeks, Arabs, and Spaniards arrived in the Canary Islands and neighboring Morocco and built this paradise for cats. A patchwork of smells carries important information, if you know what they mean. This cat's unique smell has a message. I'm not well. Leave me alone. Message received. Our cat has lost its appetite. Its hormones are hard at work. For the last four days, the males in the area have known that she is in heat. They're able to detect the strong pheromones from over a mile away. Cats smell these odors using a gland in the top of their mouths called the Jacobson's organ. This new message is as strong as it is intoxicating. A female in heat produces five or six eggs that can be fertilized by five or six different males. Despite their domestication, the cats in La Palma retain their wild side. Though they are usually placid, during coitus, they can become uncontrollable, violent, and determined, much like the volcano that gave birth to the island. In 2021, after lying dormant for half a century, the Cumbre Vieja, or Old Summit Volcano, began erupting. For three months, the volcano spewed out molten rock and sent ash four miles into the air. Lava spilled out from Cumbre Vieja at speeds of up to 2,000 feet per hour. Below, roads and electricity were cut off. Towns came to a standstill, plunged into darkness, even during the day by plumes of ash. Lava poured out unimpeded, piling up to 20 feet deep in some places, enough to engulf the houses in its path and their inhabitants. Houses were cut off like islands in a sea of lava, so owners could not return to save their cats, who remained alone to face the Earth's wrath. It was the longest volcanic eruption in living memory in La Palma. For more than three months, the volcano buried the island under a cloud of ash and toxic gas. The island's topography changed dramatically. Trapped in this charred world, the survivors were forced to adapt. The pads of their paws suffered in the abrasive, hot ashes. Their whiskers, used to detect vibrations in the air, shriveled up in the intense heat. The cats had to be rescued before the volcanic ash damaged their lungs and made the air unbreathable. The situation was critical, since cats can only survive three days without water. Their salvation came in the shape of people like Ricardo Hernández Rodríguez. I have a company that provides services for animals. Together with some volunteers and co-workers, we rescued and helped many families during the volcanic eruption. I decided to save the domestic cats because if I didn't do it, no one else would, and because I feel capable of doing it. With or without authorization and taking major risks, the volunteers headed into the exclusion zone braving toxic gases and ash. The animal rescue operations during the volcano were a bit chaotic at first. When the volcano erupted, there were people who were away and could not get back to their homes. Then the security forces couldn't cope with everything. Cats know how to endear themselves. They depend on us for their vital needs and care, but claim total independence at the same time. When I see a stray cat, what I feel is a mixture of anger and shame. Anger because I know that they are in the streets because of us, and shame because both civilians and the government, not all of them because there are some people who do everything they can for them, but there are others who do nothing. We do not do everything we can. Within a few days, dozens of cats were removed from devastated areas and returned to their owners. After three months of continual eruption, the ash cloud dispersed and the river of lava came to a standstill. Some houses had a narrow escape. Miraculously, our wanderer has survived. In this post-apocalyptic world, she can no longer rely on scent and pheromones to find her way. Fortunately, like most cats, she can use visual clues to retrace her steps from a distance of about 10 miles. The lava has changed the face of the coastline, but the outline of the volcano and the direction of the sun remain the same. Her home has been spared by the lava's tentacles, but is covered with ashes. The volcanic ash contains traces of a recent smell. It's not her owner, since he hasn't returned yet, but that of another cat she knows well. Her brother. Throughout their lives, cats remember their brothers and sisters as well as their mother and owners. They use a range of clues stored in their memories to identify them. Their smells, their sounds, and their appearance. Though they often live solitary lives, cats retain a sense of family. Their ability to identify and discern familiar figures and opportunities has allowed them to become domesticated. Our attachment to cats and the awareness of the threats they face mean we have managed to narrowly avoid the extinction of several species. Luckily, all wild cats in Europe are prolific breeders. They can give birth to multiple litters over their lifetime, as long as we are able to preserve their habitats for their long-term survival.