We are EUROWILDCAT, an open, collaborative project based on a spatial database that stores shared European wildcat (Felis silvestris) data to investigate its ecology across environmental gradients in order to understand how the species responds to specific conditions, such as habitat changes and impact of human activities. We aim to promote comparative theoretical and applied research into European wildcat behaviour and ecology at the European scale. Our open, bottom-up and cooperative structure helps spur proactive engagement of our members and assures that they are involved throughout all stages of research. Since our start in 2018, several working groups have been established to address ecological and conservation-related questions, prepare research protocols, and push methodological advances forward.
The European wildcat is a medium-sized carnivore (body weight: 3-5 Kg) distributed in fragmented populations from southern Italy to Scotland and from Portugal to Azerbaijan, clustered into four continental metapopulations: (1) Western-Central Europe, (2) Apennine Peninsula and Sicily, and (3) Eastern-Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (4) Iberian Peninsula.
The species is protected by the EU Habitat Directives and is listed in Appendix II (CITES) of the Bern Convention. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activity are major threats to the species across the European contemporary multi-use landscapes. Roads, in particular, reduce gene flow between wildcat populations and ultimately impact wildcat survival. Furthermore, introgressive hybridisation is considered a serious threat in some parts of its distribution, in particularly Scotland (Gerngross et al., 2022).
The distribution range of the European wildcat and further information about its status and threats can be found in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species at this link.
Events
EUROWILDCAT members meet in periodic 2 to 3 days meetings that are held every 12 months in one of the headquarters or study sites of the partner Institutes. These meetings are a key activity of the EUROWILDCAT network. The meetings are a valuable opportunity to update all the members on the new developments, to communicate on to each other the scientific outputs/advancements, discuss face-to-face the content of ongoing scientific works and to identify new lines of research. Ultimately, the EUROWILDCAT meetings are an opportunity to share knowledge and cultivate mutual trust and a sense of cohesive scientific community that has the common goal to improve wildlife management and conservation with scientific-driven decisions. Meetings are usually attended by 20 to 40 EUROWILDCAT members.
VI EUROWILDCAT meeting, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, 2023-11-07 / 2023-11-09
V EUROWILDCAT meeting, Online, 2022-11-08 / 2022-11-09
IV EUROWILDCAT meeting, Mértola, Portugal, 2021-11-24 / 2021-11-26
III EUROWILDCAT meeting, Online, 2020-11-04 / 2020-11-05
II EUROWILDCAT meeting, Neuwied, Germany, 2019-09-28 / 2019-09-29
I EUROWILDCAT meeting, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, 2018-11-20
Publications
All published articles related to EUROWILDCAT
EUROWILDCAT_2: Agriculture intensity and landscape configuration influence the spatial use of wildcats across Europe Ruiz-Villar, H., Bastianelli, M.L., Heurich, M., Anile, S., Díaz-Ruiz, F., Ferreras, P., Götz, M., Herrmann, M., Jerosch, S., Jubete, F., López-Martín, J.M., Monterroso, P., Simon, O., Streif, S., Trinzen, M., Urra, F., López-Bao, J.V., Palomares, F., Biological conservation, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109854
EUROWILDCAT_3: A common statement on anthropogenic hybridization of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) Nussberger, B., S. Barbosa, M. Beaumont, M. Currat, S. Devillard, M. Heurich, J. Howard-McCombe, F. Mattucci, C. Nowak, C. S. Quilodrán, H. Senn, P. C. Alves, EUROWILDCAT Consortium, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2023
https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1156387
EUROWILDCAT_1: Survival and cause-specific mortality of European wildcat (Felis silvestris) across Europe Bastianelli, M.L., Premier, J., Herrmann, M., Anile, S., Monterroso, P., Kuemmerle, T., Dormann, C.F., Streif, S., Jerosch, S., Götz, M., Simon, O., Moleón, M., Gil-Sánchez, J.M., Biró, Z., Dekker, J., Severon, A., Krannich, A., Hupe, K., Germain, E., Pontier, D., Janssen, R., Ferreras, P., Díaz-Ruiz, F., López-Martín, J.M., Urra, F., Bizzarri, L., Bertos-Martín, E., Dietz, M., Trinzen, M., Ballesteros-Duperón, E., Barea-Azcón, J.M., Sforzi, A., Poulle, M.-L., Heurich, M., Biological conservation, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109239
Since 2012, Vectronic Aerospace GmbH is the official sponsor of EURODEER project. In 2018, it has started to support the entire EUROMAMMALS initiative, showing to strongly believe in collaborative science and in the scientific potentiality of animal-borne information, such that provided by their products.