Rare Wild cat spotted in UAE

24/11/2009 14:13:38 Rare cat photographed in UAE
November 2009. Camera traps set up in the mountainous area of Wadi Wurayah have captured an image of a rare breed of Wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica). Until this photo was taken, the only evidence for the presence of the Wild cat was based on elusive tracks, despite four years of intensive surveys by Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS), WWF and Fujairah Municipality teams.

The importance of protecting the Wadi Wurayah area
Commenting on the discovery, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Director of EWS-WWF stated: "The discovery underpins the importance of protecting the Wadi Wurayah area. We have not seen a Wild cat for many years and it is vital that we do our utmost to protect the area, allowing the wildlife residing there to flourish."

Wadi Wurayah is a 129 kilometre-square catchment that occupies the northern reaches of Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah. Due to its permanent water resource the area has been used by local communities for thousands of years and is home to rare and endangered species such as the Arabian Tahr and Arabian Leopard. Credit EWS

Wild cat - native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa
The Wild cat is a small feline native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa. Its food is very eclectic ranging from invertebrates to reptiles, small mammals, birds and fish, and its habitat varies from scrub deserts to forests. Showing a variety of colours and sizes according on their habitats, they are generally grey-brown with black stripes on their back and tail, weighing up to 8kg and 80cm in length.

Endangered by hybridisation with domestic cats
The species is threatened by genetic pollution with escaped domestic cats to a point that scientists believe the UAE population of Wild Cats might not be pure anymore. The competition for food with feral cats, the introduction of diseases by feral cats, the maltreatment of carnivores by trapping and poisoning, and the destruction of natural habitats have impacted the survival of this species in the wild.