BREEDING PROGRAMMES - african wild cats

African Wild Cat :
felis Silvestris (Schreber 1777) / FelisLybica (Forster 1780) / F. Silvestris Lybica

Review and perspective

The scientific nomenclature used for the African wild cat, F. sylvestris, is used in the Red Data book 2004 although F. lybica is still used with reference to this species in Southern Africa. The National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria use the locally acknowledged F. silvestris lybica in their records.

The Red Data book (2004) lists the African wild cat as “least concern”. This is an improved listing, compared to the 1986 listing when they were classified as “vulnerable”.

The estimation of the current population of African wild cats is more than 10 000 individuals.

The number of African wild cats in captive environments (2002 and 2003) was given by the Red Data book as 120.

Rationale for breeding African wild cats

The biggest threat facing the African wild cat population is that it breeds readily with the domestic cat, F. catus. This happens more frequently around rural settlements and farmsteads where domestic cats are kept. The African wild cats are drawn to these locations due to the availability of food, such as domestic poultry and higher rodent population densities. This can lead to hybrid cats being born in the wild as well as in households, thereby contaminating the gene pool.

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is currently collecting samples from these cats to determine a DNE blueprint that is regarded as typical for pure African wild cats. If all breeding institutions have their animals classified according to the DNA identification parameters, animals not suitable for breeding could either be sterilized or eliminated from breeding programmes. Breeding programmes should cultivate pure African wild cats that could be used to re-establish populations of these cats in the wild.

This species breeds more readily than black-footed cats in captivity and reintroduction of animals into the wild can be accomplished with a relatively high degree of success. Care should however be taken that animals are not released into areas where there are domestic cats – to avoid hybridization.

To date, the Centre has released 22 animals back into the wild. This species adapts readily back into the wild if they are released in suitable habitats where abundant prey is available. Most of the released specimens are captive bred and problem animals, some of which were released after they had been used in the breeding programme.

After DNA tests, HESC sadly has no pure bred african wild cats and all the cats are sterilized. New breeding stock will arrive in the near future