Staff of the Azraq Wetland Reserve, an affiliate of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, on Thursday spotted a felis silvestris, commonly known as wild cats, for the first time since 1997 while conducting a study on mammals in the reserve, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Director of the reserve Hazem Khraisheh said that the rare wild cat is one of four types known to be in Jordan and is the most common and widely distributed wild felid species in the Kingdom in terms of geographical distribution. According to the national Red List assessment of the 85 mammalian species reported, he stressed that the wild cat is not an endangered species.

The wildcat sighting, Khraisheh noted, is a positive indicator of the safety of biodiversity in the reserve and its ability to provide small rodents and birds to feed on.

For his part, Supervisor of the Protected Areas Programs Thabet Shara pointed out that locals see wild cats as non-threatening and, therefore, the species is not in danger.

 

Source: Petra