Wildcat that died in Limburg collision had taken nine mice’s lives

A European wildcat. Photo by By Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0 at Wikipedia

They say cats have nine lives, but a wildcat that feasted on mice in Limburg ran out of luck when it was knocked down on the N281 in February.

The Mammals’ Association (Zoogdiervereniging) said the male wildcat was in the prime of health and had the remains of nine mice in its belly when it died: five wood mice, two yellow-necked mice, one field mouse and one harvest mouse.

‘His condition shows that southern Limburg is a perfect habitat for wildcats,’ Maurice la Haye told the Volkskrant.

Wildcats have only recently returned to the Netherlands after they disappeared centuries ago. Around 10 to 15 animals are believed to be roaming the south of the country, having migrated from Belgium and Germany where there are established populations.

Experts in Utrecht and Germany studied the dead cat on behalf of the Mammals’ Association and confirmed that it was a 100% pure wildcat (Felis silvestris). The animals are larger than domestic cats and have less prominent stripes and rings on their tails.

‘I was surprised that he had managed to catch so many mice the night before,’ La Haye told the newspaper. ‘There were nine half-digested mice in his stomach of four different types – a rich, varied diet.’

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation