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Dula, M.; Vana, M.; Dekar, P.; Bojda, M.; Kutal, M.
Recent records of the European wildcat (_Felis silvestris_) in the Czech-Slovak borderland
2019 Acta Carpathica Occidentalis (10): 86-90
European wildcat (_Felis silvestris_) has been a missing species in the Czech Republic and Western Slovakia since the 1960s.Development of camera trapping techniques in wildlife research has resulted since 2012 in the new records of European wildcat in the West Carpathians in the Czech-Slovak borderland. Here we present the data collected during the intensive monitoring of large carnivores in the West Carpathians during the 3-year period (31/8/2016 - 1/9/2019). We recorded 86 unique visits of wildcat of which the most records came from B¡l‚ Karpaty Mts. and Javorn¡ky Mts. in Slovakia, where 9-10 individuals were identified and the reproduction was confirmed in 2019. The wildcat was confirmed also in two Czech mountain ranges: Vset¡nsk‚ Beskydy and Hostìnsk‚ hills. According to data availability and scientific literature, we suggest that the record of wildcat in the Hostìnsk‚ hills is the most western documented occurrence of the species from the Carpathian population. We conclude, based on the minimum number of identified individuals and confirmed reproduction that there is a stable population at least in Javorn¡ky and B¡l‚Karpaty Mts. Viability of the population at the western range edge of species distribution in the Carpathians and dispersal activity of individuals may have a significant impact on the re-colonization of suitable habitats in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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