Bird of prey snatches kittens - what happens next is 'almost miraculous'
Created: 09/29/2022, 18:33
By: Nina Büchs
On Sunday, September 25th, near Bad Münstereifel, a little tomcat suddenly fell out of the sky - possibly it is a wild cat.
(Iconic image) © Swen Pförtner/dpa
Walkers observed in Iversheim near Bad Münstereifel how suddenly a kitten fell from the sky.
A bird of prey apparently dropped it.
Iversheim/Bad Münstereifel - A kitten near Bad Münstereifel (Euskirchen district) probably had a watchful guardian angel - because it almost ended up on the menu of a bird of prey.
As the Tierschutz Euskirchen eV reports, walkers in the Friedwald near Iversheim observe how a bird was carrying a kitten in its claws. “At that moment he let the little creature fall.
Thank God it fell into a bush and even stayed up.”
Bird of prey has a small cat in its claws - and suddenly drops it
On Facebook, the association shared some photos of the kitten – which is actually a tomcat.
They christened him "Lucky-Fly", reports 24RHEIN.
The pictures show the little cat on the hand of an employee.
"It's almost a miracle that people came by just as the bird of prey dropped the little one.
Otherwise he would have perished miserably,” the club writes under the pictures.
As it is further said, the walkers were able to take the kitten directly into their care and quickly brought it to the animal shelter.
Despite everything, the kitten survived the incident well.
It was not harmed and drinks from the bottle, according to animal welfare Euskirchen.
Bad Münstereifel/Euskirchen district: Facebook users touched – “Thank you, dear guardian angel”
Facebook users also reacted to the little cat's experience with emotional words.
"I'm really so happy that the little cat now has his chance at life," writes one user.
"I'm curious if it's really a wild kitten.
Such a pretty little fellow.
Man... he was lucky.
Thank you, dear guardian angel,” says another comment.
Bad Münstereifel: Little tomcat falls out of the claws of a bird – possibly a wild cat
Incidentally, "Lucky-Fly" could be a wild kitten, revealed the animal welfare Euskirchen.
"We will contact NABU and/or Retscheider Hof." According to the Federal Environment and Nature Conservation Agency in North Rhine-Westphalia (BUND NRW), wild cats do occur in the forests around Bad Münstereifel and Rheinbach.
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Wildcat (Facts) | |
know Surname | Felis silvestris |
weight | 2 to 7 kilograms |
age | Up to 12 years |
food | Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, fish |
enemies | Fox, pine marten, lynx, owl |
population in Germany | Approximately 6,000 copies |
Source: German Wildlife Foundation |
How is a wild cat different from a domestic cat?
But how does a normal house cat differ from a wild cat?
Even experts sometimes find it difficult to see a clear difference, according to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland.
According to the organization, the only way to be sure is through a genetic test.
However, some features could already indicate that it is a wild cat.
A comparison:
Coat pattern:
In domestic cats it is usually strongly drawn, in wild cats it is clearly weaker and more blurred
Ear
: Domestic cats tend to have large ears because they have shorter hair, wild cats tend to have small ears because their hair is longer
Head shape:
Domestic cats have a delicate, slim snout shape, wild cats have a broad, bulky snout shape
Whiskers and whiskers:
occasionally horn-colored and weaker in house cats, white and strong in wildcats
Tail:
Domestic cats have a short-haired and pointed tail, wild cats have a blunt-ended, heavily bushy tail
Tail markings:
Wild cats have distinct dark rings in the rear half
(nb)
