Sand Cat Kittens Spotted in the Wild for First Time and Captured on Ca – KingdomOfCats

Welcome to KingDomOfCat. Support us and our writers by clicking any ads. Thank you

cat-news

Sand Cat Kittens Spotted in the Wild for First Time and Captured on Camera

KingdomOfCat Admin

On September 25 at 2AM, as Gregory Breton, director of Panthera France, and his colleague were about to give up on their long-winded expedition, they spotted something they'd never seen before.

Out of the darkness came three pairs of eyes gleaming back at them. They turned the spot lamps on them, and lo and behold, three tiny sand cat kittens hiding in the bushes gave them a rare treat as it was perhaps the first-ever footage of young sand cats ever documented in the wild.

 

 

 

Gregory and his team were in the Moroccan Sahara on his final expedition to document sand cats—a species that is so stealthy and hidden that it is rarely seen in the wild.

As his colleague Alexander Sliwa was shining spot lamps from the roof of their car into the bushes, something from afar caught his attention.

Right before they were about to head back, he spotted six beaming dots shooting back at him about four kilometers (2.5 miles) from their campsite.

With their equipment, they were able to get a clear look at the creatures — three tiny sand cat kittens with their distinctive large ears and broader faces.

Finding a sand cat is a very difficult task as they leave little to no trace and are very quiet and stealthy throughout the day and night. They are masters at hiding and the color of their coat makes the perfect camouflage in their natural habitat.

The researchers estimated the kittens to be around six to eight weeks old.

"We believe this was the first time researchers ever documented wild sand cat kittens in their African range," Gregory said.

After they had collected sufficient data and footage, the team carefully packed up their equipment, trying not to startle the kittens. That's when they spotted an adult sand cat nearby and believed that it was their mother.

They are excited about the findings and hope to be able to do further research on these beautiful creatures as studies on sand cats are limited and incomplete.

"To date, we've spotted 29 different sand cats, radio-collared 13 of them, and collected some surprising data," Gregory said.

"For instance, sand cats are traveling more than we thought and more than what's been recovered for any other small cats. But we still don't know why—yet."

if you love this story, don't forget to share this to your friends. Follow their sand cat adventures on their Facebook and the Panthera France Facebook.

Related Posts

The Best Cat Tattoos For Christmas And New Year
The Best Cat Tattoos For Christmas And New Year
For those of us who need more than just a photo of our furry best friend. Some people get their lover's name inked on...
Read More
Gift Guide To Cat Lovers and Owner Christmas 2020
Gift Guide To Cat Lovers and Owner Christmas 2020
It's a given that pets are part of the family. So, when it comes to holiday gifting, make sure the fur-babies are on ...
Read More
Hilarious 10-Step Guide Goes To Extreme Lengths Explaining How To Give a Cat a Pill
Hilarious 10-Step Guide Goes To Extreme Lengths Explaining How To Give a Cat a Pill
Have you ever had to try getting a cat to take a pill? If you have, you will know that there aren't many tasks harder...
Read More

Older Post Newer Post


Leave a Comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published