POPULATION SURVEY OF THE EUROPEAN WILDCAT IN THE NATURAL BIOGENETIC RESERVE OF THE FORESTE CASENTINESI NATIONAL PARK (NOTHERN APPENINES)

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is one of the most elusive carnivores in the Italian peninsula. It is mainly threatened by habitat fragmentation and especially hybridization with the domestic cat. Effective actions for its conservation are strictly related to a sound knowledge of its population parameters and genetic status. In this study we present a sistematic monitoring that provided an informative framework on the wildcat distribution in the Biogenetic Casentinesi Reserves inside the Foreste Casentinesi National Park, the northernmost border of its ascertained peninsular range. We applied an extensive camera-trapping protocol based on a systematic grid in order to approach the same capture probability for all the individuals in the study area. Furthermore, we used valerian-baited hair-traps to verify the reliability of this technique in attracting wildcat individuals, lead them to rub against the hair-traps in order to catch biological samples for genetic analyses. We collected a total of 99 wildcat pictures identifying a minimum number of 13 individuals (capture density 6.6/10 km2 ) and detecting the presence of at least one domestic cat and a putative hybrid in the study area. The use of lures proved to be effective in increasing the capture probability of the target species in camera-trapping based studies (p < 0,05). However, only some individuals showed a clear rubbing behavior and left hair in the hair-traps, supporting the hypothesis of a different individual genetically-mediated reaction. Genetic survey identified seven individuals (four males and three females), all belonging to Felis silvestrsis silvestris population. Five of them showed putative introgressed mitochondrial haplotypes.