For the third time in five years, a dead wild cat has been found along a provincial road in Limburg. The wildcat is originally a native feline, but is extinct as a species in the Netherlands, although some specimens have been sighted in the southern province.
The specimen found on Monday is the oldest wild cat ever found in the Netherlands, Zoogdiervereniging says. The animal, called WK2, was estimated to have lived for around 13.5 years and had previously been observed in Limburg. An ecologist found WK2 along the N281 near Nijswiller.
The bobcat – not to be confused with a feral domestic cat – resembles a tabby domestic cat, but is heavier, says RTL: It has thicker fur and cream to ocher-yellow colors with faint gray stripes.
In 2014, WK2 was one of five Limburg wildcats that had been classified and chipped and could therefore be monitored over a longer period of time.