Friendly Wildcat

The main threats to the survival of this species are hybridization with domestic cats, disease transmission, and competition with feral domestic cats. Other significant threats are ongoing habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation in some areas (although in some other parts of Europe forest cover is increasing, as a result of abandonment of extensive agricultural land). Road kills and, in some areas, persecution are also problems.
The main central European population is in the Eifel mountains of Germany. There have been reintroduction efforts in Southern Germany. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is trying to establish a European studbook for the species, which would contain data on the captive population in its member institutions. The wildcat was part of the EAZA European Carnivore Campaign , running from 2008–2010, with the goal of furthering the acceptance for living together with carnivores and ultimately supporting various field projects in Europe on each of the sixteen chosen species.