In a 2000 paper I noted the anecdotal evidence for the existence of the cat and it took a couple decades but everyone finally caught up with me 😄
Now, I do not wish to be pedantic but the cat in the image used is a hybrid European wild cat and not the type found. I should note that the fox is known as "the cat-like canid" so you work it out!
CORSE: THE MYSTERIOUS "CHAT-RENARD" (fox-cat) WAS REALLY THERE
For a long time, it belonged mainly to the stories of Corsican shepherds. A strange wild cat, discreet, living in the remote areas of the island and nicknamed "ghjattu-volpe".
A creature almost legendary... until scientists started to take a serious interest.
A particularly discreet cat
The ghjattu-volpe resembles at first glance a large domestic cat. But the individuals studied present several remarkable features: a fairly robust silhouette, a thick coat, stripes on the legs and above all a long annelated tail ending with a black tip.
Some specimens have been studied in the north of Corsica by agents of the French Office of Biodiversity.
And genetics has revealed a surprise
A genetic study published in 2023 showed that the studied Corsican wild cats form a particular genetic lineage, different from domestic cats and European forest cats.
Researchers have also observed a proximity with the wild populations of Sardinia.
However, one must remain cautious: contrary to what some titles may suggest, science has not yet definitively established that the ghjattu-volpe is a new species of cat.
Its exact taxonomic status and its links with the African wild cat (Felis lybica) continue to be studied.
When a local story leads to a real discovery
It may finally be the most fascinating.
Long before DNA analysis, the inhabitants and shepherds of Corsica were already talking about this mysterious wild cat living in the maquis.
In this case, behind what could have seemed like a simple local legend, there was indeed a real and scientifically remarkable animal population.
And that's also what cryptozoology is when it's approached seriously: listening to testimonies, looking for clues... and then letting science determine what's really behind the stories.
How many animals described by the local populations are still to be identified somewhere in the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment