The wildcat (Felis silvestris) is considered as a “strictly protected” species under current
European legislation. The European wildcat range extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the
Caucasus Mountains and up to Scotland in the north. However, its continental distribution is
largely fragmented at regional and local scales. According to this fragmented pattern wildcat
populations remain isolated, many of them facing real extinction risks. Under this scenario,
preserving all the European populations will maximize the species viability on the long term …