Assessing Changes in the Distribution Patterns of the European Wildcat in Hungary

Simple Summary We investigated the nationwide distribution of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777) in Hungary during three time periods (2004, 2014, and 2022) to assess changes in its distribution and to examine the impact of land cover variables on its occurrence across the country. An online questionnaire survey of Hungarian game management units revealed that the distribution of the species has increased over the last two decades in Hungary, with the eastern, northern, and south-western parts of the country holding the majority of its population. In addition, the results indicated that the presence of the species was significantly higher in areas with high broad-leaved forest cover. From this study, we conclude that the wildcat population showed a positive trend; however, the population vanished in some parts of Hungary, and broad-leaved forests are the most important habitat for wildcats.Abstract The European wildcat (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777) is an endangered and elusive carnivore that is slowly recovering in Central Europe after persecution and a decline in its distribution over the past two centuries, and specific conservation plans are needed in most of its range. Knowledge of the continent-wide distribution and status of this species is still poor. Using an online questionnaire, we evaluated the nationwide distribution of wildcats across three time periods (2004, 2014, and 2022) in Hungary. The species' reported occurrence was analyzed according to binominal logistic regression using the percent cover of land cover categories as explanatory variables. We found that the spatial cover of broad-leaved forest was positively associated with the occurrence of wildcats, and the analysis revealed a positive trend in the larger 2004-2022 time frame. We also recorded that although wildcats have disappeared from areas of the central, southern, and western parts of Hungary, regions in the eastern, northern, and south-western areas appear to retain stable populations.