Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 81

Answers mostly A:
You are a Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris)
Talk about a walk on the wild side! You’re rebellious, striking and
untameable, just like the formidable Scottish wildcat. These
animals once roamed free all over the UK, that is until about
2,000 years ago, when the Romans arrived. The Romans
introduced domestic cats to this country, and over time their
shy and elusive cousins retreated to the most sparsely
populated areas of land. Today, because of logging and
interbreeding, there are thought to be only 35 proper wildcats
left in Scotland. Fortunately Scottish Wildcat Action is working
with local people to halt and reverse the extinction process.
Answers mostly B:
You are an Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
Blimey! You don’t mess about, do you? You’re direct,
no-nonsense and able to take on anything life throws at you,
just like an Amur leopard. These beautiful creatures are found
in eastern Russia and north-east China. They can run up to 60
km/h and leap to heights of 3 metres. Their thick fur and pale
colour mean they can thrive in both hot and cold temperatures,
but numbers are seriously dwindling because of habitat loss,
poaching and hunting. The Amur leopard is listed as critically
Nature (IUCN).
Answers mostly C:
You are a South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)
Oooh, get you! Elegant. Majestic even, you’re just like the
South China tiger, an animal both splendid and rare. Indeed,
the South China tiger is so rare that most experts think it’s
extinct in the wild. One hasn’t been seen outside of a zoo for
more than 25 years. An amazing hunter that is agile on land as
well as in water, disappearing habitat is to blame for its
extinction. There are plans to reintroduce captive-bred animals
back into the wild, which is just as well, because the future of
this incredible species depends upon it.
Answers mostly D:
You are an Iriomote cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis)
Enigmatic, quirky and happiest in your own company, you’re
just like the Iriomote cat from Japan. This solitary cat only lives
in the sub-tropical forest on the island of Iriomote, a fact that
makes it extremely vulnerable to climate change. These
creatures are excellent swimmers and climbers but they spend
most of their time on the ground. Active during the night, they
sleep in caves or hollow logs during the day. There are only
about 100 animals left in the wild. Threatened by human
development and interbreeding with domestic cats, this is a
sub-species on its last legs.
endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of