- Series:Animals, Transcript English
Genesis 1:25
“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
In my youth, I was privileged to see many of Scotland’s signature species, but I have never caught sight of the Loch Ness Monster or the Scottish Wildcat. Sometimes, it seems that the chances of seeing the former are greater than the latter, as it is estimated that there are now fewer than 100 wildcats left – perhaps as few as 30.
Feral cats – that is, domestic cats that have escaped into the wild – are considered a nuisance in Scotland because of their effects on wildlife, so it is legal to trap, shoot, and kill them. But it is very difficult to tell the wildcat apart from a tabby feral cat, and a lot of the truly wild species have perished by accidental shootings. There are a few differences. The wildcat is more muscular, and, on average, about 25% larger and heavier. The stripe on its back does not continue down its tail, and its tail features ring stripes.
Wildcats are famously untamable. They are a separate species, not a different breed, but are clearly in the same baramin, so they interbreed – a fact which is also harming the population. In common with the more famous lions, tigers, cougars, and lynxes, wildcats are descended from the feline pair from the Ark. So should we be concerned to protect them? I would suggest we should, as stewards of God’s creation, preserving the genetic variety which He placed in this kind of animal.
Prayer: We acknowledge our responsibilities, Lord, as stewards of Your creation and pray that we might point people to You, the Creator of all things. Amen.
Author: Paul F. Taylor
Ref: Encyclopaedia Britannica, < https://www.britannica.com/animal/wildcat-mammal-Felis-silvestris >, accessed 8/28/2019. Image: British Wildlife Center, CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic.
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