Surprise!

Cute kitten at animal shelter was something else entirely

Allan Rose Hill  11:16 am Mon Oct 28, 2024

 image: Bergheim Animal Shelter

Someone dropped off a very cute little kitten at the Bergheim Animal Shelter in Germany but staff quickly noticed something unusual about the animal. Unlike most kittens, it was incredibly aggressive. 

In fact, that's why the cat was dropped off in the first place. A good samaritan found it abandoned on a country road and brought it home. But apparently, it was full of rage and flat-out refused to eat anything.
Suspicious, the shelter staff contacted the Retscheider Hof wildlife center. 

• Turns out, the kitten was actually a European wildcat (Felis silvestris) which lives in forests in continental Europe, Scotland, Turkey, and the Caucasus. 
• Rare in most European countries, the animals are a protected species.

The wildlife center is now looking after the wild cat along with another of the same species under the center's care. Once they're a bit older, they'll both be returned to the woods to roam free.

(via The Dodo)