October 11, 2017, 1:31 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Cats are cute. Always. If you believe the internet, there’s no second opinion on this. The TRAVELBOOK editorial team stumbled upon this cat photo–and, of course, initially found the little creatures adorable. But then we discovered the story behind the picture, and it’s not about the animals’ cuteness at all. But apparently, you can never quite ignore that with cats…
Three pairs of eyes peek out from the grass, looking warily at the camera. The three little kittens are still very young, probably six to eight weeks old. That alone looks very cute–but the special thing about this photo is: These are not ordinary house cats that might have run away. No, these are the extremely rare sand cats in the wild!
The Team Was Just About to Pack Up
So far, it is likely that no scientist has ever managed to take a photo or even a video of these animals in the wild. This feat was accomplished by Grégory Breton, the head of Panthera in France, a global organization dedicated to the protection of wild cat species worldwide.
It happened in the Moroccan Sahara. In the evening, when it was already dark and the team was just about to pack up, suddenly came the huge success. “Three pairs of eyes glowed back at Alexander (Grégory’s colleague, ed.), from about four kilometers away. They belonged to young sand cats, yellowish, small wild cats with broader faces and larger ears than house cats,” Grégory writes in his Panthera experience report.
Why is it so difficult to spot sand cats in the wild? Not only are they very rare, “they leave almost no visible traces, they leave nothing of their prey, and they are also very quiet,” Grégory Breton explains. He further states: “They move almost invisibly at dusk and at night, they are masters of hiding, and their fur is perfect camouflage, allowing them to simply disappear when in danger. They don’t run away.”
Also interesting: Why this couple had to scratch their truck at the Moroccan border
Hands Off the Sand Cats
The sensation is even greater now, having finally photographed the cute sand cat babies. But beware, very important: People repeatedly try to catch sand cats, keep them as pets, and crossbreed them with ordinary house cats. Panthera warns against this, and it should be strictly avoided!
Instead, enjoy the adorable little four-legged creatures in their first photos and video recordings.