Video Of The Week — Gorgeous Sand Cat Kittens Seen In The Wild For The First Time
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In late September, Gregory Breton and his team were returning to their campsite after spending seven long hours scouting the hot, dusty, Moroccan Sahara for sand cats. Suddenly, just four kilometers away from their destination, they noticed three pairs of gleaming eyes. Upon getting closer, the researchers realized they had stumbled upon something that, to their knowledge, had never been encountered in the wild before – sand cat kittens!
Breton, who works with Panthera, a non-profit organization devoted to conserving the world’s 40 wild cat species and their ecosystems, says finding the felines is not easy. That’s because the stealthy animals that are most active at dusk, night, and dawn are extremely good at hiding and have the perfectly colored fur to help them blend in with their environment. The cats also leave behind no visible pugmarks or prey remains, making them extremely hard to track.
Though the kittens that the researchers found were too young for radio-collars, the team did manage to put a tracking device on an adult female sand cat, possibly the mother, that was also discovered in the area. Breton, who outlined the discovery in his blog, writes, "If we collect footage of her and follow her for a long period, we can gather data on the natural reproduction cycles and offspring dispersal of this species in the wild - all topics never before documented."

Though they may look frail, sand cats, which possess slightly broader faces and bigger ears than domestic cats, are hardy animals. Endemic to northern Africa, the Middle East and southwest and central Asia, the animals endure the desert’s wild temperature fluctuations by digging burrows in the sand or taking shelter beneath rocks and shrubs during the day. The adept hunters obtain most of their moisture from their prey, which includes rodents like mice and gerbils, as well as small birds, lizards, and snakes.
Resources: Panthera.org, earthtouchnews.org
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2280 Comments
- chknwngs1 daythose cats are scared for their life :(
- chknwngs1 dayMY hero CAT WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!
- dapplestar20 daysSo cute! like mini warriors! :)
- 6600358about 2 monthsAwe there are so adorable❤❤❤
- anime_boi_simp3 monthsSO CUTEEEEEEEEEE!
- majestic_tiger13 monthsI love cats.This is so CUTE!
- imapug5 monthsAwww. Cats = cool
- alyssonr7518 monthsThose baby cats for sure are cute
- mark1pl1er10 monthstheir so mean but so cute
- ravenwing9 monthsWonder how they got that way🤔
- savagepartygir10 monthsThey are so cute I want them but I can’t my mom is scared of them i I can’t touch them because I am allergic to them
- chknwngs1 daythats no fun