Experts found an animal they think is a new species. They found the "cat-fox" on the French island of Corsica. The experts said they found sixteen cat-foxes in a remote mountain area. The captured cat-fox was 90 centimeters long. It has wide ears, short whiskers, a thick coat, and striped front legs. The local government thanked the wildlife team for finding the cat-fox, calling it "a wonderful discovery". It said Corsica was a "paradise of animal...biodiversity".
The cat-fox was a mythical creature. Farmers told stories about it. People are happy their island is home to the new species. Scientists believe it came from Africa and the Middle East thousands of years ago, perhaps as far back as 6500BC. A scientist said: "By looking at its DNA, we could tell it apart from the European wildcat. It's close to the African forest cat, but its exact identity is still to be determined." Scientists said it is a nocturnal animal.