'Cat-fox' found in France could be new species
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Wildlife experts have discovered an unusual animal that they believe could be a new species. The animal was found on the French island of Corsica. The experts showed reporters a "cat-fox" that they had captured in the mountains of Corsica. The experts said they found a group of sixteen cat-foxes in a remote area of Corsica. The captured cat-fox measured nearly 90 centimeters in length from head to tail. The creature has very wide ears, short whiskers and a thick coat. It also has stripes on its front legs. Gilles Simeoni, a local government official, thanked the wildlife team for finding the cat-fox. He said: "It's a wonderful discovery." He added that Corsica was a "paradise of animal and plant biodiversity".
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The cat-fox has been talked about by local people in Corsica for decades. It had become a mythical creature with farmers, who tell stories about seeing it. Corsicans are now happy and proud that their island is home to a new species of animal. Scientists believe that the cat comes from a little-known species that could have originated in Africa and the Middle East thousands of years ago. It is largely a nocturnal animal. One scientist said the cat-fox could have been brought to Corsica as far back as 6500BC. Another 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."
Sources:
- https://www.foxnews.com/science/mysterious-cat-fox-discovered-may-be-a-new-species
- https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/19/europe/cat-fox-species-corsica-france-trnd/index.html
- https://www.livescience.com/65744-cat-fox-new-species.html
