Cretan Wildcat (Felis silvestris cretensis)

Cretan Wildcat (Felis silvestris cretensis) s a Wildcat subspecies that inhabits the Greek island of Crete. It was long thought to have gone extinct, but in 1996 a specimen was captured by an expedition from the University of Perugia.

The Cretan Wildcat is more closely related to the African Wildcat than to its European cousins. Since cats are weak swimmers, scientists now examine two hypotheses:

• The animal existed on Crete prior to the separation of Crete from the neighboring mainland.
• The animal was brought to Crete for domestication by the first settlers, but later it ran wild again

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