Morocco : Sand kittens filmed for the first time

Sand kittens were filmed by the Sand Sahara Team during an expedition on April 27th in the Moroccan Sahara. The video was shared on Facebook on September 18th by the researchers. They write that to their knowledge, it is «the first-ever video of young wild sand cat kittens». «Cuteness alert,» they assure.

The video shows three wild kittens hiding behind the grass and gazing at the camera. Researchers estimate they are 6 to 8 weeks old.

The wild kittens belonging to the species Felis Margarita are part of the Sand Sahara Team program which takes place in the south of the kingdom.

The video was produced by Alexander Sliwa, curator at the Cologne Zoo (Germany), Grégory Breton, CEO of Panthera France and Saad Azizi, veterinarian of the National Zoological Garden in Morocco. They were supported by local guides.

Under the patronage of the High Commissioner for Water and Forests and Desertification Control (HCEFLCD), the program consists of producing documentaries on other local carnivorous species such as fennec (Vulpes zerda), fox Rüppel (Vulpes African canines (Canis anthus), wild striped cat (Ictonyx lybica) and African wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica).

The preliminary results of the scientific study on wild cats were published last July. «These efforts are adding new and new knowledge that will allow us to better understand the ecology of the species in order to better tackle its conservation», our colleagues write Ecology.ma.