What became of the story of the alleged wildcat in Polesia that ended up in a trap
On March 14, residents of Dzyarzhynsk village (Lelchitsy district) found an unusual animal in a barn, with its paw caught in a trap.
Judging by the photos that circulated online at the time (later deleted), it could have been the semi-mythical wildcat, which Belarusian zoologists and enthusiasts had been searching for for a long time. A few hours later, the cat, which was chained (and presumably seriously injured), disappeared: it allegedly escaped. Onliner.by contacted the State Inspectorate for Wildlife Protection with a request to comment on the situation. And now the answer has arrived.
Let's recall that the wildcat once inhabited our territory, but it is believed that the last specimen was killed by a hunter in 1927. Nothing was heard of it until 2017, when a similar animal was captured by a camera trap in the Belarusian part of the Chernobyl zone. Belarusian and foreign specialists then agreed that it was most likely the same animal, but such an image was not enough for official registration.
And on June 16, 2025, a suspected wildcat was caught on a badger camera in the Pripyatsky National Park. Here it is already hard to doubt.
They then tried for a long time to identify it, to find biological traces, but were unsuccessful.
On March 14, the presumed wildcat was found in Dzyarzhynsk village, where several chickens had been killed before. The trap was set, possibly for a marten or a polecat, but another animal got caught in it. And then it strangely disappeared — along with the chain that secured the trap to a pole.
The State Inspectorate sent specialists to the scene. An answer came to Onliner's inquiry: the outbuilding and the surrounding area were inspected, and witnesses and individuals with special knowledge in biology were interviewed.
It also states: "A trap was found on the territory adjacent to the outbuilding, however, the fact of an animal being in the trap was not established, and searches in the nearby area did not yield positive results."
No biological materials (fur, blood, etc.) were found either, which means it is not possible to confirm that it was indeed a wildcat that got into the trap, the State Inspectorate noted. At the same time, the agency found violations by the village resident:
"In connection with the establishment of signs of hunting without proper authorization in a prohibited place, measures were taken against the guilty person in accordance with Part 1 of Article 16.27 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses."
According to Article 16.27, hunting without proper authorization, or in prohibited places, or at prohibited times, or with prohibited tools, or by prohibited methods, or during prohibited periods entails the imposition of a fine ranging from ten to thirty basic units with the confiscation of rifles, other hunting tools and other items that served as tools or means of committing the specified violation, or without confiscation and with deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities.