자신보다 큰 여우 쫓아내는 ‘시베리아 고양이, Syoma’

자신보다 큰 여우 쫓아내는 ‘시베리아 고양이’

서울신문 | 입력 2012.10.23 18:26 | 수정 2012.10.23 18:26

[서울신문 나우뉴스]작은 고추가 맵다는 말은 이럴 때 쓰는 것일까. 자신보다 몸집이 큰 붉은여우를 쫓아내는 용맹한 시베리아의 고양이가 소개돼 화제가 되고 있다.

22일(현지시각) 영국 일간지 데일리메일 등 외신에 따르면 러시아 캄차카 반도 남동쪽에 있는 크로노트스키 자연 보호구역 입구에서는 붉은여우를 쫓아내는 흰색 집 고양이가 촬영됐다.

스요마(Syoma)라는 이름의 이 고양이는 매우 사납다고 알려졌지만, 사진을 찍은 세르게이 크라스노스체코프는 "인간에게는 충분히 친화적이어서 친해질 수 있다."고 설명했다.

그에 따르면 이 고양이는 새끼였을 때 독수리와 같은 맹금에게 거의 잡아먹힐 뻔했다. 이 때문에 자신의 영역을 침범한 모든 동물에게 적대적으로 대하고 있다.

이 고양이는 주로 쥐와 같은 동물을 집 근처에 얼씬도 못하게 하고 있지만, 이번에 찍힌 여우와 같은 맹수들에게도 발톱을 드러내며 덤비는 것으로 알려졌다.

그렇다면 맹수에 속하는 여우가 집 고양이에게 쫓기는 굴욕을 당한 것일까. 이에 대해 세르게이는 "그 여우는 고양이와 영역 다툼을 벌인 것이 아니라 단지 재미삼아 쫓고 쫓기는 장면을 연출한 것 같다."고 설명했다.

한편 이번 사진이 촬영된 크로노트스키 자연 보호구역은 아이슬란드처럼 여러 활화산과 간헐천이 있어 '불과 얼음의 땅'으로도 불리고 있다.

Is this the bravest cat in the East?

By Sergei Krasnoschekov and Kate Baklitskaya

2012.10.22

Meet Syoma, the fearless, who plays cat and mouse....with a fox.

Get away from me land! Syoma the cat with his most unusual play mate. Picture: Sergei Krasnoschekov

His day job is to keep the mice at bay in houses at an entry post to the magnificent Kronotsky Nature Reserve in the volcanic Kamchatka peninsula, in the extreme east of Russia. 

Locals say Syoma does it well. 

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Beware the cat - Syoma walks Kronotsky Nature Reserve in the volcanic Kamchatka peninsula. Picture: Sergei Krasnoschekov

After the arduous work, it's time to play. In Syoma's case, this is with someone a little bigger than him. 

A-a-are you ready to play? The fox is seen approaching the cat.  Pictures: Sergei Krasnoschekov

Syoma is a cat with character, and I learned it from the first few seconds of our acquaintance. My attempt to pat the animal ended with him hissing, scratching and biting.

Of course, he tolerated me after that - it was only for show.

Once, as a kitten, young Syoma was almost stolen and carried away in the claws of some white night bird. The truth is that that time nothing bad happened and the cat came back slightly injured, but safe and sound.

Now, a year older, Syoma has made friends with some of the locals, including this fox who regularly appears to play with the cat.

Easy, easy... at some point it is not clear whether animals are about to start playing - or fighing. Picture: Sergei Krasnoschekov

Syoma seriously tries to defend his territory. 

The fox in my opinion, is just teasing the cat, making him play and run.

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Chase you! Russian photographer captures unique moments of cat and fox playing.  Pictures: Sergei Krasnoschekov

Yet both seem to be having fun, and this does not appear to be an all-out territorial battle.  

There is no question of Syoma being intimidated.

The fox flirts and comes closer to the cat, and Syoma with a serious face tries to drive the fox away. 

But then they run round and round the post on the edge of the nature reserve each happily pursuing their own goals. 

For the cat it's a good warm-up before going to bed. After such exercises he has a very deep and long sleep.

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I gonna get you! The fox is happy to be chased.  Pictures: Sergei Krasnoschekov

Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka is one of Russia's oldest wildlife reserves, founded under Stalin in 1934.

With it's harsh climate and volcanoes and geysers, it is described as the Land of Fire and Ice.

Lake Kronotsky is the largest in Kamchatka, with the 3528 metre Kronotsky Volcano towering above it.

Outfoxed! Siberian cat with an icy stare that scares bigger animals away from his home

By Eddie Wrenn

PUBLISHED: 14:36 GMT, 22 October 2012 | UPDATED: 14:41 GMT, 22 October 2012

When a fox is on the prowl, it takes a cool cat to see him off.

Luckily Syoma the cat is one cool customer - living on the ice-locked fringes of Kamchatk, on the far eastern fringes tip of Russia.

So when this fox came to scout out the area, Syoma gave him no room - chasing him off the property without even blinking.

Get out of here! Syoma the cat gives no ground as the perplexed-looking fox visits his home in East Siberia

Outfoxed: The small fox has no choice but to run away as the camouflaged cat gives chase

You shall not pass! Sergei protects his home in the Kamchatka peninsula with all his cunning cat skills

Syoma is described as ferocious - although, when he wants to be, he can be friendly enough.

When he was a kitten, he was nearly carried off by a bird of prey, and since then he has never offered a second chance to any animals that come to visit.

 

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He spends his days keeping the mice away from his home - an entry point to the Kronotsky Nature Reserve.

But Sergei Krasnoschekov, who took these pictures, added that the cat is friendly enough to humans, once he gets to know them.

He said: 'I learned it from the first few seconds of our acquaintance. My attempt to pat the animal ended with him hissing, scratching and biting.

'Of course, he tolerated me after that - it was only for show.'

I'm not taking this anymore: The fox tries to stand its ground and the two animals chase each other in circles...

...And for one second the fox looks like it might be able to escape the territorial cat

No chance! Whatever the fox tries to do, Sergei is one foot (claw?) ahead of him

Don't mess with me! And after a smug day showing who is Top Cat, Sergei pads home, secure in the knowledge his home is safe

Even with the fox, there was not much maliciousness involved. Sergei said the cat and the fox were playing - but added it seemed a thin line between playing and fighting.

Sergei added: 'The fox in my opinion, is just teasing the cat, making him play and run.

'Yet both seem to be having fun, and this does not appear to be an all-out territorial battle.

Kronotsky Nature Reserve is one of the few places in Russia with active volcanoes and geysers, and - like Iceland - is sometimes called the Land of Fire and Ice.

Заповедный кот Сёма

most41rus, 23 августа, 16:17

О том, что у Сёмы есть характер я понял в первые несколько секунд нашего знакомства. Моя попытка погладить котика закончилась шипением, царапаньем и кусанием :), он, конечно, в дальнейшем терпел меня, но только для вида. Просили разрешения для Сёмы поселиться на кордоне всем заповедным коллективом. Сначала кот получил категорический отказ от руководства, без всяких возражений. Но чашу весов в пользу Сёмы всё же перевесило словечко, замолвленное за животину Владимиром Ильичём. Так кот отправился на своё новое место службы. Но  польза от Сёмы определённо есть. Ему удалось избавить жилые дома кордона от мышей, которые там жили. Теперь за продукты можно не беспокоиться, они остаются не тронутыми даже без железных ящиков. Да и вдвоём как-то веселее работается :) Однажды, по рассказам, юного Сёму пыталась унести в своих когтях какая-то ночная белая птица, правда, тогда всё обошлось и кот вернулся слегка помятый, но здоровый и невредимый. Было дело, Сёма приболел и получал лечебные консультации по радиосвязи от всех сердобольных работников. Такая поддержка пошла ему на пользу, в результате кот поправился.

Ещё у Сёмы есть друзья среди местных жителей. Время от времени этот лис навещает своего друга.

Правда Сёма вполне серьёзно защищает свою территорию. А вот лис...по моему он забавляется с котом и разводит его на поиграться :)

Правду сказать, до серьёзных территориальных боёв никогда дело не доходит. Лис, заигрывая, подходит к коту, а тот с серьёзной миной пытается его отогнать. Так и наматывают они круги вокруг кордона, каждый преследуя свои цели. Для кота это хорошая разминка перед сном, спит он потом очень крепко и долго :)