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WATCH: Huge breakthrough in bid to save the Scottish Wildcat





Conservationists have announced the historic first births of kittens to wildcats released into the Cairngorms National Park.

A total of 19 breed wildcats were set free last summer into the wild in the strath by the Saving Wildcats partnership, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

At least two of the females have now given birth in the wild.

This marks a significant milestone in the project’s efforts to restore the wildcat to Scotland after the species was on the verge of extinction in 2018.

The kittens playing with mum at an undisclosed location in the strath. Picture: Saving Wildcats partnership.
The kittens playing with mum at an undisclosed location in the strath. Picture: Saving Wildcats partnership.

Dr Keri Langridge, Saving Wildcats field manager, said: “We suspected that some of the females had given birth when their movement and activity changed very suddenly but didn’t know for sure until footage of the kittens was captured on our cameras.

“With the support of local landowners, gamekeepers and the local community, our field team has successfully managed to monitor and film these kittens in the wild – which is no simple task.

“We have taken extreme care not to disturb the mother and kittens, and we carry out all monitoring work under licence from NatureScot.

“We didn’t dare to dream that we would have wildcat kittens in the first year of releases, and seeing those kittens on the video was the most exciting moment of the project so far.”

Dr Helen Senn, lead for Saving Wildcats, said: “This is a major milestone for wildcat recovery in Scotland.

“These births demonstrate that the process of breeding wildcats for release into the wild is working, as those released animals have learned to hunt and survive – and now reproduce in their first breeding season, a clear indication that they are doing well.

“However, we have to bear in mind that life in the wild is hard and they will face may challenges.

“While the mortality rate for wildcat kittens in their first year of life can be high, we are hopeful for the future of these kittens.

“There is also the risk of interbreeding (hybridisation) between wildcats and domestic cats, despite our efforts to trap, neuter, vaccinate and release feral domestic cats in the local area.

“That’s why we always emphasise the important contribution to wildcat conservation that local people can make by ensuring their pet cats are neutered, as well as microchipped and vaccinated.

“While we know from their GPS-radio collars that the two females that have given birth have overlapped with male wildcats, we do not yet know their paternity.

“Once the wildcats are old enough, we will attempt to get a DNA profile from them.

“We are hopeful that they are indeed the offspring of male wildcats that were released last year – and the first of many more to come.”

One of the Scottish Wildcats released last year into the strath has now given birth to two kits. Pictures and video: Saving Wildcats partnership.
One of the Scottish Wildcats released last year into the strath has now given birth to two kits. Pictures and video: Saving Wildcats partnership.

The Saving Wildcats project is being led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, in collaboration with NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), The Cairngorms National Park Authority, Norden’s Ark and Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul de la Junta de Andalucía.

An update on last year’s released wildcats

The 19 wildcats were released last year into the Cairngorms Connect landscape marking a historic milestone -the first release of wildcats in Britain.

Sixteen of the cats are currently alive and are being monitored by the Saving Wildcats field team.

A further two are presumed to be alive and have dispersed beyond the range the team can track them.

One female cat died five weeks after release, a post-mortem examination carried out by the expert veterinary team revealed the cat sadly died of peritonitis, which is an infection in the abdominal cavity.

Further information about the activities of the Saving Wildcats partnership over the last year can be found savingwildcats.org.uk/oneyearon2024 .

Wildcats bred for release are not available for public viewing.

The public can view other wildcats which are on-show at Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo.

People wishing to support the growing population can sponsor a wildcat https://savingwildcats.org.uk/sponsor


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