Captive-born Scottish wildcats were recently reintroduced into a national park in Scotland as part of a groundbreaking European project dedicated to preserving this endangered species. Helen Senn, the lead of the Saving Wildcats initiative, expressed her excitement about this significant milestone, emphasizing the critical situation these cats face as they teeter on the edge of extinction.
The Scottish wildcat, also known as the Highland tiger, is a distinctive tabby-striped feline that is larger than the average domestic housecat, growing to about a quarter larger in size. Originally native to Great Britain, these cats now only exist in the wild in northern and eastern regions of Scotland.
In the previous century, the Scottish wildcats faced near-extinction due to hunting and the loss of their natural habitat. Although their population has shown signs of recovery, they now face the new threat of breeding with feral domestic cats, resulting in hybrid felines.
In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that the wild population of Scottish wildcats was no longer sustainable, with estimates suggesting that as few as 30 individuals remained. In response to this alarming assessment, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland established the Saving Wildcats program to breed and release more wildcats.
Conservationists have now released 22 captive-born wildcats at undisclosed locations within the nearly 1,500-square mile Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. These releases are being carried out privately due to the sensitive nature of the species, while researchers will monitor their movements using GPS collars.
Helen Senn expressed hope that this project will pave the way for the full recovery of Scotland’s last remaining native cat species. However, she acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead, as life in the wild is tough for carnivores, and some of the released wildcats may not survive. Nevertheless, Senn emphasizes that taking no action would inevitably lead to the extinction of this remarkable species.
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