Hope for Scotland's Wildcats: Breeding Program Thrives

The 'Saving Wildcats' project in Scotland's Cairngorms National Park is demonstrating significant success in revitalizing the native wildcat population. Initiated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the program involves breeding wildcats in captivity and releasing them into their natural habitat, leading to a notable increase in numbers. This initiative is crucial given that Scotland's wildcat population was declared "functionally extinct" in 2018 due to disease, habitat loss, and interbreeding with domestic cats.

Initial findings from the project's first year, published in IUCN's Cat News, reveal that a vast majority of the 19 released cats survived their initial 10 months, showing minimal injury or disease and an average body weight increase of 20%. Although two kittens succumbed to external causes after the study period, the overall survival and reproduction rates have improved dramatically. The project has released 46 cats over the past three years, with some females successfully raising their own litters.

While celebrating these advancements, conservationists acknowledge ongoing challenges, particularly the persistent threat of hybridisation. To combat this, the project is working with Cats Protection to neuter, vaccinate, and treat 132 feral domestic cats. NatureScot has lauded the project's progress, confirming that evidence now supports the viability of wildcat restoration through careful planning and release, though uncertainty and challenges persist.