Wildcats to be reintroduced to more areas of Scotland

Wildcats could become more widespread in Scotland after conservation organisations have come up with a plan to reintroduce them.

Scotland's Wildcat Strategy aims to identify new areas where the animals can be safely released into the wild.

It follows a successful project in the Cairngorms, in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, to release 46 wildcats bred in captivity over the past three years.

Wildcats, once widespread in Britain, are classed as critically endangered.

The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris) is the only native member of the cat family still found in the wild in Britain.

The population declined due to loss of habitat and disease, but also hybridisation, which is when wildcats have kittens with other feral or domestic cats.

It was listed as on the verge of extinction in 2018.

Since 2023, 46 wildcats have been released through the Saving Wildcats project into the Cairngorms, the eastern Highlands of Scotland.

Once released, the wildcats are closely monitored using GPS transmitters fitted to special collars and a network of camera traps which are set off by movement.

In 2024, the first kittens born to released wildcat females were recorded, and it is thought there are at least 20 wild-born kittens born in total.

Now Scotland's Wildcat strategy needs to find other places to release the wildcats, as well as restore and reconnect their habitats.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Helen Senn, head of conservation and science at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said climate change is one of the reasons why they need to find other places to reintroduce the cats.

"We've had some major storms and flooding incidents. We've also had, unfortunately, a very significant forest fire in the north of the release area and all of these have the potential to impact the population," she said.

The people working on the project hope that by having larger population sizes in more areas, the wildcats will be protected from any future climate incidents.