Project to save Scottish wildcats had ‘successful’ first year

In 2018, scientists warned that Scotland’s wildcat population was “functionally extinct”.

Breeding with feral domestic cats, disease and habitat loss were blamed for reducing numbers.

Saving Wildcats was introduced to improve survival and reproduction rates. It is now in its third year.

The ICUN study suggested that after their first 10 months cats experienced little injury or disease, and they put on an average increase of 20% in body weight.

The report claimed the captive breeding programme had been an “effective” way of reintroducing the species into the wild in Scotland.

However, it warned that hybridisation – wildcats interbreeding with domestic cats – still remained a threat.

The project has been working with the charity Cats Protection to trap, neuter and vaccinate 132 feral domestic cats in an effort to combat this problem.