Positive start to Scottish Wildcat project

Wildcats recently released in the Cairngorms National Park are doing well with only one death recorded so far, says the Saving Wildcats project.

Nineteen cats were released during the summer and the project organiser, Saving Wildcats, has been tracking the mammals via GPS. The project is a collaboration between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

One of the GPS-tagged Wildcats (RZSS).

Helen Senn, RZSS head of science and conservation programmes, said the UK's first-ever release of Wildcats was "a success so far". She said: "Life in the wild is full of risks and while most of the Wildcats are currently doing well, it would be highly unusual for all to survive the first year.

"The field team was alerted to a potential mortality through movement data recorded by GPS collars. A post-mortem examination carried out by our expert veterinary team revealed the cat sadly died of peritonitis, an infection.

"Further releases and many more years of conservation action will be required to increase the likelihood of saving this iconic species in Scotland."

Another 13 kittens have been bred for the scheme and will be released into the wild next summer once they are aged between six and eight months.

The Saving Wildcats team is working closely with landowners who now have Wildcats on their land. Wildcats and their den sites are protected by law and it is an offence to deliberately or recklessly disturb one. Visitors to the Scottish Highlands who come across them are urged not to share the location.

Find out more at savingwildcats.org.uk.