Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

I've never been to Scotland so know little about the wild cats that live up there, but am at least aware that they are having trouble as there is so few left these days.

How many are left? What is causing them to die out and is there anything being done about it? It would be a terrible shame if they weren't to survive.

It would be great if you could point me to any wlidcat conservation websites.

From what I've read it isn't really known how many are left, just that there aren't many. A quick google search came up with this http://www.scottishwildcats.co.uk/, which is a conservation group, but the website is still under construction. Some good information on there though, and a few good pictures which are always nice.

Its a captive one, but taken at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey

I love cats! But not so much wild ones!

They really are beautiful animals, I love the slightly wild look they have to them but you can really see the relation to domestic cats too. You can see the determination in it's eyes in that photo!

I have heard that your estimate of 2000 is oprobably a bit too much and that it is closer to 400. If so, they could be extinct in the wild within ten years which is very worrying, as from looking at the photos they are one of my favourite animals in the UK already.

Thanks for sharing these, the top one looks mean. Do you know if they are pure strain or have domestic in them?

I myself have always wanted to see these in the wild. It's strange i can't stand the Domestic moggy, but i think the Wild Cat is an amazing animal.

Chris.

I believe they are pure strain, but cant give a 100% answer sorry, this is the info page from the place where i took these shots

http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/a...ildcat.htm

Here's some interesting news on the Wildcat front.Wildcat

Don't think it will work though?

Chris.

Thanks for the link. So people don't have to visit the page, here's a summary:

I really like this idea. I don't think the Times title to the page "Wildcats may terrorise the woods again" is very helpful though! Whether it will work is a different matter. Is there really enough room in the rest of the country for them to live without constantly coming into contact with humans?

Thats better, got to learn to work these computers alot more

You are right there riana. Britains wild areas are getting smaller. Humans encroaching on what suitable habitat is left. Bringing with them the Domestic Cat, which will/is having negative effects for the Wildcat. Not a happy looking future for them me thinks!

Chris

Not a happy future at all! Although if the "big cat" sightings are to be believed (I'm still somewhat undecided) there are some big cats living in the heavily populated south even today which is good news for the wild cats I suppose.

Ive always been a great cat lover, but ive developed a recent fondness for Wildcats. There are less than 400 left i have put a petition on the Number 10 website, but that wont do much.

They used to roam all over Britain now there just local to Scotland.
They need preserving as they are Britains last Wild Beast.

Wild cats are believed to be the only wild animal that cannot be tamed even if they were born in captivity.

My favourite UK species, had to comment!

The website mentioned at the start, and down in my signature is now much updated with info (history, evolution, species description, threats etc), video and pictures from some really great wildlife photographers if you want to take a look around, we're also accepting sightings of Scottish wildcats to help in research working out exactly how many are left, sadly, the 400 number is looking pretty accurate so far, but there are definite strongholds so these wonderful cats do have a future if we can raise enough awareness in them.


And just to comment on a few of the previous posts;

They can't be tamed, I personally don't know anything else that applies to.

They're responsible for quite a few Big Cat sightings in the Highlands, it's rare, but they can come in all black just like the leopard through the process of melanism and their gait is very big cat in style.

The Aspinall Foundation are a recent and very welcome addition to the captive breeding program, please do support them, British Wildlife Centre mentioned earlier and Highland Wildlife Park are also very active supporters.

The BWC wildcats are all very much modern wildcats, like most collections they display hybridisation but quite minimally, all modern wildcats seem a little smaller than their ancestors but in the really remote bits of the Highlands you still find some very big imposing beasts, a German Shepherd was recently attacked and very seriously injured by one to give you some idea.

There are numerous conservation plans afoot to save them, most are being spearheaded by scientists under very controlled conditions, the Scottish Wildcat Association is working on several ideas that everyone can get involved in like public awareness. The biggest threat is in cross breeding with domestic ferals; it dilutes the genepool and with so few wildcats and so many ferals they could disappear very quickly, so the number one thing to do is neuter and innoculate your pet cat and encourage your friends to, also support people like the Cats Protection League who subsidise neutering for low income families and rehome lots of feral cats every year.


Sorry for the long response, love these animals though!