'Functionally Extinct' Scottish Wildcats Reintroduced to Wilderness in Attempt to Recover From Breeding With Feral Cats — Cairngorms, Scotland

A total of 60 'functionally extinct' Scottish wildcats will be reintroduced in the Cairngorms highlands of Scotland in an attempt to save the species' genetic diversity from reproducing with feral cats.

Scottish Wildcats Being 'Functionally Extinct'

Captive-bred Scottish wildcats have been released into the UK's largest national park to conserve the genetic diversity of the critically endangered species.

It is the first in a series of experimental releases in the Cairngorms at unknown places.

Last Monday, the Saving Wildcats organization began introducing the 22 cats to the park.

Previous studies found that the species was "functionally extinct" in the wild, owing in part to hybridization with feral cats.

Disease along with habitat loss was additionally responsible for their decline.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which is coordinating the Saving Wildcats collaboration, will use GPS radio collars to track the released wildcats.

60 Wildcats to be Reintroduced

Over the following three years, around 60 wildcats will be released.

NatureScot granted permission for the initiative, which is the first conservation relocation of wildcats in the United Kingdom.

Saving Wildcat's David Field expressed thanks for the work of team members, partners, and supporters in safeguarding the future of the 'Highland Tiger.' He also thanked the crucial support of the Cairngorms community. Lorna Slater, Minister for Biodiversity, emphasized the threat to wildcats and the critical necessity to reverse nature's loss.

The Scottish government has been collaborating with organizations such as the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, and others to conserve and restore the natural environment and the wildlife that rely on it, BBC reports.

Critically Endangered Scottish Wildcats

The Scottish wildcat is Britain's last native cat species, said to be rarer than the tiger. Despite their close relationship, the domestic cat, Felis catus, did not originate directly from its ancestor. Instead, it underwent evolution approximately 4,000 years ago from the Middle Eastern wildcat, known as Felis silvestris lybica.

Wildcats are found north of the Central Belt, Scotland, but they used to be widespread across the United Kingdom. Their decline was accelerated by habitat loss, hunting, and persecution, and they were on the verge of extinction around the turn of the twentieth century.

The wildcat's steady comeback was aided by a cessation of persecution during and after World War I, as well as the founding of the Forestry Commission in 1919, which led to much-needed woodland habitat.

However, the recent comeback of the wildcat population has resulted in hybridization with feral and domestic cats. According to National Museums Scotland, the Scottish wildcat is most likely Critically Endangered and requires immediate conservation intervention.

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Compared to Domestic Cats and Hybrids

According to Discover Wildlife, it is extremely difficult to differentiate a real wildcat from a hybrid wildcat-domestic cat, and population genetics studies have revealed significant levels of genetic dilution, implying that many wildcats are hybrids.

Wildcats are around 25% larger than domestic cats, although females are roughly the size of male domestic cats. The species have bushy tails, a blunt black tip, and broad stripes. Body stripes are likewise darker and thicker, with no white areas. Wildcats have longer legs and are more robust.