I caught up with last night's "Landward", and was captivated by the article about the near-extinction of the Scottish wildcat. You can catch the programme online here.
Amongst a variety of people being interviewed was Peter Cairns of the Tooth & Claw project
In 2004, a team of scientists attached to WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit) and the National Museums of Scotland estimated that as few as 400 wildcats remained. A previously quoted population of around 5,000 is now believed to be attributable to feral domestic cats or hybrid mixes of domestic and wildcat.
Further information and some more stunning photographs at the Scottish Wildcat Association (or Trust)
You can see some wildcats in captivity at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kincraig. Link
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