Wildlife

Wild Mammal: Wildcat Conservation Scotland

The Scottish wildcat is one of the UK's most critically endangered mammals, with fewer than 300 individuals remaining and extensive hybridisation threatening genetic purity.

Key Facts

Scottish wildcats face extinction through hybridisation with domestic and feral cats
Fewer than 300 individuals of varying hybrid status may remain in Scotland
A captive breeding and reintroduction programme was launched in 2023 as a last-resort intervention
Neutering feral cats in wildcat habitat reduces hybridisation pressure
Wildcats cannot be legally persecuted but snare and trap bycatch causes mortality

Welfare Considerations

Scottish wildcat conservation involves complex welfare trade-offs. Captive-bred individuals undergo health screening and habituation before release - welfare-intensive processes. Trap-neuter-return programmes for feral cats prevent hybridisation while humanely managing feral populations. Individuals caught in snares set for other species suffer acute welfare harm that underlines the need for snare reform in wildcat habitat.

What You Can Do

Support the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland wildcat reintroduction programme
Advocate for snare reform to prevent wildcat bycatch in trapping operations
Support feral cat neutering programmes in areas with wildcat populations
Never release domestic cats in rural areas of Scotland where wildcats may be present
Report any suspected wildcat sighting to the Scottish Wildcat Action monitoring programme