European wildcat

The wildcat (Felis silvestris) is one of Britain’s rarest and most threatened mammals. At RZSS we lead the Saving Wildcats partnership, which aims to prevent the extinction of the Highland tiger by breeding and releasing them into the wild.

RZSS has been involved with wildcat conservation for over 10 years and continues to play a critical role in long-term recovery efforts. Wildcats are the last remaining native cat species in Britain and have long been part of our cultural heritage in Scotland, with many clan crests featuring this iconic felid.

Highland Wildlife Park is home to the off-show Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre which aims to secure the future of wildcats through releases of captive-bred individuals in the Cairngorms National Park. Once widespread, the species is now on the brink of extinction in Scotland due to habitat loss, persecution and interbreeding with domestic cats. Without urgent action, wildcats will be lost forever from our shores.

To help save the wildcat in Scotland we are working with local communities to understand how people can benefit from the presence of wildcats, continuing to remove the threats facing wildcats in the Highlands, and growing the population of wildcats through the releases of individuals into the wild.  

Since 2023, 28 wildcats have been released from our breeding programme into the Cairngorms Connect landscape, within the Cairngorms National Park. The released wildcats are closely monitored using GPS-radio collars and an extensive network of camera traps. In 2024, the first kittens born to released wildcat females were recorded. This was a huge milestone for the partnership project. In June 2025, the third set of releases will begin in the project area, further contributing towards a healthy, viable population of this iconic native species.