Second year of successful breeding at Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre

26/07/2023 in RZSS

Wildcat kittens which will likely be released into the wild in 2024 as part of the Saving Wildcats partnership project have been born for a second year running at the Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre at the Highland Wildlife Park.

The partnership has welcomed 11 kittens in four litters so far with the Saving Wildcats team hopeful for more births in coming weeks.

Led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Saving Wildcats is working with national and international experts to restore Scotland’s critically endangered wildcat population by breeding and releasing them into the Cairngorms Connect area of the Cairngorms National Park while also taking action to mitigate threats faced in the wild.

Saving Wildcats has undertaken widespread engagement with local communities and drawn on global conservation and scientific expertise to further understanding of wildcat ecology and behaviour. The first releases of kittens born in 2022 began in June this year.

David Barclay, Saving Wildcats conservation manager, said “Wildcats in Scotland are on the brink of extinction and these kittens will play an important role in securing a future for the species.

“We know there are 11 kittens from four litters so far and we hope there will be more born in coming weeks. It is still early days for our new wildcat kittens who are vulnerable in their first weeks and months.

“Over the next year the wildcats will be prepared for the challenges of life in the wild. Once they are independent and no longer reliant on their mums, they will move into large pre-release enclosures designed to support natural development and reduce exposure to humans and disturbance.

“Everything we learn from the wildcat releases which have begun this year will help to inform the future releases and ensure they are as successful as possible.”

Four of the kittens have been born to mum Droma, four to mum Fruin, two to mum Fian and one to mum Torr. Supporters can sponsor some of these cats to help secure a future for Scotland’s wildcats at savingwildcats.org.uk/sponsor

Earlier this summer the Saving Wildcats project began releasing wildcats into the Cairngorms Connect landscape of the Cairngorms National Park following several years of intense preparation. The project has worked closely with gamekeepers and landowners surrounding the release site and has been carrying out a Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return programme since 2022 to mitigate the threat posed to wildcats by interbreeding (also known as hybridisation) with domestic cats. The project team is tracking these released wildcats via GPS-radio collars and will release further information about their movements once they have collected and analysed sufficient data.

Saving Wildcats (#SWAforLIFE) is led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland in collaboration with NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), The Cairngorms National Park Authority, Norden’s Ark and  Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul de la Junta de Andalucía. Releases are being conducted with the support of Cairngorms Connect. 

The project is funded with the contribution of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and the generous support of the Scottish Government, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the National Trust for Scotland, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, The European Nature Trust, players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and Rewilding Europe's European Wildlife Comeback Fund.

[ENDS]  

Notes to editors:  

• Four kittens, two males and two females. were born to Fruin and Beanie. Fian and Rannoch have two kittens, one male and one female. Torr and Embo have one kitten who is female. Droma and Arran have had four kittens, the sex will be determined when they receive their first health check.
• The cats bred for release are not available for public viewing. Other wildcats can be seen at Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo
• The Saving Wildcats conservation partnership project began the first releases of wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park in June 2023: rzss.org.uk/media-centre/article/22007/historic-milestone-reached-as-critically-endangered-wildcats-released-into-the-cairngorms-national-park/
• Within the lifespan of the project, it’s envisioned that around 20 cats will be released in each of 2024 and 2025 from the conservation breeding for release centre.
• The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity which owns Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park. We safeguard threatened species from extinction: rzss.org.uk
• NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. Responding to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we work to protect and restore nature by inspiring everyone to value our natural world. Our goal is a nature-rich, net-zero future for Scotland. For more information, visit our website: nature.scot or follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/nature_scot 
• Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is the Government body responsible for the protection and expansion of Scotland's forests and woodlands: forestryandland.gov.scot/
• The Cairngorms National Park Authority was set up to ensure that the unique aspects of the Cairngorms – both the natural environment and the local communities – are cared for, sustained and enhanced for current and future generations to enjoy. The Cairngorms National Park Authority provides leadership to all those involved in the Cairngorms and works in partnership with a range of communities, businesses, non-government organisations and public sector partners to deliver practical solutions on the ground 
• Norden’s Ark, based in Sweden, works to ensure endangered animals have a future: en.nordensark.se/
• Junta de Andalucía, based in Spain, leads Europe’s most successful carnivore reintroduction of Iberian lynx: juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/site/portalweb/
• Cairngorms Connect is a partnership of neighbouring land managers (Wildland Limited, Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB Scotland and NatureScot) working towards a 200-year vision to enhance habitat, species and ecological process across a vast 600 square kilometre area within the Cairngorms National Park. It is the largest habitat restoration project in the UK and is funded by the Endangered Landscapes Programme 
• Wildcats are on the brink of extinction in Britain, following widespread population declines caused by centuries of persecution and habitat loss. More recently, the dwindling wildcat population has become increasingly threatened by genetic extinction caused by extensive interbreeding (also known as hybridisation) with domestic cats 
• Scotland’s wildcat population is now considered ‘non-viable’ following an independent review by international scientists at the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. This means that, although there may be some wild-living wildcats in Scotland, there are too few of them and hybridisation is too far advanced for them to form a self-sustaining population. Without urgent action, our wildcats will be lost forever. The IUCN report concluded wildcat releases at suitably prepared sites are now essential for the recovery of the species: nature.scot/doc/wildcat-scotland-review-conservation-status-and-activities
• Although similar in size, the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a separate species to the domestic cat (Felis catus). Their habitat preference is a mosaic of mixed forests and grassland habitats and their preferred prey is small mammals such as mice, voles and rabbits. 
• For more information visit savingwildcats.org.uk  

Images and video:

To keep human disturbance to a minimum, only remote cameras are able to film the wildcats at the centre. Images and remote camera footage are available at the following Dropbox link: dropbox.com/sh/nfnuwzmcb7kt79t/AAAPdQjtywGxCLtBtmxDpLkGa?dl=0

Images are free to use but please credit RZSS/Saving Wildcats.

About Saving Wildcats (#SWAforLIFE)

• Saving Wildcats (#SWAforLife) is a European partnership project dedicated to Scottish wildcat conservation and recovery. We aim to prevent the extinction of wildcats in Scotland by breeding and releasing them into the wild.

About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (rzss.org.uk)   

• The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world which protects, values and loves nature.   
• Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature, learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we harness our expertise in conservation science and animal care alongside the unique power of the RZSS family – our teams, supporters and partners – to save animals from extinction.   

For further information please contact comms@rzss.org.uk or 0131 314 0383.