Wildcats still living in Badenoch and Strathspey
Wildcats are still living in Badenoch and Strathpey, research about the elusive creature has revealed.
The Cairngorms Wildcat Project, based in the Cairngorms National Park, found 465 potential wildcat sightings from within and outwith the area.
The evidence suggests wildcats are very scarce in the eastern side of the national park (Donside, Deeside and Angus Glens) but do still live in Badenoch and Strathspey, Perthshire and possibly Glenlivet.
The project, whose aim is to save the ‘Highland Tiger’, reached its conclusion today (Tuesday) with the announcement of key achievements and future objectives at a conference in Boat of Garten.
The most significant threat to wildcats is from ‘hybridisation’ or inter-breeding with domestic cats.
The project has shed further light on the numbers and distribution of wildcats, feral domestic cats and hybrids.
Dr David Hetherington, from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), who led the project, said: "The Cairngorms Wildcat Project was established to secure the future of this very shy and secretive animal not only within the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park, which is thought to be a stronghold for the species, but also across a wider area of Scotland.
"Our aims were fourfold; to inspire the public and get them involved in saving the wildcat; to work with land managers to ensure their activities are wildcat friendly; to encourage responsible domestic cat ownership within the Cairngorms National Park; and to carry out research to gain a greater understanding of this wonderful species."
Sightings of wildcats by the public were also published on a dedicated website www.highlandtiger.com and analysis of carcasses improved understanding about the population.
Dr Hetherington went on: "Thanks to the public’s support for wildcats and the project itself we now understand better the distribution of wild-living cats and the levels of interbreeding.
"The use of innovative ‘camera traps’ set up to capture images of passing animals has been particularly helpful in verifying the occurrence of wildcats and hybrids.
"Wildcats have also been confirmed in some parts of the Cairngorms National Park where they were not previously thought to inhabit."
The camera traps confirmed that wildcats are found in the same areas as hybrids and feral cats, highlighting that there is a major threat to the continued existence of the species
The project was delivered in partnership between the CNPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and Forestry Commission Scotland. It was funded by SNH’s Species Action Framework with significant contributions from the CNPA and the RZSS.
