Wild Cats Uk Scotland
The fur of the Scottish wildcat is a great deal thicker than that of a domestic cat.
Wild cats uk scotland. Once widespread wildcats are now on the brink of extinction in Scotland. Wildcats are truly wild cats and are perhaps the most difficult animals to see in the wild in Scotland. These beautiful creatures are critically endangered and are at risk of cross-breeding with domestic felines.
Scottish wildcats originally European wildcats have existed since the Ice Age and were once a common sight in the British countryside and across Europe. We are the only Scottish wildcat conservation group focussed solely on saving the wildcat in the wild where it belongs. Thousands of years after the European wildcat comes to Britain Near Eastern cats arrive.
Although it looks very much like a domestic tabby cat the wild cat is very fierce and almost impossible to tame even if. The wild cat was once common over most of the British Isles but it is now only found in Scotland and is under threat with an estimated 400 remaining outside captivity. These have been domesticated for some time and are brought these as pets to Britain.
A sad history of habitat loss persecution and more recently breeding with domestic cats has forced the Highland Tiger to a point where the population is no longer viable. The Scottish wildcat is the last stronghold of European wildcat Felis silvestris in Britain. Wildcats are in trouble.
Scotland is home to one of the UKs national treasures the Scottish Wildcat. Hybridisation with feral or domestic cats. This species is native to Europe and the Caucasus and in Britain is confined to Scotland north of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Scottish wildcat Felis silvestris is one of our most elusive carnivores and the only native member of the cat family still found in the wild in Britain. Being inadvertently killed during feral cat control operation. The iconic Scottish wildcat the UKs only native feline has been present since the last ice age.