The Scottish Wildcat, Felis silvestris. Source: The Wildcat Haven
Facing extinction in their native Highlands, the Scottish wildcat, Britain's largest predatory mammal, has been given a 250 square-mile haven.
The Wildcat Haven has been funded by sponsors across the world and is part of a collaborative effort; in addition to the dedication of the site at Ardnamurchan, on Scotland's west coast, hybridisation with domestic cats in the area has been halted by a feral cat catch-and-release program, in which cats of domestic stock are neutered, and local pet owners have been encouraged to neuter their cats.
The Scottish Wildcat Association criticised the Scottish Natural Heritage's six-year plan to save the wildcat, asserting that it would lead to non-genetically pure wildcats. The SWA believes that the project, led by the University of Chester's Dr Paul O'Donoghue, constitutes the Scottish wildcat's best hope of survival in its natural environment.
With perhaps less than ten genetically pure wildcats on the site, the Wildcat Haven hopes to expand to 800 square miles, with in-situ breeding free from hybridisation and feline disease.
You can read more about this unique conservation project on the Wildcat Haven's website.
