Scottish wildcat kitten is the latest arrival to the zoo

SCOTTISH WILDCAT KITTEN BORN. They are Britain’s RAREST mammal and only 100 remain in the wild. That’s why this little kitten is so incredibly special… pic.twitter.com/NXxO2oDcsl

— Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) December 7, 2018

The adorable kitten is part of a programme that is striving to save Britain’s rarest mammal from extinction.

As few as 100 wildcats – also known as the ‘Highland tiger’ – are sadly estimated to remain in the UK. As the only remaining wild feline species, wildcats are now protected under UK law but are still under huge threat from habitat loss, cross-breeding with domestic cats and disease.

Chester Zoo is one of a number of conservation partners which form Scottish Wildcat Action – a co-ordinated effort to bring the tenacious hunters back from the brink.

Conservationists have hailed the latest kitten as “another lifeline for the species” and it is hoped that future generations will be reintroduced to the wild.

Tim Rowlands, the zoo’s Curator of Mammals, said:

Unlike domestic cats who can have several litters a year, Scottish wildcats will usually only have one, so every birth is really, really significant.The kitten was born to parents Einich and Cromarty in August but, given their incredibly elusive nature, had not been caught on camera until now. It’s ever so special to see just how active the kitten already is and how she’s already starting to practise the skills that these magnificent, stealth hunters use to pounce on their prey.Conservation breeding in zoos is a key component in the wider plan to prevent Scottish wildcats from disappearing altogether – and each new arrival offers another lifeline for the species. The hope is that the safety net population being bred by our carnivore experts will be released into the highlands of Scotland in the future. We’re very much part of the vision to restore and maintain a wild population of the stunning Scottish wildcat for the long term.

Trail camera technology is revolutionising the way in which conservationists are able to estimate the population density and assess the genetic viability of wildcat populations. In tandem with the breeding programme, the zoo has also funded camera traps to support monitoring work in the Scottish highlands. Using 347 trail cameras, Scottish Wildcat Action recently conducted the largest every survey of the species in wildcat priority areas.The camera trap images allow experts to assess and score certain coat or ‘pelage’ characteristics of each cat – pelage being the cats’ hair. This process classifies each one as domestic, hybrid, or wildcat and will help target conservation action.