18 wildcats have been thriving in the Cairngorms since they were released last summer — but what do our readers think about the conservation project?
Saving Wildcats has released 19 cats since June 2023 in an attempt to restore the wildcat population in the area.
While one travelled over 18 miles to Mar Lodge in Aberdeenshire, another female cat died of peritonitis.
However, Helen Senn, head of conservation with Saving Wildcats, said the other 18 wildcats are all “really healthy and fit”.
The furtive felines all wear a GPS collar and are monitored closely by the team on the ground.
And, there are plans to release even more wildcats this summer — although the team does not know exactly how many will be ready by then.
Many Press & Journal readers took to the comments to share their delight that 18 of the cats have been thriving in the wild.
And while the majority of comments were positive, some readers weren’t quite as supportive of the project and shared their concerns about the animals.
Readers happy to see wildcats ‘back where they belong’
Some readers commented on our Facebook post describing the native wildcat as “beautiful”, “wonderful” and “fantastic creatures”.
Sid Higgins wrote: “That’s good to see. They are a beautiful species of cat and hopefully will find suitable habitats and breed successfully.”
Shirley Frew described the project as “brilliant”.
She added: “They play an important role in the environment, as do all native species.”
Sylvia Bulman simply wrote: “Back where they belong.”
While some shared their own experiences of spotting the elusive wildcats, others speculated about other predators like lynx and wolves being reintroduced.
Others say wildcats were ‘controlled to protect wildlife’
However, other readers like Philip Halsey shared concerns for the rest of the wildlife living in the same area.
He said: “They [the wildcats] were once controlled for the sake of wildlife now they are being reintroduced so that was a waste of time.
“Too many tree-hugging do-gooding townies trying to run the countryside.”
And Maria Morrison agreed, suggesting the wildcats could kill protected birds.
She wrote: “These cats will just interbreed with the domestic ones there, oh and will kill all the very same birds you guys have also been trying to protect.
“Suppose this is just getting people warmed up for when you introduce lynx, an even bigger cat.”
However, others questioned the decision to release wildcats when there is a “serious feral cat problem” already.
Amber McCutcheon wrote: “The numbers are too high, disease, inbreeding, cat spray, they attack pets, etc.”
Finally, Matt Dare claimed he lost all his chickens to the wildcats in “broad daylight”.
19 wildcats raised at Highland Wildlife Park were released last summer, where are they now?
Conversation