First Scottish wildcats to be released in the Cairngorms National Park

Conservation experts hope the venture will restore Scotland’s critically-endangered wildcat population.

By Michelle Henderson

March 24 2023, 11:51 am

Scottish wildcats are scheduled for release in the Cairngorms National Park later this year. Image: Scottish Wildcats

Scottish wildcats are to be released into the wild for the first time.

NatureScot has approved a license application lodged by the Saving Wildcats partnership to release wildcats in the Cairngorm National Park later this year.

Around 20 wildcats will be released each year, with the first scheduled to take place in June.

The decision is the first of its kind to be passed in Britain.

Conservation experts hope the venture will restore Scotland’s critically-endangered wildcat population.

Preparations under way ahead of historic release

Saving Wildcats project lead and RZSS head of conservation Dr Helen Senn said: “It is fantastic to reach this milestone and press ahead with planning for trial wildcat releases in the Cairngorms over the summer.

“When the time comes, we will be able to move wildcats under license from pre-release enclosures at Highland Wildlife Park to carefully selected areas in the Cairngorms Connect landscape which provide a suitable mix of habitats and potential prey for the species”

Led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the application from Saving Wildcats was submitted in September 2022 and assessed by NatureScot in line with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.

Around 20 wildcats will be released each year, with the first scheduled to take place in June. Image: Scottish Wildcats.

The process considers a range of issues including animal welfare, site suitability and potential impacts on neighbouring and community interests.

The wildcats will be transported from the project’s conservation breeding for release centre at RZSS’s Highland Wildlife Park ahead of their release in chosen areas of the park.

Their movements will be monitored using GPS collars.

‘This journey is not without difficulty’

The milestone decision will mark an important step in re-establishing the species in Scotland.

However, officials stress the translocation of a predator species to the area will bring its own risks and challenges.

NatureScot’s head of biodiversity Dr Katherine Leys said: “Habitat loss, persecution and hybridisation with domestic cats has brought the Scottish wildcat population to the brink of extinction.

The milestone decision to release wildcats such as Ordie into the wild marks an important step in re-establishing the species in Scotland. Image: Scottish Wildcats.

“The Saving Wildcats partnership has been a lifeline for the species and our decision to grant a translocation licence to allow wildcats to be released in the Highlands of Scotland marks a crucial point in the long journey towards conserving this iconic species.

“This journey is not without difficulty, and we know that there are more hurdles to overcome before we reach the point where we are ready to release the wildcats into carefully selected areas of the Cairngorms National Park.

“Once there, the wildcats will face further challenges, so it’s crucial the project continues to work with local communities, farmers, land-owners and cat owners to ensure wildcats are given the best chance to survive and thrive.”