Centre helping to conserve wildcats

A CITY zoo is playing a vital part in bringing an iconic Scottish species back from the brink of extinction.

Camperdown Wildlife Centre, which is home to more than 300 different animals, has had a huge amount of success breeding Scottish wildcats this year.

The zoo has produced twice the number of cubs expected, with seven from two different litters being born at the centre.

The kittens are the offspring of resident wildcats Pipit, Beryl and Fergus, who have entertained and fascinated the zoo’s visitors for years.

Bradly Yule, conservation manager at the wildlife centre, said: “We have kept Scottish wildcats here at Camperdown for more than 40 years, since at least the early ’70s.

“Now that wildcats are considered a monitored species, conservation for them has been increased.

“We’ve been very successful this year, we’ve managed to produce a total of two litters and seven cubs – usually we would only be looking at about two or three.”

Scottish wildcats, which are commonly referred to as Highland tigers, are considered to be one of the UK’s most endangered species.

Some experts claim there may be as few as 50 pure-bred wildcats outside captivity, with interbreeding and competition from domestic cats presenting a severe risk to the species.

Two of the kittens bred by Camperdown will be taken to a state-of-the-art facility in the Cairngorms, where they will produce more cats who will be released into the wild in an effort to boost native numbers.

Bradly described the work being done at Camperdown as “incredibly important.”

He added: “The Cairngorms facility is part of a multi-millionpound European project to help conserve these animals.

“These individuals will be sent there so they can be bred with other cats which are genetically pure, and we hope their offspring will be able to be released back into the wild.

“Unfortunately, it is difficult to release a cat which was raised in captivity back into the wild.

“Our other kittens will be sent to new homes at zoos across the UK but we are actually very close to completing our own new enclosure which will allow us to hold more cats here.”

The centre is hoping to produce more cubs in 2021, and Bradly added: “We are definitely expecting another successful year.”

Anyone wanting to learn more about Scottish wildcats and their conservation should visit savingwildcats.org.uk for more information.

Three of the wildcat cubs born at Camperdown this year.