Rare wildcat kittens born at Scottish nature reserve

Animals: Captive breeding programme hopes to arrest population decline

Three rare wildcat kittens have been born on a Scottish nature reserve founded by a man who wants to establish the country’s first wolf reserve.

Paul Lister, who inherited a £50 million fortune when his family sold the MFI furniture chain, is celebrating the triple wildcat births at his Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Sutherland.

The reserve said it is “delighted” to announce the birth of the kittens, which have not been sexed yet.

“They will hopefully play a part in saving the species”

The captive breeding programme of the critically endangered last surviving felid in the UK is a partnership between the European Nature Trust and the Royal Zoological Society Scotland.

It is its third litter of wildcat kittens in as many years at the centre.

It is estimated there are fewer than 400 wildcats left – making it one of the rarest feline species in the world.

Habitat destruction, human persecution and interbreeding with domestic cats have decimated the population.

A wildcat enclosure has been built at the Alladale reserve, which was initially home to two female and two male wildcats.

Two kittens were born in June 2018 and another three kittens last year.

The new kittens will be relocated to other facilities that are part of the captive breeding programme.

“We have some new arrivals at Alladale,” said the reserve.

“Three healthy Scottish wildcat kittens took their first steps outside a few days ago. We are very hopeful they will play an important part in the species’ recovery.

“This is the third year in a row that we are able to contribute to the wildcat’s captive breeding programme, which is supervised by the Royal Zoological Society Scotland.

“In time, the kittens will be rehomed to other breeding facilities, where they will hopefully play their part in saving this species from extinction.”

A £5.5m scheme will see 20 wildcats bred in captivity each year and released into a large designated area of the Cairngorms for three years.

The six-year effort to breed and release up to 60 animals was due to start in 2022. Experts predict it is “highly likely” they will become extinct otherwise.

EU funding worth £3.2m was secured to develop the reintroduction centre at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig.

The cats will be raised away from public view to minimise interaction with humans before their release.

ARRIVALS: The cute trio have been born on the Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Sutherland and could be crucial to the survival of the species