Conservationists celebrate arrival of rare wildcat kittens

By Dean Murray via SWNS

Conservationists are celebrating the arrival of wildcat kittens - one of Britain's rarest mammals.

The kittens, which are around nine weeks old, were born in a dedicated off-show breeding enclosure at Wildwood Trust wildlife park near Canterbury, to parents Talla and Blair.

Laura Gardner, Director of Conservation at Wildwood Trust, says the litter will play an important role in securing a future for the endangered species.

She says: "Wildwood has been breeding wildcats for over ten years building knowledge and expertise of the species which has led to our amazing breeding success.

"By working together with the breeding program partners, we are ensuring the beautiful wildcat has a future in Britain."

European wildcats are considered rarer than the Bengal Tiger and Giant Panda. They are the only native cat species surviving in Britain, with a small population still roaming the Scottish Highlands. But with less than an estimated 300 individuals left, the population has been declared "functionally extinct".

Wildwood Trust said: "A healthy population of reintroduced wildcats will help to restore the balance in the ecosystem by controlling numbers of prey animals, such as rabbits and rodents, and of predators such as foxes through competition for food. This in turn has a ripple effect across ecosystems, by which habitats for many more plant and wildlife species can be restored."

The kittens at Wildwood will contribute to the wildcat conservation breeding program coordinated by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which has been designed to support the restoration of the species in Britain.

Sally Holt, Head of Carnivores and Small Mammals at Wildwood, says the new facilities have been key in helping support the breeding of this secretive species.

She said: "Wildcats have very particular den box preferences, so we worked hard with researchers to find the right design for the new enclosures. The off-show enclosures have created a quieter environment, which will help the kittens develop key survival skills without becoming habituated to people.

“Our remote cameras mean we can monitor their behavior and it’s been wonderful to see their characters develop. They have such a close bond already and enjoy playing and sleeping next to each other.

“In the coming days they’ll undergo health checks with our veterinary team and will be sexed so we’ll know their gender. We’ll also gather data on their neck circumference measurements to help towards collaring research for future tracking release success.”

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