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  • Writer's pictureJennifer J

Trap, spay, release, an effort to save the Scottish Wildcat


An effort to save the Scottish Wildcat has seen an introduction of a trap, spay release program. The program is carried out by the Scottish Wildcat Action, across highland areas in Northern Scotland. The Scottish Wildcat Action program will capture feral cats, spay them and then release them back to where they were found. Why Spay Feral Cats? Feral Cats are now the biggest threat to the survival of Scottish Wildcats. Feral Cats breed with Scottish Wildcats, which is making the Scottish Wildcat go extinct. It is now the biggest threat facing the Scottish Wildcat, but it wasn't always. Why Are Scottish Wildcats Facing Extinction?

Today Scottish Wildcats are facing extinction because they are breeding with feral cats. However, beforehand, the Scottish Wildcat was hunted. The overall main reason why the Scottish Wildcat is Critically Endangered and facing extinction is that they were hunted by humans. This was specifically the case in Victorian Britain, where it became even more popular and widespread to hunt and kill Wildcats. In Victorian Britain, wildcats were widespread across the British Islands. Now they are contained to a small part of the Scottish Highlands. How Many Scottish Wildcats Are Left? The Scottish Wildcat is a Critically Endangered species with less than 100 remaining in the wild, according to Save The Scottish Wildcat.

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