Happy Scottish Wildcat Day!

Today is Scottish Wildcat Day! Scottish Wildcat Day was set up by Action For Earth as a day to raise awareness about the Scottish Wildcat. This species of cat more than any other wild species of animal in the UK needs our help.

The Scottish Wildcat is very close to extinction - there are only 35 of the animals left in the wild. This makes them the worlds most endangered wild cat, they are more endangered than the tiger.

The Scottish Wildcat is critically endangered. Species classed as critically endangered are dancing on the edge of extinction; they are close to extinction. This is true for the Scottish Wildcat, with only 35 of these cats remaining in the wild, they are particularly vulnerable to becoming extinct.

Once, the Scottish Wildcat roamed all over the British Isles. However, their decline started happening during the Victorian era, when these animals were hunted. The hunts decimated this animals ability to thrive and survive. The decline of these cats also persisted throughout the 20th century. Today there is thought to be as little as 35 in the wild.

Threats To The Scottish Wildcat

The Scottish Wildcat isn't protected like you think it would or should be protected. One of the main threats to their survival is through the destruction of their home - their forests are being cleared. There is a new threat to the wildcat - the deforestation of their forests to make way for wind farms. These forests in the highlands of Scotland are vital to the survival of the Scottish Wildcat. Wildlife conservationists think that if the forest is felled for wind farms, then the Scottish Wildcat will become extinct. Right now, the biggest threat to the Scottish Wildcat is the potential clearance of the highland forest by the Scottish government to make way for wind farms.

Another threat to their existence is their cross-breeding with feral cats. Neutering cats in the area could help solve this problem.

What Is Being Done To Try And Save The Scottish Wildcat?

Scottish Wildcat Day is one thing that is being done to try and save the Scottish Wildcat, but there are many other people trying to save this magnificent animal. Just recently, around 300,000 people signed a petition to stop the Scottish Wildcats habitat being destroyed. There are also two Scottish Wildcat groups trying to save this animal, Save the Scottish Wildcat and Wildcat Haven. There is hope for this animal yet!

Can The Scottish Wildcat Be Saved?!

If their habitat is saved, then this animal can be saved. There are other conservation success stories which show that this cat can be saved. The worlds rarest big cat, the Amur Leopard, once had only 45 of them left in the wild. Through conservation work, the Amur Leopard has almost doubled their numbers. While the Amur Leopard is still critically endangered, they show that its possible to bring back a critically endangered animal from the brink of extinction - no matter how hopeless it seems.

While there is still hope for the Scottish Wildcat yet, time is not on our side to save this magnificent and elusive animal. Do we want to be known as the generation who let the Highland Tiger go extinct...