Finally there is some good news for the Scottish Wildcat, as it has been revealed that there are plans to reintroduce Scottish Wildcats into the wild of Scotland.
The Scottish Wildcats will be reintroduced into the wild in 2022. They are set to be released into the Cairngorms, in the Scottish highlands, in a hope to boost the animals population.
Currently, there are thought to be as few as 30 Scottish Wildcats living in the highlands of Scotland today. Reintroducing more of these cats into the Cairngorms will hopefully increase their population. There is a £2.3 million grant to help save them.
Why are Scottish Wildcats threatened with extinction?
Scottish Wildcats today are threatened with extinction due to their forest home being destroyed: the Scottish Government has given the go-ahead for areas of forest in the Scottish highlands to be destroyed to make way for wind farms, this deforestation has caused the Scottish Wildcat to lose habitat, and can be seen for the reason that they were declared ‘functionally extinct’ this year.
The Scottish Government was warned by wildlife conservationists that destroying the Scottish Wildcats forest home in the Scottish Wildcats highland home that it would result in the extinction of these cats. Just a few months after that warning was issued, the Scottish Wildcat was declared functionally extinct.
Sources:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/scottish-wildcats-to-be-reintroduced-in-the-highlands-to-stave-off-extinction-1-5048273
https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wind-farm-could-wipe-out-a-third-of-wildcats-1-4757611