There is good news, as new Scottish wildcat kittens have been born recently, giving hope for the future of this species!
The new Scottish wildcat kittens were born in the Highland Wildlife Park, in Scotland. They are some of the first kittens to have been born in a new breeding programme aimed at saving this critically endangered cat - a total of 18 kittens have been born so far in this breeding programme.
These kittens will be released into the wild in Scotland in 2023.
The Critically Endangered Highland Tiger
Scottish wildcats also have the cool name of the 'Highland Tiger'.
In most of Scotland, these beautiful cats are no longer living in the wild, this is largely due to them being hunted and having their forest home destroyed by people. This has resulted in these cats being pushed to the brink of extinction.
Today, Scottish wildcats are on the brink of extinction and are one of the most endangered animals in the world today. It is thought that the Scottish wildcat population could be as low as 30-35 cats in the wild, which makes the birth of these new kittens important and all the more special, as these new kittens could help change the future for this species and potentially save them from extinction.
With the birth of these new kittens, it gives us hope that the Scottish wildcat can be brought back from the brink of extinction.
You can see the rare Scottish wildcat kittens in the Tweet below!
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