Scottish Wildcat Day was founded by Action 4 Earth a few years ago, as a way to celebrate these wonderful cats and raise awareness about their plight.
Scottish Wildcat Day is now celebrated on the 8th of August every year.
A Critically Endangered Species
Today, Scottish Wildcats are sadly a critically endangered species. They once could be found throughout the British Isles - in England, Scotland and Wales.
A History Of The Scottish Wildcat
It’s only in recent history that the Wildcats became extinct in England and Wales. Wildcats became extinct in England and Wales in 1880. They became extinct in Southern England by the 16th century but remained in Northern England until the late Victorian era.
These beautiful cats also nearly became extinct in Scotland (and, therefore, in the UK), by the early 20th century. Thanks to a decline/stop in the persecution of the Wildcats and the reforestation of woodlands in Scotland, the Scottish Wildcat managed to cling on and survive.
In the 1980s, the UK government introduced legislation to protect the Scottish Wildcat as an endangered species: Scottish Wildcats became protected in 1981 through the UK governments ‘Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981’.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act gave the Scottish Wildcat protected status in the UK, in other words - it introduced legislation that protected Scottish Wildcats by law.
Further attention has been given to Scottish Wildcats since the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was introduced. In 2007, Scottish Wildcats were listed as a priority species in the British ‘Biodiversity Action Plan’ - a biodiversity action plan is when there is an effort to save a species which is threatened with extinction and their habitat through restoring biological systems.
Other efforts today are going on to help save Scottish Wildcats. For example, Edinburgh Zoo currently has eight Scottish Wildcats which they are trying to breed for the survival of these beautiful cats. You can help Edinburgh Zoo and the Scottish Wildcats by adopting one.
Please consider adopting a Scottish Wildcat to help save them for future generations.
You can adopt a Scottish Wildcat - here.
You can help Scottish Wildcats by signing the petition - here.
You can also help Scottish Wildcats free by celebrating them and/or, raising awareness about these magnificent cats on social media, by using the #ScottishWildcatDay hashtag.
Thank you for celebrating and raising awareness about Scottish Wildcats.
Happy Scottish Wildcat Day! 😺🎉
Comments