Scottish Wildcats are one of the most endangered animals in the world today.
They are so rare, that they are much rarer than both pandas and tigers. There are different species of tigers though. But even though there are different species of tigers, Scottish Wildcats seem to be rarer than all of them.
The Scottish Wildcat is so rare today, that it is estimated that its population is as low as 30 to 35 individual Scottish Wildcats in the wild today, which makes them one of the world's most endangered animals. They are also one of the UK's most endangered animals, which is what our first interesting fact will be about.
Here are the top 5 interesting facts about Scottish Wildcats!
5 Scottish Wildcats Are Critically Endangered
Scottish Wildcats are critically endangered today.
The most interesting thing about this is that they are only one of two UK mammals that were listed as critically endangered in the 'Red List for Britain's Mammals' - this list was created by the Mammal Society and published during the summer of this year.
The only other critically endangered mammal on the Red List for Britain's Mammals is the Greater mouse-eared bat.
4 Almost Extinct Before
Scottish Wildcats are near extinction today. However, this is not the first time that the Scottish Wildcat has been close to extinction.
Around exactly 100 years ago, Scottish Wildcats were also extinct then. They were almost extinct around the time of the first world war due to being hunted to near-extinction and having their habitat destroyed. Scottish Wildcats were saved 100 years ago because places like grouse estates ended up closing down because of the financial impact that world war one had on the country. It was grouse estates that seemed to be a major driving force in the hunting of Scottish Wildcats.
3 All Across The UK
Scottish Wildcats are actually a British Wildcat, as these beautiful animals existed all over the British Isles at one point. The only parts of the British Isles that there seems no record of the Scottish Wildcat ever-existing, was in the Scottish Islands.
These beautiful animals were once abundant across Scotland, England, and Wales. The wildcats became extinct in England and Wales during the Victorian era. They became extinct in much of Scotland thereafter.
Today, Scottish Wildcats only exist in pockets of the Scottish highlands.
2 The Wildcat and The Tudors
Wildcats also make the history books.
While wildcats went extinct in England during the Victorian era, they went extinct in Southern England much sooner. The 'Preservation of Grain Act' (1532), was passed by Henry VIII as a law that gave people permission to kill wild animals in England, amongst these wild animals, were wildcats.
The Preservation of Grain Act was the beginning of a long campaign to persecute animals like wildcats. It is an act that likely resulted in many wildcats being lost.
1 The Highland Tiger
The Scottish Wildcat is not just known as the Scottish Wildcat.
These beautiful animals are also known by another name: the Highland Tiger. Their other name, the Highland Tiger, is a great description for the Scottish Wildcat, as these beautiful cats live in the highlands and they are elusive like tigers, their nickname is a great name to describe them.
Also, there is something more magical about the name 'Highland Tiger'!
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