Freed wildcats must survive winter — and the temptation of domestic moggies
Somewhere, deep in one of Scotland’s last wildernesses, a cat looks over its last domain. Here, amid mountains and tundra, it is the king predator. Here, in deference to its majesty, all the surrounding cat owners have been encouraged to have their pets neutered.
Here, on Cairn Gorm, the last hope for Scotland’s wildcats wonders if today it might be able to savage a small rabbit.
Once, wildcats roamed throughout Britain. Today these cats, which look similar to domestic cats, but which you definitely wouldn’t want to scratch behind the ears, are almost extinct.
But in the summer a reintroduction scheme began, with 19 taken from a captive breeding programme and returned to the wild. Now this group, closely watched by conservationists, prepares for its
