Two orphaned kittens found in the Scottish Highlands are confirmed to be pure Scottish wildcats, the world’s most endangered cat. Rescued by Wildcat Haven – an organisation dedicated to protecting of these critically endangered cats – the adorable, feral kittens are now being carefully monitored by experts, with the aim of eventual release back into the wild.
A member of the public found the weak and dehydrated kittens near a road and alerted Wildcat Haven. With many similar reports often turning out to be domestic or hybrid cats, Dr Paul O’Donoghue, Wildcat Haven’s scientific advisor, was dubious about their pedigree before seeing photos of the pair.
“I almost fell off my chair when I saw the photos,” said Dr O’Donoghue. “The markings looked amazing, far better than any kitten I’d seen in a zoo, but in a very exposed place. It seemed likely they had been abandoned or orphaned and were in grave danger.”
With only an estimated 35 individuals in this species alive today, the team rushed to rescue the kittens. They set cameras and baits in the area in hopes of finding a mother, but after several days of searching, concluded that she was sadly nowhere to be found.
“Perhaps she was run over, perhaps snared, sadly there are a lot of threats out there for wildcats,” said filmmaker and wildcat advocate Steve Piper. “These two orphans were incredibly lucky to be found in time.”
The Scottish wildcat is the largest species of the wildcat family – growing to around twice the size of a domestic cat, with thicker fur and distinctive black and brown stripes. Their thick coat helps protect them from rain, and they lack the natural fear of water that many domestic cats have. In fact, they are known to easily swim across rivers during a hunt.
Famously aggressive by nature, experts say they cannot be domesticated, and these two kittens – who represent 6% of the remaining population – proved to be true little warriors, too.
“By next morning after some food and water the timid kittens had transformed entirely and we had two spitting balls of fury in their place,” said Piper. “They were little, mini wild-cats stamping hissing and growling, displaying all the explosive aggression typical of the species.”
Now held at the Highland Titles Rehabilitation Center, the ferocious but ever-so-cute pair are staying in an acre of enclosed forest, carefully monitored by a team of carers. When they are old enough to survive on their own, they will be fitted with GPS collars and released back into a safe area in the wild.
Thanks to those who saved these beautiful cats 🙂
the collars are probably a mistake unless they are under guard
GPS is probably only needed if they aren’t under guard. Break away collars please! Don’t forget to set the Puppavich timer (for 15 minutes?).
Thank you to those who rescued and are looking after these kittens.
Wonderful!
Miracle
Wonderful
justice
Bless you for saving these little felines!
Thank you for saving them !
Justice, compassion, laws, live, LOVE
People are the worst breed God bless animals
They are so beautiful ,thank you for saving them how exciting to see these two little fur-ball’s
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED SAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL BABIES. WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN TO KEEP THEM FROM BECOMING EXTINCT. THAT WOULD BE A HUGE LOSS FOR THE WORLD.
BEST WISHES BEAUTIFUL BABIES FOR A WONDERFUL LIFE!!
I am not getting this. If there are only 35 of these cats left in the world, then why the hell is this country allowing snares to be used???? Someone please explain this insanity.
It would be wonderful if you could use your resources to support the wild horses and burros of America who are constantly being rounded up by the BLM by helicopter. They are chased until they drop from exhaustion, injured or killed. Nursing foals are separated from their mothers and left behind to die. Horse families are separated forever, shipped off to slaughter in Canada and Mexico. 80% of the American people want these treasures protected and allowed to live free on our public lands as enacted into law in 1971. However, BLM and the Secretary of Interior are skirting the law and systematically eradicating them. These horses were here before we were, died off and were reintroduced. They need your help!!
In Trump’s America, I doubt you’ll get any authorities to care. Trump is systematically dumping every animal off the endangered species list so that Big Oil can Drill Baby Drill. Republicans couldn’t care less about animals….
That’s really cool that you found these kittens,wish the mother could have been found also.I wonder if they were just born in the wild or did somebody have them? Well I am really happy for those of you who go out to rescue them and take such good care of them.
So happy for these two!!
Thanks to all the rescues
Thanks to all involved in the rescue of these precious endangered cubs.
Thank you to the Rescuers. You did good. How sad they lost their momma. I hope no one set a trap for her. The world is too cruel for me.
So glad they are being cared for. Thank you.
MC Beaton’s fictional character Hamish Macbeth had a wildcat named Sonsie, who would creep everyone else out (now I know why). He was always hiding her from the Wildcat Society, but had to eventually let her go. He and his dog Lugs (another um, unusual pet) were heartbroken.
Wrong what is needed is captive breeding program. That way a large enough population so make a come back.
You mean an Incarcerated Breeding Program? I’m glad they tagged them then set them free.
What a shame that man has to mess with everything that lives. I dislike those GPS collars, and I doubt very much they will do anything to protect those kitties. But they will be a constant reminder to the young cats that they are carrying around a reminder that people have to mess with them somehow.
Polar bear injured by radio collar part of U of A study …
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/polar-bear-radio-collar...
I don’t know why the link didn’t copy in full. Here it is again, plus another one:
Polar bear injured by radio collar part of U of … – CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/polar-bear-radio-collar-university...
Sickening effect of satellite radio collars polar bear …
polarbearscience.com/2015/10/28/sickening-effect-of…
Well, I guess the links are not working. But you can reach these articles by typing their headline in your browser.