Someone recently observed two sets of small eyes gazing out of the trees in the Scottish Highlands.
When he looked closer, he noticed two little kittens hiding in the underbrush – and they were all alone.
But these weren’t just ordinary stray or feral cats; they were some of the world’s most endangered species. The eyewitness took some images and forwarded them to a local group that tracks a certain type of cat.
Near a statement, Paul O’Donoghue, chief scientific adviser for Wildcat Haven, a conservation group in Roybridge, remarked, “I almost fell off my chair when I saw the images.” “The marks were incredible.”
People in the neighborhood are accustomed to reporting any cat with markings similar to a tabby cat’s. Many inhabitants are aware that they share the territory with the Scottish wildcat, a subspecies of the European wildcat that is one of the world’s rarest wild felines, with just around 35 surviving on the planet.
Wildcat Haven strives to get the word out that if anyone sees a feline that looks like a Scottish wildcat, they should photograph it. The objective of Wildcat Haven is to help rescue this uncommon species, which has become endangered due to hunting, habitat degradation, and cross-breeding with domestic cats.
Mother cats frequently go hunting, putting their kittens in a secure spot while they’re away, according to Wildcat Haven. But this instance was different: these two kittens appeared to be in need of assistance.
People kept an eye on the kittens after the first sighting to see whether the mother would return. No mother had appeared after 24 hours, and the kittens had begun to stray closer and closer to a road.
“They appeared to have been abandoned or orphaned and were in great danger,” stated O’Donoghue.
That’s when the rescuers realized they had to act. They were able to trap the kittens as a wildlife videographer, Steve Piper, set up remote cameras to ensure their mother was not on the lookout for them.
“With some bedding and food, we were able to keep the two fragile and frightened kittens safe,” Piper said in a statement. “By the next morning, the shy kittens had completely transformed and we had two spitting balls of anger in their place, thanks to some food and water.” They were little wildcats, stamping, hissing, and growling, demonstrating all of the species’ explosive ferocity.”
Their mother was never discovered. “Nothing on the cameras,” Piper remarked, “no traces, no eyeshine, no calling in the night.” “Perhaps she was hit by a car or snared; unfortunately, wildcats face several risks. These two orphans were extremely fortunate to be discovered in time.”
The kittens were relocated to a big woodland enclosure at a Highland Titles refuge, equipped with a natural stream, where they would be able to grow up safely. And it’s crucial that they do, since the two pure Scottish wildcats account for 6% of their subspecies’ entire population, making them a sign of hope for the survival of this unique cat.
The wildcat enclosure was built because environmentalists discovered that orphaned Scottish wildcats were frequently fostered in zoos and never returned to the wild. Highland Titles’ creator, Peter Bevis, stated in a statement, “[That] just sounded awful to me.” “I thought we could fence off a portion of our woodland and use that as a safe haven for a wounded wildcat before releasing it back into the wild.” I never expected two orphaned wildcat kittens to come to live with us!”
Wildcat Haven’s veterinarian has set up camp near the orphans’ new home to keep an eye on them as they settle in.
“I’m ecstatic,” O’Donoghue stated. “As soon as these kittens reach the age of maturity, they will be freed.” The purest wildcats can only be found in the wild… and that is exactly where they belong.”
