Wildcat conservation An icon of Scottish wilderness 1 Why wildcats? Elusive and mysterious Caring and Fierce and protective tenacious Edge of Majestic and extinction beautiful The last cat species of the UK Stealthy, rugged, not your average moggie. The Scottish wildcat prowls select Scottish woods, spending its time hunting and protecting its territory. Known as the Highland tiger, this highly endangered species needs remote woodland to survive. Rarely seen and famously untameable, the wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is an important predator of the Caledonian Forest, but is threatened by interbreeding with feral and hybrid domestic cats. 2 The future for wildcats • Saving Wildcats is a national conservation programme, bringing together leading experts to help save the Wildcat from extinction. • • Greater awareness and conservation of native species, • Change in land management practices, • Reduction in threats, • Sustainable captive population, • Populations reintroduced • Long term responsible cat ownership Aims of Saving Wildcats is • Greater awareness and conservation of native species across Scotland • Change in land management practices • Reduction in threats, especially from hybridisation from feral cats • Sustainable captive population • Populations reintroduced into several sites across Scotland with intensive post-release monitoring • Long term responsible cat ownership 3 Our conservation tool box Skills Innovation People Planning Wildcats Wooden toolbox by publicdomainvectors / Public Domain Research Collaboration Funding The conservation tool box contains many different aspects to ensure the survival of the wildcat of Scotland. • It brings together innovative thinking, how are going to overcome this conservation problem / issue • people (staffing), make sure that we have the correct amount of staffing available • ensuring that you have good quality animals i.e. wildcats, genetic diversity • no man is an island and the same can be said about conservation. There is an incredible about of linking with stakeholders, landowners, game keepers, biologists, scientists local people. We now have our greatest opportunity to work with expert partners to develop a future for the wildcat. A key part of this will be a national conversation on domestic pet and feral cat populations and how we manage these. , The public will have an important role in helping minimise future hybridisation. Responsible cat ownership - including microchipping, neutering and vaccinations - is one way we can help reduce the devastating effects on wildcats.” • Gathering funding to support the project from many different sources, if you don’t ask you don’t get • Scientific research, make sure that you have the latest research and knowledge to back up the science of the project • Strategic planning. Prior Planning Prevent Poor Performance. Make sure that you try and plan ahead for any situations or eventualities as possible • Skills, make sure you have the correct skill available for the project. 4 Genetics Genetic test Dr Helen Senn from our partner organisation, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, has developed a genetic test to help identify Scottish wildcats from hybrids (when wildcats have interbred with domestic cats). It uses a sample of 35 nuclear DNA markers and 1 mitochondrial marker to identify the extent of hybridism (purity), and is based on one of the more powerful (83 SNP) tests currently available, developed in Switzerland. It has the advantage of generating data that can be compared to datasets for wildcats across Europe. How we use this: Blood and hair samples are analysed by the WildGenes Laboratory at Edinburgh Zoo. By combining the genetic test with the pelage score, the scientists assess whether a cat should be used for the conservation breeding programme. If it's a high scoring cat, The Highland Wildlife Park and other land owners will then breed pairs to create a healthy population of Scottish wildcats for the purpose of later releasing them into the wild. We also bring hair samples to Helen which we collect when conducting monitoring. We position a wooden stake in the ground which is scented with catnip or Valerian to encourage the cat to rub against it. Then we collect the hair samples and take them to the lab for analysis. 5 Research • Vet checks on zoo animals, make sure that you have a good founder population • Gathering data from the wild / field. What is the situation in the wild? • GPS the use of technology to make life easier when working in the field. Make sure you have suitable skills and knowledge • Historical research and comparison of historical wildcat pelage. Dr Andrew Kitchener from our partner organisation, National Museums Scotland, analysed over 200 cat skins in the museums collection. From his research, he developed a way to score a cat, based on its appearance (pelage). This helps us to tell the difference between a Scottish wildcat, a tabby domestic cat and a hybrid of the two. Each characteristic is given a score: 1 (domestic cat), 2 (hybrid) and 3 (Scottish wildcat). “Fortunately in Scotland we have a fantastic group of scientists and specialists who are working together with the Scottish Government, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and others to explore all options to save the species here. Today is an important step towards the conservation of the ‘Highland Tiger’ in Scotland, but there’s a lot of work still to be done.” Andrew Kitchener, chair of national rescue project Scottish Wildcat Action, said: “The Scottish Wildcat Action partnership is delighted with this news and it is testament to the strong working partnership formed under Scottish Wildcat Action that we have been able to secure funding for this next critical phase of work.” 6 Specialist skills "We have in place a partnership of scientists and specialists with the knowledge and expertise to give us the best chance of restoring the wildcat in Scotland as a distinctive and charismatic species in the Scottish countryside, and I look forward to working with them to make this a reality.” • Seaman collection from wild wildcats and cryogenically freezing samples and perfecting AI in wildcats which still requires trails and research • Vet to ensure that the health and welfare standards are being met for the wild caught wildcats is being met. • Strategic planning and meticulous planning is required for the overall running of the project. • Field skills, setting and trapping animals, having the skills with regards, how to trap a wild animal 7 Education and awareness Engaging with the public, schools, youth groups, collages and universities. Using novel approaches Supercat, wild about Scotland bus and wildcat mascots 8 What does this mean for Scottish wildcats? …and what are we doing about it? 9 Extinction vs. recovery The wildcat is one of our most iconic Scottish species but its conservation faces serious challenges A report published in February by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s cat specialist group concluded there is no longer a viable wildcat population living wild in Scotland, with hybridisation with domestic and feral cats the major threat to their survival. This means the extinction of the species is highly likely without wildcat releases. 10 What’s in a name? • Scottish wildcat or wildcat in Scotland? • No scientific justification for Scottish sub-species Felis silvestris grampia • All European wildcats (including UK) = Felis silvestris silvestris • Wildcats from mainland Europe can add valuable genetic diversity • Ongoing work to genetically sample captive European wildcats Felis silvestris silvestris • UK captive population all genetically “good” wildcats Same sub- species! Results of morphological and genetic analyses indicate that the Scottish wildcat descended from the European wildcat. The population in Great Britain became isolated about 7,000 to 9,000 years ago due to a rise of sea level after the last glacial maximum. Since 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the Cat Specialist Group recognizes Felis silvestris silvestris as the valid scientific name for all European wildcat populations, and F. s. grampia as a synonym, arguing that it is doubtful that the Scottish wildcat is sufficiently distinct to accord it a separate subspecific status. 11 Wildcat status in Scotland Wildcats in Scotland are Critically Endangered. There are fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild. Wildcats in Scotland could become extinct without help. The population of wildcats in Scotland is estimated to be below 100 Wildcats were once common throughout mainland Britain but now scientists have estimated that there could be fewer than 115 wildcats left in the wild. "Because although there are possibly a few cats out there that we could consider to be mostly wildcat from a genetic perspective, the vast majority are hybrids," she said. "And even if we find those few cats, you've only got to fast forward one generation to think 'who are those cats going to mate with?' "So I think we would say from a functional perspective this population is extinct or on the brink of extinction." Currently, the greatest threat to wildcats is hybridisation. However, this is a symptom, not the original cause, of the low population density of wildcats left in Scotland. Combined with habitat loss and the decline in wildcat population at the same time as an increase in numbers of domestic and feral cats, the few remaining wildcats have bred with this invasive species. Although there are several significant differences, and they are