The Scottish Wildcat Association (SWA) is warning that the number of pure-bred wildcats has fallen so low that the species could be extinct within monnths.
The SWA reviewed 2,000 records of camera trap sightings, eyewitness reports and also road kill evidence which they say suggests there might only be 35 wildcats living in Scotland. This is far fewer than previously thought and a recent report by Scottish Natural Heritage estimated that there might be 150 breeding pairs of the endangered creatures. Disease and inter-breeding with domestic and feral cats are the main causes of the reduction in number of of pure-bred wildcats.
SWA say that licensed trapping of the mammals should be allowed so blood samples could be taken in an effort to better understand the state of the population. The conservation organisation also suggests relocating pure wildcats to areas where there are fewer risks, and it said it was working with the University of Oxford on an investigation of wildcats in Caithness and Sutherland.
SWA chairman Steve Piper said: “However you juggle the figures it’s hard to find anything positive. If you ignore the eyewitness sightings because they’re unreliable the numbers get even worse.
“Even if you decide the population of hybrids is larger you have to multiply it to impossible levels to get to the commonly quoted figure of 400 wildcats.
“The overwhelming evidence is that the wildcat is going to be extinct within months, anything else is blind hope.”
The report concluded that wildcats were very rare and only a few were living in Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland Perthshire and possibly the Glenlivet area. No records that could be substantiated with photographs or carcases were obtained from the eastern Cairngorms so it may be concluded that wildcats are not present in Deeside, Donside and the Angus Glens. The SWA report did not look at Caithness and Sutherland but the organisation has plans to undertake research in this last remaining large area where wildcats might be present.