A challenging history of habitat loss, persecution, and cross-breeding with domestic cats has pushed the Highland Tiger to a point where it will not survive without intervention. Without immediate action, Scottish wildcats will be lost from Britain forever.

Wildcats in zoos, wildlife parks and private facilities now hold the key to saving their species, enabling captive-bred cats to be restored to the wild. Led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Saving Wildcats is a six-year partnership project, delivering the urgent action needed to prevent their extinction. RZSS can only undertake a project of this scale by working in partnership with other experts, and with the invaluable support of local communities. 

Saving Wildcats is an ambitious, landscape-scale project. The project brings together experts and local communities to deliver a set of objectives that will restore healthy populations of Scottish wildcats. 

Establish Britain’s first large-scale Conservation Breeding for Release Centre for wildcats.  

Based in a private area of Highland Wildlife Park, within the Cairngorms National Park (CNP), the centre brings together wildcat experts, a dedicated veterinary unit and a specialised pre-release training programme.

Create safe areas for wildcat restoration.  

The first release site will be in an area of the CNP where habitats are suitable and expanding. A focused field programme will address threats to wildcats in the release site. Engagement with local communities and landowners fosters wildcat-friendly practices.

Grow the wildcat population through the release of wildcats into the wild. 

A specialised pre-release training programme will encourage wildcats to gain the skills needed to thrive in the wild. GPS collars will track the movements and behaviours of the wildcats once released.

Enable rural communities to benefit from the presence of wildcats.  

Saving Wildcats is as much about people as it is about the cats. It aims to boost local economies across the project area by supporting new tourism offerings, including a wildcat trail. Once the current project is established, similar wildcat releases will extend to other locations in Scotland, thereby benefiting more communities.

Trail cameras are essential for monitoring wildcat enclosures, surveying potential wildcat release sites and carrying out a humane Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release programme for feral cats that may crossbreed with wildcats.

NatureSpy has provided Saving Wildcats with over 80 trail cameras to aid the team’s vital work. We are assisting the project team in all areas relating to this specialist monitoring equipment, including technical support and maintenance. 

Browning Spec Ops trail cameras are the main camera model used by the team for excellent video quality, yet discreet operation with a no-glow infrared flash for night-time footage - whilst Ursus cameras and cellular cameras have also been provided for particular uses.