scottish wildcat

[gb]

i bought a couple of books on wildcats whilst i was in Scotland last year and ever since have been fascinated by them. this year at college i have to do a specialist project on anything i want and will probably do it on wildcats.
i'm not sure how easy it will be to study other than read stuff on them and then type it up with my own thoughts added in.
so can anybody suggest any good links or resources on them? even better has anyone ever seen one or had experiences with them? or any thoughts whatsoever really.


cheers gb

 

[familne]

I read somewhere that they were becoming more common around the agricultural fringes in the highlands where hunting is easier on the numerous rabbits - found a couple of links.

http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/sp-accts.htm

http://www.scottishwildcats.co.uk/The%20Scottish%20wildcat%20survey%20page.htm

http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/research/mammal/wildcat.html

 

[Oakleaf]

GB

I know a couple who operate a Wildcat rescue centre. They are in it for the cats, not publicity so will have to check with them first. If they are happy to chat I will put you in touch.

In the interim, I always found the good people at the Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig very approachable.

Good luck with the project.

 

[ScottC]

There are wild cats roaming Britain :yikes: As in lynx? Oh my giddy aunt..

 

[Lurch]

Scottish wildcats int lynx wee lad!
Think (slightly) larger tabby, with attitude.

 

[george]

I've got them in my garden GB. Well not quite - but I have come across them on the track up to my house on a few ocasions in the past 2 or 3 years. Usually late at night and caught in the headlights. Found a dead one about a year ago that had been hit by a car about 30 miles away from where I live.

They do seem to be making a comeback in many places these days. Up until recently they hadn't been in my area for about 50 years.

George

 

[gb]

cheers for the help everybody.

i think the Scottish wildlife park was where i got the books from, i'll contact them. George - sounds interesting. roughly where in Scotland do you live? some bits ive read suggest they are spreading south and increasing in numbers, others say they are decreasing. the main issue ive come across is hybridization with domestic cats, which is obviously not good.
if anybodys interested the 2 books i have are

'In search of the scottish wildcat' by Morris Allan and Tim Tyler - written about 20 years ago, so some info is probably out of date but very inetresting.
and
'The wildcat' by Andrew Kinchener, a mammal sociery book

cheers gb

 

[george]

Hi GB

Have a look at the members map. You'll see that I'm very near Torridon, one of the main strongholds for a decent wildcat population. They were apparently quite common here up until the 1940s. Why the decline since then I don't know - in our area there hasn't been the same kind of habitat loss that there has been in other areas - the opposite if anything.

You're right when you say that interbreeding with feral cats is a major problem - there are probably no populations of wildcat in the UK that have not been affected by it. There's someone doing some research on it at the moment, DNA testing captured wildcats and looking to see how much they have mingled already. If they're right then the true Highland wildcat (felis syvestris grampia) is probably already extinct!

Have a look here http://www.bigcats.org/swc/

George

 

[gb]

oh yeah didnt think of that, its also written at the top of your posts, silly me.
i'm going to scotland for christmas, at lossiemouth so i'll drop in at the wildlife park and the wild cat society thing which is just up the road, maybe thet'll let me see their captive wildcats.

cheers gb

 

[Kim]

I seem to remember seeing a programme once about Scottish wildcats. Someone was comparing a normal ferral city cat and a wildcat to see which one could be domesticated the quickest. The result was that they claimed that the scottish wildcat was simple untameable.

Have no idea if that's true or not. Anybody else know? :?:

Kind of reasurring to think, if it is true, that we can't get our way with every wild animal we choose to 'domesticate'.

 

[hootchi]

Has any one read wildcat haven by mike tomkies? extremely good says of how he lived in scotland, where is a secret but i know, and rescued a family of wildcats keeping them in pens and one had hyperthermia so he brought it into his croft. he released them and i think they lived through a few generations but he lost thack of them after that. he also tamed a wild pine marten to take food from his hand- bread and jam. other animals he aided were foxes, badgers, tawny owl, kestrel....... very much reccommeneded

 

[gb]

have'nt seen that one. will have to have a look.

cheers gb