FOUR critically endangered wildcat kittens have been caught on hidden cameras for the first time.
Cameras installed inside the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park, located inside the Cairngorms National Park, have recorded female wildcats caring for their young in secluded den boxes.
It’s hoped that the footage will give animal keepers a new window into how wildcat mothers raise their kittens during the crucial first weeks of their lives.
The four wildcat kittens were born at the Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre to females Morag, aged eight, and Margaret, aged seven, and are being raised in a special off-show area of the park near Kincraig.
Estelle Morgan, Saving Wildcats animal team leader, said the images are a “major advancement” as they helped capture previously unseen behaviour.
She said: “With the population of wildcats in Scotland critically endangered, each birth has the potential to make a significant impact on restoring their numbers in the wild, and should be celebrated.
“It's a major advancement that, for the first time in the centre, we can capture previously unseen behaviour on camera, giving us greater insight into how mothers interact with their young during these first important weeks.”
The centre is closed to the public, as experts say it will help give the young wildcats the best chance of survival, helping them prepare for the challenges of life in the wild without becoming used to people.
Wildcat kittens typically stay with their mothers for around six months, learning vital survival and social skills before heading out to live independently.
The new arrivals could be among the animals eligible for release into carefully selected sites in Scotland from 2026, as part of the Saving Wildcats partnership project.
In June 2023, 19 wildcats were released into the Cairngorms National Park, marking a historic milestone as the first release of wildcats in Britain. In 2024, a further nine wildcats were released.
Releases are being conducted with the support of Cairngorms Connect and Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return work to mitigate hybridisation (interbreeding), which is conducted together with Cats Protection.
Together, the team is working to prevent the extinction of Scotland’s wildcats by breeding and releasing them into the wild, while tackling threats such as hybridisation with domestic cats.
