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Countries are like people:
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some are boisterous, extravagant, showy.
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Others present a calm, quiet
and restful exterior.
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But if it is spectacle,
extravagance and drama you enjoy,
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then Scotland performs well on
the World's stage.
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Consider this:
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a mountainous landscape that
soars skyward and dives down
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towards a coastline spattered
with towering, wind-lashed islands.
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Cities and towns that declaim a
decorous history
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and a vibrant, contemporary culture.
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00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,680
Scotland boasts a strong
allegiance to science,
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the arts, engineering, invention.
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And, of course, its celebrated
literature is often accompanied
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by an equally-celebrated drink!
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Yes, if it is spectacle and
drama you enjoy,
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then Scotland offers a vibrant, thoughtful
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and inspirational culture.
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And when it comes to the natural world,
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this small country offers many surprises.
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The Scottish Highland region is one of
Europe’s most spectacular landscapes.
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Its gloomy glens, towering mountains
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and a seemingly unending
wilderness combine to
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present a lowering landscape
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that is ripe for poetic invention
and unbounded imagination.
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No wonder the written and spoken
literature of the country
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abounds with tales of Kelpies,
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those shape-shifting water spirits.
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And the devilish Each Uisge,
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that mischievous Highland water-horse.
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Such mythological characters continue to
populate an imaginary world
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and fulfil their far from
playful potential
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in the imagination of
today’s storytellers.
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Animals, too, highlight Scotland’s
uniqueness within the natural realm
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of the four countries of
the British Isles.
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Seals, porpoises and dolphins
patrol their inshore domain
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whilst Sea Eagles and Golden
Eagles soar over land and sea.
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Rivers are fish-rich and are often home
to otters and even beavers.
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On land, Red Deer and the
elusive Capercaillie and Pine Marten
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On land, Red Deer and the
elusive Capercaillie and Pine Marten
tempt the talents of film-makers
and photographers
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00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:41,560
tempt the talents of film-makers
and photographers
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from around the world.
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And much to the surprise of many,
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the Cairngorm region has
a substantial herd of reindeer.
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But there is one intriguing animal
that has secured its home
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in this Northern kingdom –
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in this Northern kingdom –
an animal that is little known,
seldom seen
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an animal that is little known,
seldom seen
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and rarely filmed or photographed.
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Indeed, this animal is
almost as fictional
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as the Kelpie
and its mysterious companions.
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It is the Scottish Wildcat.
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This secretive,
seldom spotted carnivore is related
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– at some distance it should be said –
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to other big cats of the world.
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There was once a time when
the wildcat thrived
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throughout the whole of
mainland Britain.
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However, that time is long since
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and its territory is now
severely limited
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to a selection of regions,
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such as the Cairngorms, and
the far north of Scotland.
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The Scottish Wildcat is a wild
species that has been living
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here in Scotland
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for the last 10,000 years.
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It’s quite a bit larger than
a house cat,
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and is famously thought to
be untameable.
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> A Scottish Wildcat is
Scotland’s only native cat now
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since the lynx
went extinct
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approximately 1,000
to 2,000 years ago
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and it’s more than just
a native cat species;
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it’s a symbol for Scotland,
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it’s a symbol for
the wild nature that we have.
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Given that the wildcat’s build
is akin to that of a large tabby cat,
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to the inexperienced eye, domestic cats
and wildcats are almost indistinguishable.
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However, there are key identifying traits
that help distinguish between the two.
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However, there are key identifying traits
that help distinguish between the two.
Domestic cats are of course
an individual species of their own.
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Domestic cats are of course
an individual species of their own.
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They're used to being around people,
they're used to being indoors in homes
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and although they do venture out
and we have domestics that go wild
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- which are feral cats - and
they can survive to an extent in the wild
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- which are feral cats - and
they can survive to an extent in the wild
they're not designed for that,
whereas wildcats are.
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they're not designed for that,
whereas wildcats are.
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> The weather here in the Scottish
Highlands can be quite interesting,
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it can be really quite wintry
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and of course the Scottish Wildcat
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it’s got a thick dense fur
adapted to this climate.
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It’s got something like 20,000 hairs
per square centimetre on its back.
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The wildcat’s diet is
like that of any carnivore
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and thus it is highly predictable.
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Rabbits, mice and other small mammals
are its usual quarry.
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Their habitat is a predictable mix
of bare moorland and thick woodlands
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where the heather, gorse and undergrowth
provide substantial cover.
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As with any creature, an abundant food
source is key to their survival.
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They tend to occupy a mix of habitats,
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but primarily they like mixed woodland
with open grassland
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and then some denser forest,
be it pine forest or deciduous forest
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where they have some cover
and what they have there
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where they have some cover
and what they have there
is the transition
from an area where they’ll find shelter,
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is the transition
from an area where they’ll find shelter,
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they’ll find dry areas,
females will find areas to rear young;
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they’ll find dry areas,
females will find areas to rear young;
but they’ll also live on the fringes of
areas where there’ll be lots of prey.
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but they’ll also live on the fringes of
areas where there’ll be lots of prey.
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Wildcats are both solitary and rare
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so population estimates vary wildly.
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Indeed, when it comes to assessing
the current number
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of the Scottish Wildcat,
no exact figure can be given.
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Ten years ago it was established opinion
that around 400 wildcats remained.
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During the making of this film,
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it became evident that under one hundred
wildcats are alive in Scotland today.
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Naturally opinions vary and disputes
on this sensitive issue can be heated.
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The reality is we just don’t know
how many wildcats we’ve got left
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Estimates vary from as low as
30 to as high as 400,
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but we just don’t know.
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We’re still trying to ascertain
just how many there are,
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where they are and where they’re not.
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00:07:26,319 --> 00:07:30,079
> With recent research,
it’s really starting to look like
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numbers are much, much lower
than we first appreciated
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and that’s mainly because,
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they’re so hard
to study in the wild.
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They’re very elusive,
they’re pretty small
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and they are difficult to find.
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00:07:43,479 --> 00:07:46,119
But whatever the accuracy
of these assumed or actual figures,
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the fact remains that,
despite being fully protected by law,
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the Scottish Wildcat is in danger
of disappearing completely,
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possibly within the next five years.
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It would not be amiss
or alarmist to claim
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that this iconic animal
is teetering on the edge of extinction.
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We have a population that is
critically endangered,
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one that needs all of the conservation
action that we can give it,
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because without it the future of the
wildcat is incredibly worrying.
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> We focus a lot on international
conservation issues,
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like saving the tiger, saving the panda,
saving the Polar Bear,
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but actually there is a species
right on our doorstep
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which is probably even more threatened
than those species,
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and yet so many people just
don’t know about it.
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Whilst wildcats and domestic cats look
somewhat alike,
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there are several visual differences
between the two.
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For example, the wildcat has a more
muscular build
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For example, the wildcat has a more
muscular build
and its face and jaw are heavy set
compared to a domestic cat.
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and its face and jaw are heavy set
compared to a domestic cat.
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Scottish Wildcat is quite a lot bigger,
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it can be up to 25% bigger than a
domestic cat.
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They are always tabby marked,
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so they’re grey, greyish brown with
black stripes.
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> Those markings are very different to a
domestic cat.
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> Those markings are very different to a
domestic cat.
They might look similar
to Joe Bloggs,
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They might look similar
to Joe Bloggs,
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and you have to kind of train your eye
into it.
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Things like the dorsal stripe; that goes
all the way down
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but it will stop at the base of the tail
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whereas in a domestic cat that stripe will
run all the way down into the tail.
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whereas in a domestic cat that stripe will
run all the way down into the tail.
Now the tail is something that lots of
people talk about
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Now the tail is something that lots of
people talk about
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because it is so distinctive in a wildcat.
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because it is so distinctive in a wildcat.
> A really big, thick, ringed tail
with a blunt end,
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> A really big, thick, ringed tail
with a blunt end,
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that’s a really diagnostic feature that
separates them from domestic cats,
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which typically - although they might have
ringed tails -
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are usually much thinner and narrow to
a point.
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So that’s a really key difference to
look for.
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> There’s also the side stripes which
lends the name of the Highland Tiger
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to the Scottish Wildcat,
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and those stripes can be broken
but they can’t be spotted,
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and those stripes can be broken
but they can’t be spotted,
whereas a domestic cat pretty much has
spots on its side.
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whereas a domestic cat pretty much has
spots on its side.
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Their head is much larger
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and when you look at them their ears are
actually positioned
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towards the side of their head,
not on top,
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and they have a much bigger skull
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and a much bigger cranial capacity,
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so they have bigger brains than a
domestic cat.
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> Over the years
we've developed
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methods to
distinguish between
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wildcats and
domestic cats,
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for example we can look at various
features of the skull,
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including the size of the brain.
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Here we have a wildcat skull
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and here we have a domestic cat skull
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and if you look at the distance across the
brain case here,
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you can see it's much greater in the
wildcat
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00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:29,800
than it is in the domestic cat.
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So the poor old domestic cat is rather
pea-brained
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compared with the very clever wildcat.
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But there’s another character which,
traditionally in the past,
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has been used to distinguish between
wildcats and domestic cats,
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and that’s if you take the jaws
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- and you stand wildcat jaws up,
they’ll stand up,
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but if you try and do the same thing with
a domestic cat’s jaws,
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they fall down.
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And this is because
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there’s a little bony piece here
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called the Angular Process
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and it’s much more highly developed in a
wildcat than it is in a domestic cat.
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There are larger muscles pulling on this
because it has a tougher diet basically.
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00:11:05,119 --> 00:11:09,400
And this is why the wildcat jaw bone
will stand up.
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> The last thing is that a
Scottish Wildcat or wildcats have
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a very short intestinal tract.
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They still eat very wild prey,
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whereas we over thousands of years
have domesticated
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domestic cats to eat biscuits and
tinned food
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00:11:28,519 --> 00:11:32,319
and their insides have had to adapt to
be able to cope with that.
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When it comes to spotting the wildcat
with the naked eye, or with binoculars
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or capturing it on camera,
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it is this animal’s own reticence
and introversion
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that adds to the extreme difficulty
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of photographing its everyday life
in the Highlands.
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00:11:53,159 --> 00:11:55,519
However, there are six
identified regions in Scotland
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known to be inhabited by wildcats;
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these are being targeted
as zones for research and conservation.
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They are known as Priority Areas
and they include:
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00:12:06,639 --> 00:12:07,600
Morvern,
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00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,400
Strathpeffer,
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00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,200
Northern Strathspey,
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00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:13,360
Strathavon,
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00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,319
Strathbogie
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00:12:16,319 --> 00:12:17,680
and the Angus Glens.
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00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:24,079
So, just how did an animal related
to the world’s exotic big cats
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such as lions and leopards
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00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:27,519
end up in the far north of Britain?
219
00:12:29,039 --> 00:12:33,360
The Scottish Wildcat is a descendant of
European Wildcat ancestors
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00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:38,119
that colonised mainland Britain
between 7,000 to 9,000 years ago.
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00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,600
A domestic cat is a domesticated version
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00:12:44,119 --> 00:12:46,360
of the
North African Wildcat,
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00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:47,720
so that’s a desert cat,
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00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,519
whereas the Scottish Wildcat
225
00:12:49,519 --> 00:12:52,519
is a descendant of the European Wildcat,
which is a forest cat.
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00:12:52,519 --> 00:12:54,720
They have a distant shared ancestry,
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00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:59,720
they’re related, but they’re
far from being the same animal.
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00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:00,079
they’re related, but they’re
far from being the same animal.
> It has a fossil history that goes back
about 2 million years
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00:13:00,079 --> 00:13:03,360
> It has a fossil history that goes back
about 2 million years
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00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:08,119
and it’s been in Britain
for the last 9-10,000 years,
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00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,479
At that time the North Sea and the
English Channel were dry land
232
00:13:12,479 --> 00:13:18,000
and the animals trotted across as the
forest grew after the end of the Ice Age.
233
00:13:22,159 --> 00:13:25,119
Thanks to its remarkable hunting skills,
234
00:13:25,119 --> 00:13:29,119
it thrived throughout the British Isles
in what were then heavily forested regions
235
00:13:29,119 --> 00:13:30,600
that provided ample food and shelter.
236
00:13:33,079 --> 00:13:34,720
But by the early 1800s
237
00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:37,119
the wildcat had disappeared
from much of southern Britain;
238
00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,720
due mainly to
deforestation and persecution.
239
00:13:42,239 --> 00:13:45,639
Gradually, by the late 19th century
the wildcat’s territory
240
00:13:45,639 --> 00:13:50,239
had been further reduced to the remaining
forests and moorlands of Scotland.
241
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,400
Over the centuries,
a mixture of habitat loss,
242
00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:56,519
over hunting for its fur
243
00:13:56,519 --> 00:13:58,560
and persecution because it was a predator
244
00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:01,119
meant that its range contracted down
to the Scottish Highlands.
245
00:14:01,119 --> 00:14:03,479
So by the end of the 19th century
246
00:14:03,479 --> 00:14:05,400
they were only found
in the Scottish Highlands
247
00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:09,000
and they were being really heavily
persecuted at the time by gamekeepers.
248
00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,560
> When I first came to live here,
249
00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:15,400
they were shot and trapped all the time
250
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:16,400
- as policy!
251
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,079
You know,
if you've got wildcats,
252
00:14:18,079 --> 00:14:19,039
get rid of them.
253
00:14:19,039 --> 00:14:19,079
get rid of them.
Which is probably
one of the reasons
254
00:14:19,079 --> 00:14:20,400
Which is probably
one of the reasons
255
00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,400
that we're in the mess
that we're in.
256
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:27,680
In 1840 a gamekeeper’s ledger
was published from the Glen Garry estate.
257
00:14:29,079 --> 00:14:32,400
Within this ledger it contained
the numbers of predators and vermin
258
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,319
killed in the previous four years.
259
00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,360
There were 198 wildcats in this ledger,
260
00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,800
more than double the amount
thought to exist today.
261
00:14:44,319 --> 00:14:46,639
Today you would have to travel
to the Cairngorms region
262
00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:47,519
and points further north,
263
00:14:47,519 --> 00:14:50,159
the wildcat’s last outposts,
264
00:14:50,159 --> 00:14:53,720
to search for the slightest trace
of this striking animal.
265
00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:56,680
And even then, there would be no guarantee
266
00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,639
that you would catch even a fleeting
glance of the elusive wildcat.
267
00:15:02,039 --> 00:15:03,519
Persecution with the aim of
268
00:15:03,519 --> 00:15:06,800
really eradicating this species
was a big problem
269
00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,079
in the 19th and early 20th century.
270
00:15:10,079 --> 00:15:11,319
I think things have moved on a bit now,
271
00:15:11,319 --> 00:15:13,239
and really one of the issues, however,
272
00:15:13,239 --> 00:15:16,319
we face is that domestic cats,
when they go feral
273
00:15:16,319 --> 00:15:19,159
and live in the countryside
and create one or two problems
274
00:15:19,159 --> 00:15:21,360
- particularly in relation to small game -
275
00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,039
then it is legal
for feral cats to be controlled.
276
00:15:24,639 --> 00:15:27,039
Now the problem is that wildcats,
they’re legally protected
277
00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,680
and of course they’re
a really endangered animal.
278
00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,200
And there's a real difficulty
I suppose in identifying
279
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,680
- particularly in poor light
or in dense vegetation -
280
00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,000
whether somebody is about
to shoot a feral cat,
281
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,239
particularly a stripy feral cat,
282
00:15:38,239 --> 00:15:39,239
or a wildcat.
283
00:15:39,239 --> 00:15:41,519
So mistakes can be made
in predator control.
284
00:15:42,039 --> 00:15:45,239
> What we’re trying to do is work with
estates, work with keepers,
285
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,159
and look at ways that predator control
can be wildcat friendly.
286
00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,239
Just being a bit more careful, being
more cautious, a precautionary approach.
287
00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,239
> There could be problems where lamping -
where you use a bright lamp
288
00:15:57,239 --> 00:15:59,039
to pick up the eye shine of the cat
in the wild
289
00:15:59,039 --> 00:16:02,319
- is used in order to control feral cats,
to shoot them,
290
00:16:02,319 --> 00:16:06,039
because you have no way of identifying
whether the cat is a wildcat or not.
291
00:16:06,039 --> 00:16:06,479
because you have no way of identifying
whether the cat is a wildcat or not.
> Whereas what we would be saying is:
292
00:16:06,479 --> 00:16:08,400
> Whereas what we would be saying is:
293
00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,079
we’ve found wildcats there,
294
00:16:10,079 --> 00:16:14,800
what we’d rather you do is use live traps
and find out what it is before you shoot.
295
00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,400
The Scottish Wildcat is not the only
big cat
296
00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,600
to have roamed the British countryside in
former time.
297
00:16:24,639 --> 00:16:28,239
Eurasian Lynx – the third largest
predator in Europe
298
00:16:28,239 --> 00:16:33,319
– also made its home in the rugged,
forested countryside of ancient Britain.
299
00:16:34,239 --> 00:16:38,079
The lynxes are a group of
medium sized cats
300
00:16:38,079 --> 00:16:40,639
that all have pretty much
the same sort of body plan
301
00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:42,360
- they’ve got short stubby tails,
302
00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,159
usually got quite an obvious
facial ruff going on
303
00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:47,519
and they’ve got these diagnostic tips
to the ears as well,
304
00:16:47,519 --> 00:16:49,400
these little ear tufts.
305
00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,800
There are four species of lynx found
throughout the world,
306
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,239
there’s two in North America -
the Bobcat and the Canada Lynx
307
00:16:55,239 --> 00:16:57,680
- we’ve got the Iberian Lynx living in
Spain and Portugal
308
00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,680
and we’ve got the Eurasian Lynx
309
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,319
which was found much more widely
across Europe and Northern Asia.
310
00:17:04,519 --> 00:17:06,400
It became extinct in the 8th century
311
00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,119
for reasons similar to the more
gradual demise of the wildcat
312
00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:10,400
for reasons similar to the more
gradual demise of the wildcat
– among them, deforestation and
persecution.
313
00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,159
– among them, deforestation and
persecution.
314
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,600
In the British Isles, we deforested
very early and very severely.
315
00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,079
By a few centuries ago
316
00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:22,519
we were down to just 4 or 5% woodland
cover,
317
00:17:22,519 --> 00:17:25,560
and so an animal that needs huge
home ranges,
318
00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,159
mostly wooded, full of deer,
319
00:17:27,159 --> 00:17:28,400
that’s a big problem,
320
00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,319
and of course there would probably also
have been over hunting
321
00:17:31,319 --> 00:17:32,800
for its fur and persecuting it as
a predator.
322
00:17:33,319 --> 00:17:34,519
Since its extinction however,
323
00:17:34,519 --> 00:17:37,239
particularly over the course of the last
100 years or so,
324
00:17:37,239 --> 00:17:39,720
Scotland in particular has begun to
reforest
325
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,600
- we’ve now got about 4 times as much
woodland cover now
326
00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,600
as we did 100 years ago.
327
00:17:45,039 --> 00:17:49,239
And the deer populations have also
increased and expanded,
328
00:17:49,239 --> 00:17:52,119
and in some cases, really
high densities.
329
00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,200
So there’s been an increasing discussion
330
00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,600
about reintroducing our long lost cat,
the Eurasian Lynx.
331
00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,239
As societies begin to better understand
the benefits
332
00:18:03,239 --> 00:18:05,519
of conservation and the safeguarding
of species,
333
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,560
the exchange of information and
good practice
334
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,639
can assist in preserving endangered
animals.
335
00:18:13,319 --> 00:18:14,360
Take, for instance,
336
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:19,200
the successful reintroduction of the
Iberian Lynx in Spain and Portugal.
337
00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,720
In 2002 there were approximately 100
lynxes
338
00:18:24,239 --> 00:18:26,680
in the southern
regions of those countries
339
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,680
a number that included
just 25 breeding females.
340
00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:31,000
a number that included
just 25 breeding females.
Today there are over 400.
341
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:32,800
Today there are over 400.
342
00:18:35,479 --> 00:18:38,560
Such reintroductions have been hailed as
solid successes
343
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,079
resulting in applications for licenses
344
00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:44,479
to reintroduce the Eurasian Lynx in the
United Kingdom.
345
00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:51,319
The UK is far behind the rest of Europe
with its rewilding release programmes,
346
00:18:51,639 --> 00:18:55,200
mainly because we don’t have predators
within the UK,
347
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,400
you know, we haven’t grown up with
348
00:18:57,639 --> 00:19:01,600
bears, wolves, lynx, even beavers
and things like that.
349
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:02,400
bears, wolves, lynx, even beavers
and things like that.
As a nation, we’ll find it very hard to
live alongside those types of creatures
350
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:07,319
As a nation, we’ll find it very hard to
live alongside those types of creatures
351
00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:09,720
because we have this view
352
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:14,119
that lynx are going to come and take our
children in the middle of the night,
353
00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:19,119
or they’re going to rampage farms and
take all the livestock.
354
00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,119
And that’s just not true.
355
00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:21,400
And that’s just not true.
> Partly because the lynx died out so
long ago in this country,
356
00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,119
> Partly because the lynx died out so
long ago in this country,
357
00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:29,239
and partly I guess because there’s not a
strong cultural connection with lynx
358
00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,360
- you know, we don’t have any
nursery rhymes or old folk tales
359
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:34,680
about lynx in the way that we do wolves
360
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,239
- then actually most people are really
quite unaware of the lynx
361
00:19:38,239 --> 00:19:39,800
and don’t know that much about its
ecology.
362
00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,720
It’s not an animal that we’re very
familiar with;
363
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,239
whereas the average person in the street
knows what a wolf is
364
00:19:45,239 --> 00:19:48,400
and knows that they hunt in packs and
that they howl and they eat deer,
365
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,600
there’s much less certainty I think
in the population about the Eurasian Lynx.
366
00:19:54,479 --> 00:19:59,200
In dense forests the solitary lynx prefers
to feed on Roe Deer.
367
00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,639
Thus its reintroduction would also help
maintain appropriate numbers
368
00:20:02,639 --> 00:20:05,800
of an animal that prevents the
natural regeneration of trees
369
00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,519
through its intensive browsing of leaves.
370
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,800
Lynx are very much looking for
small to medium sized woodland deer,
371
00:20:14,319 --> 00:20:17,239
especially Roe Deer,
that’s their number one prey,
372
00:20:17,239 --> 00:20:18,360
but they can take bigger animals.
373
00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:21,200
In some parts of central Europe,
they’re taking Chamois,
374
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,800
in the north of Scandinavia
they’re taking Reindeer,
375
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,079
and in some parts of Eastern Europe
they’re taking Red Deer,
376
00:20:26,079 --> 00:20:27,680
which are really quite sizeable animals.
377
00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,680
So there’s very little dietary overlap
between wildcats and Eurasian Lynx,
378
00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,400
they’re quite separate food niches.
379
00:20:34,239 --> 00:20:37,360
> There are wildcats
- “gato montés” in Spanish -
380
00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:41,200
in Spain and there is the Iberian Lynx
381
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,400
There’s quite a lot of
documentary evidence
382
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,119
and in the literature
383
00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,159
and anecdotal evidence
384
00:20:47,159 --> 00:20:52,239
that lynx and Spanish wildcats live
side by side perfectly happily.
385
00:20:52,639 --> 00:20:53,680
> They’re not big animals,
386
00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,039
they’re extremely shy and wary of humans
387
00:20:56,039 --> 00:20:58,519
and they will always move away
from them if they can.
388
00:20:58,519 --> 00:21:02,239
So there’s been no recorded attacks
by lynx on humans in Europe.
389
00:21:03,239 --> 00:21:05,039
There is, however, a risk to livestock.
390
00:21:05,039 --> 00:21:05,800
They do kill sheep,
391
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,319
but in some landscapes that are
probably more reminiscent
392
00:21:09,319 --> 00:21:10,560
of those that we have here in Scotland,
393
00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,639
the numbers of sheep losses
are pretty small
394
00:21:13,639 --> 00:21:15,400
it’s pretty localised and small scale,
395
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,000
and actually quite controllable.
396
00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:18,519
> We can
actually look at cases
397
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,200
across Europe
and go:
398
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,119
"well, what does
data suggest?"
399
00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:23,200
And actually,
400
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,319
the lynx's probability of taking a sheep -
401
00:21:25,319 --> 00:21:27,639
it works out
it's going to take about two years
402
00:21:27,639 --> 00:21:29,680
before one single lynx
403
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,360
takes one single sheep.
404
00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:32,720
And again, we're thinking,
405
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,200
"okay, well how many
lynx are there going to be?"
406
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:35,680
The chances are, to begin with,
407
00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,319
it's only going to be five or six,
408
00:21:37,319 --> 00:21:38,319
it's like a handful.
409
00:21:38,319 --> 00:21:40,639
So you might expect less than five -
410
00:21:40,639 --> 00:21:44,000
less than five sheep...
411
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,319
killed in a year.
412
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:48,720
Of all the reintroductions
of the lynx species
413
00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,800
that have already taken place
in European countries,
414
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,000
most have proved hugely successful
415
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000
in both wildlife and public opinion terms.
416
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,519
Such successes give us cause for optimism
417
00:22:00,519 --> 00:22:03,720
in the efforts to save
the Scottish Wildcat.
418
00:22:05,319 --> 00:22:07,360
Reintroducing large predators
419
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:08,159
to human environments
420
00:22:08,159 --> 00:22:08,680
is not easy,
421
00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,319
it’s not straightforward.
422
00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:14,079
It’s a lot easier
to do a lynx reintroduction badly
423
00:22:14,079 --> 00:22:15,000
than to do it well
424
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,360
and there are examples from around
Europe of lynx reintroductions
425
00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:18,720
that have failed because
426
00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,400
people didn’t speak to those people
427
00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,079
who lived and worked in the countryside,
428
00:22:23,079 --> 00:22:24,479
sat down with them,
429
00:22:24,479 --> 00:22:25,159
listened to their concerns
430
00:22:25,159 --> 00:22:26,159
and try and address them.
431
00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,560
So that has absolutely got to be key
to any successful project.
432
00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,600
It’s not impossible for humans and lynx
433
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:33,800
and indeed wildcats
434
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,119
to all live together in the same habitat
435
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,400
if people are prepared to give a little.
436
00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:43,000
The question remains:
437
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,800
why is it that the wildcat
is so hard to find,
438
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,239
so tricky to film
439
00:22:47,239 --> 00:22:49,720
and so infuriatingly elusive?
440
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,360
There are two main reasons:
441
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:56,319
population numbers and location.
442
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:02,239
Whilst an exact figure for the number
of extant wildcats is hard to assess,
443
00:23:02,239 --> 00:23:06,119
a current estimated population number
is 95.
444
00:23:08,519 --> 00:23:11,479
However, such figures are arbitrary;
445
00:23:11,479 --> 00:23:14,639
and given the vast scale
of their inhospitable territory,
446
00:23:14,639 --> 00:23:19,319
an inestimable number of animals
would be horrendously difficult to locate
447
00:23:19,639 --> 00:23:23,200
– even if they were less bashful
than the wildcat!
448
00:23:25,479 --> 00:23:29,119
In recent years, habitat-loss
has become an additional issue
449
00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,720
when it comes to the preservation
of the wildcat.
450
00:23:32,239 --> 00:23:35,119
There are instances of
prime woodland being cleared,
451
00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,200
ostensibly for cattle,
452
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,119
and yet no farm animals having
set foot on the cleared area.
453
00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,360
Some believe that such a loss of woodland
454
00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:47,680
needlessly and adversely affects
the wildcat’s territorial range.
455
00:23:49,039 --> 00:23:52,360
Right through the '70s and '80s and '90s,
456
00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:52,479
Right through the '70s and '80s and '90s,
there was an obsessive push to plant
dark, dense, Sitka Spruce forests,
457
00:23:52,479 --> 00:24:01,079
there was an obsessive push to plant
dark, dense, Sitka Spruce forests,
458
00:24:01,479 --> 00:24:03,519
which are very bad habitat for
just about everything actually.
459
00:24:03,519 --> 00:24:07,600
They are dark and lifeless.
460
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:08,239
They are dark and lifeless.
Interestingly, they've helped Pine Martens
by providing sanctuary for Pine Martens,
461
00:24:08,239 --> 00:24:13,360
Interestingly, they've helped Pine Martens
by providing sanctuary for Pine Martens,
462
00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:19,360
but they've certainly blocked out
excellent wildcat habitat.
463
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,519
There’s many, many causes for the loss
of woodlands.
464
00:24:21,519 --> 00:24:25,239
Not only the abundance of the woodlands
and the size of the woodlands,
465
00:24:25,239 --> 00:24:26,519
but also the structure of the woodland
as well.
466
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,119
Diversification, bringing it
all the way back
467
00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,560
to the commercialised timber industry.
468
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,360
Plantations could have a negative
impact on some of the cat species.
469
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,680
> If you have a glen, a glacial glen,
with a flat valley floor,
470
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,000
there's some feeding habitat on
the valley floor,
471
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:45,519
because that's where agriculture is
and crofting
472
00:24:45,519 --> 00:24:48,800
and there's usually something to eat there
- some voles and mice
473
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:50,680
and things like that.
474
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:54,000
And then you've got the valley sides,
like that,
475
00:24:54,319 --> 00:24:57,079
and then you've got the mountaintops
and the moors on top
476
00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,079
- and there's precious little to eat
up there.
477
00:24:59,239 --> 00:25:03,519
So the valuable habitat is those long,
linear valley sides
478
00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:05,800
- which is precisely where the forestry
has gone.
479
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,560
And so in glen, after glen, after glen,
480
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:15,000
huge swathes of what was good
wildcat habitat
481
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,479
has been effectively written out of
the landscape.
482
00:25:19,479 --> 00:25:20,639
And I'm convinced that
483
00:25:20,639 --> 00:25:27,119
that has been a really significant factor
in their decline.
484
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,560
Sensitive forest management is
to be welcomed
485
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,360
and indeed there is now four times as much
forestry in Scotland today
486
00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:39,000
as there was one hundred years ago.
487
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,519
Forest management also espouses a
wildlife-friendly ethos;
488
00:25:43,519 --> 00:25:47,519
for example, animal breeding seasons
are respected.
489
00:25:56,479 --> 00:25:58,400
Each morning the crew would rise early
490
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,079
as they knew that the wildcat was
most active at dawn and dusk.
491
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:05,079
Early one chilly morning
492
00:26:05,079 --> 00:26:09,200
the team discovered a thawed patch
in the frost where an animal had sat.
493
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,720
Surrounded by paw-prints and
other indicators,
494
00:26:12,159 --> 00:26:15,680
including meandering trails and
a possible den,
495
00:26:17,479 --> 00:26:21,039
the evidence suggested that the wildcat
had been in the area quite recently.
496
00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,000
Place names often proffered a clue:
497
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,400
for example, the crew would rise early
to lug equipment
498
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,800
up a hill called the Cat’s Back
(a tell-tale give-away)
499
00:26:34,319 --> 00:26:40,000
only to haul it all back down again after
a day with no successful sightings.
500
00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:43,639
After many such energy-sapping treks,
501
00:26:43,639 --> 00:26:47,560
fatigue would take hold and
the human imagination would take over.
502
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,119
The crew decided to stay and keep watch
503
00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,119
where they had found the print
in the frost.
504
00:26:53,319 --> 00:26:54,800
And whilst the animal did not return,
505
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,039
they were not without a visitor!
506
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,079
Easy to imagine a beautiful, energetic,
green-eyed wildcat
507
00:27:02,079 --> 00:27:03,400
appearing out of nowhere,
508
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,039
pouncing on the mouse that scurried
into view.
509
00:27:07,239 --> 00:27:10,079
Alas, wishful thinking!
510
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,360
The main threat to the species is
interbreeding
511
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:19,600
with feral and domestic cats:
512
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:19,639
with feral and domestic cats:
a process termed as ‘hybridisation’.
513
00:27:19,639 --> 00:27:23,200
a process termed as ‘hybridisation’.
514
00:27:23,519 --> 00:27:27,360
Such interbreeding has even led to the
conclusion, held by some,
515
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,720
that no wildcat now exists with
100% wildcat DNA.
516
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,079
I suspect there aren’t any
517
00:27:35,079 --> 00:27:38,519
because I think that they’re almost all
going to be hybrids of some sort.
518
00:27:39,519 --> 00:27:43,400
Other threats – such as disease,
habitat disturbance
519
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,720
and even being targeted as predator
or vermin
520
00:27:47,079 --> 00:27:49,519
– have seriously affected the wildcat
population.
521
00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:52,720
Wildcats face a number of different
problems in the wild,
522
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,519
and they’re mainly caused by us
unfortunately.
523
00:27:55,519 --> 00:27:58,119
So, for example, they get run over
524
00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,519
and we destroy their habitat - or
fragment their habitat
525
00:28:00,519 --> 00:28:04,680
- so it’s very difficult for populations
to remain connected to one another.
526
00:28:05,159 --> 00:28:09,000
But one of the biggest problems is
caused by our domestic cats
527
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,519
which have gone feral,
528
00:28:10,519 --> 00:28:13,159
and they’ve hybridised with the wildcat.
529
00:28:13,159 --> 00:28:18,200
We think the hybridisation began
because wildcats were persecuted
530
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:22,479
and by the end of the 19th century,
the beginning of the 20th century,
531
00:28:22,479 --> 00:28:26,400
they were probably at their lowest
population level at that time.
532
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,519
After the First World War when
the persecution pressure was released,
533
00:28:29,519 --> 00:28:31,360
the wildcats started to spread.
534
00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:33,680
And because males spread further
than females,
535
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,400
they were finding themselves in areas
where there were no mates,
536
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,519
so this is probably when most of
the hybridisation occurred.
537
00:28:40,079 --> 00:28:43,680
> When a population is small and
fragmented - as is the wildcat’s -
538
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,519
it’s easier for feral and domestic cats
to come into that
539
00:28:47,519 --> 00:28:50,200
and mix with the wildcat population,
540
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,519
to a point where very quickly
that wild population
541
00:28:52,519 --> 00:28:55,079
can reduce in number and die out,
542
00:28:55,079 --> 00:28:56,720
which of course is the greatest threat
at the moment.
543
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,680
In the wild, the Scottish Wildcat
will breed
544
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,239
with feral domestic cats or hybrids
545
00:29:04,239 --> 00:29:06,400
to produce fertile offspring
546
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,600
that are a mix in both appearance and
genetic terms.
547
00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:14,000
When mammals hybridise, they can have
a range of different outcomes
548
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,079
- one they can be completely infertile,
549
00:29:16,079 --> 00:29:19,239
and it can range all the way up to being
partly fertile
550
00:29:19,239 --> 00:29:20,800
to being completely fertile.
551
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,600
And the wildcat unfortunately has this
relationship with the domestic cat
552
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,519
where it produces fully fertile young.
553
00:29:25,519 --> 00:29:29,639
So once you get a young hybrid
wildcat/domestic cat,
554
00:29:29,639 --> 00:29:31,239
it can breed with a wildcat again
555
00:29:31,239 --> 00:29:34,720
and so you can keep on diluting the genes,
and this is a big problem.
556
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,800
Such a process could lead to what
experts call ‘genetic introgression’
557
00:29:41,079 --> 00:29:45,079
– an unstoppable decline in the
genetic authenticity of the wildcat.
558
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,319
We know from other parts of
European Wildcat range
559
00:29:49,319 --> 00:29:52,079
that it’s not exclusive to Scotland.
560
00:29:52,079 --> 00:29:54,319
It happens in Hungary quite a lot,
561
00:29:54,319 --> 00:29:59,200
it happens throughout other wildcat
populations in central Europe,
562
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,600
so it’s an ever growing problem
563
00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,039
- and that’s happened with other species
across the globe,
564
00:30:04,039 --> 00:30:07,639
so there are other examples of this
hybridisation issue.
565
00:30:08,239 --> 00:30:11,079
> Humans outside Africa are all hybrids;
566
00:30:11,079 --> 00:30:12,239
we are hybrids with Neanderthals,
567
00:30:12,239 --> 00:30:15,319
so we all carry some Neanderthal
genes around,
568
00:30:15,319 --> 00:30:16,800
but it doesn’t stop us being
Homo sapiens.
569
00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,319
So there are lots of species,
such as the European Bison
570
00:30:21,319 --> 00:30:23,720
which have genes from other species,
571
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,600
and yet they still look and behave
and breed and so on
572
00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:30,119
exactly like European Bison or whatever.
573
00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:33,560
So as long as the level of hybridisation
is low,
574
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,519
there’s no reason why wildcats
can’t survive
575
00:30:35,519 --> 00:30:39,079
and continue to look like wildcats
into the future.
576
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:44,680
Little is known about the
Scottish Wildcat’s
577
00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,119
early lifespan in the British Isles.
578
00:30:48,039 --> 00:30:51,039
Few written or documented mentions exist
579
00:30:51,039 --> 00:30:55,360
and so one must turn to the vagaries
of legend and fancies of folklore
580
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,600
to gain some insight into the animal’s
standing in tradition.
581
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:01,119
And even then,
582
00:31:01,119 --> 00:31:04,519
any such record may be riddled with
hyperbole and embellishment.
583
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,360
British storytelling is a synthesis
584
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:14,319
of Celtic, Scandinavian, Cumbric
and Northumbrian influences.
585
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:15,680
And of all these influences,
586
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,400
the Highland strongholds may well
have witnessed
587
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,239
the least impact upon an invigorating
oral tradition.
588
00:31:24,239 --> 00:31:27,720
The cat was a powerful totem of
many tribes.
589
00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,519
Indeed the Scottish place name ‘Caithness’
590
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:34,239
is named from the Clan of Catti, or
cat-people.
591
00:31:34,479 --> 00:31:38,239
And in Ireland the hero Fionn fought
the ‘cat-heads’
592
00:31:38,239 --> 00:31:42,000
– a warrior tribe who wore cat-skin on
their heads when heading into battle.
593
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:48,400
So, as often as not, some deep-rooted
integrity will out
594
00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:50,680
and with much digging and sturdy revision,
595
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,720
tiny essences of truth will emerge from
these muscular word-images
596
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,319
and age-old, capricious tales.
597
00:31:58,119 --> 00:32:02,039
And when they do so, a tiny bell chimes
deep in our subconscious.
598
00:32:04,239 --> 00:32:06,200
Cait Sith is a character
599
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:11,000
that appears in Scots, Irish, Welsh
and English traditional tales,
600
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:11,119
that appears in Scots, Irish, Welsh
and English traditional tales,
Such slippery, leftover scraps of story
601
00:32:11,119 --> 00:32:13,800
Such slippery, leftover scraps of story
602
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,479
undoubtedly reveal a sliver of meaning
and a trace of reason
603
00:32:17,479 --> 00:32:20,759
that enlighten us about its origins
in some ancient,
604
00:32:20,759 --> 00:32:25,759
probably much longer, story inspired by
the past-prevalence of Scottish Wildcats.
605
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:31,239
A repeated, and therefore fairly
dependable, description of Cait Sith
606
00:32:31,239 --> 00:32:35,119
shows it to be a large black cat with
a white spot on its chest.
607
00:32:36,239 --> 00:32:38,639
And as with all such characterizations,
608
00:32:38,639 --> 00:32:41,720
it was more than likely inspired by
a real animal.
609
00:32:44,119 --> 00:32:46,360
More down to earth, and much
more recent,
610
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:50,519
is the officially documented story
behind the Kellas Cat of our age.
611
00:32:51,479 --> 00:32:55,560
This small, black cat was named after
the village of Kellas in Moray,
612
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,079
where it was caught in a snare by a
gamekeeper in 1984.
613
00:33:00,039 --> 00:33:02,200
Though not a formal breed of cat,
614
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:06,000
it is a locally-adapted hybrid between
a domestic and wildcat.
615
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,680
In the 1980’s, there was a widespread
phenomenon
616
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:13,479
called the Kellas Cat which received
a lot of publicity.
617
00:33:13,479 --> 00:33:16,560
At the time people were saying they
might be a new species
618
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,439
or a new sub-species of cat or
something.
619
00:33:19,439 --> 00:33:21,319
But we wanted to have a look
at them in detail.
620
00:33:21,319 --> 00:33:25,280
So we analysed them in exactly the
same way that we would a wildcat
621
00:33:25,479 --> 00:33:28,759
and we found that in fact
by looking at the skulls
622
00:33:28,759 --> 00:33:30,200
they had a range of characters
623
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,639
which reflected the kind of range of
characters
624
00:33:32,639 --> 00:33:34,680
you see in hybrid cats in Scotland.
625
00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:37,280
When examined closely,
626
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,400
one Kellas cat was found to be a
melanistic wildcat
627
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,720
– in other words it had very dark skin
and hair
628
00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,600
because it has a higher than normal
level of melanin.
629
00:33:47,479 --> 00:33:51,159
Our conclusion was that they were
mostly hybrid wildcats,
630
00:33:51,159 --> 00:33:52,720
but they had the sort of dark fur,
631
00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:56,920
the melanistic fur which you also find in
domestic cats.
632
00:33:57,639 --> 00:33:59,119
Except for one particular cat,
633
00:33:59,119 --> 00:34:02,720
which looked as if it could actually have
been a melanistic wildcat.
634
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,159
The idea that there was in folklore
635
00:34:05,159 --> 00:34:08,639
a black wildcat or a mythical black cat
out there
636
00:34:08,639 --> 00:34:11,439
certainly could have some substance.
637
00:34:11,439 --> 00:34:14,280
Given that hybridisation has only occurred
638
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,280
probably intensively in the last
100 years,
639
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,400
it seems less likely that it’s because of
a hybrid,
640
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,200
so I think it could be that there were
641
00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,680
just a small number of melanistic
wildcats.
642
00:34:30,879 --> 00:34:33,280
Several British zoos and wildlife centres
643
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:37,839
are also involved in helping to secure
and even boost wildcat populations.
644
00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,159
The captive population is one where we
want to maintain a good gene diversity
645
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,039
for captive wildcats, but also
a good population and number,
646
00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:50,200
and this is done both here at the
Highland Wildlife Park,
647
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,360
but also at other collections,
648
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:57,000
both zoological collections and
private collections across the UK
649
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,200
to the point where we have a population
of about 80 captive wildcats now,
650
00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,119
which we’re hoping to build up
and increase the gene diversity
651
00:35:05,119 --> 00:35:09,360
so that eventually it could be a
population used for reintroduction.
652
00:35:10,879 --> 00:35:13,839
Aigas Field Centre in Beauly,
Inverness-shire,
653
00:35:13,839 --> 00:35:16,000
has been one of the leading lights in
the struggle
654
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,159
to ensure the survival of the wildcat.
655
00:35:19,319 --> 00:35:23,280
Founded in 1976 it is run by
conservationist and writer
656
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:24,759
Sir John Lister-Kaye.
657
00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,119
I was always interested in
environmental education,
658
00:35:29,119 --> 00:35:31,479
which goes hand in hand with nature
conservation;
659
00:35:31,479 --> 00:35:35,159
the two really need to work side by side.
660
00:35:35,159 --> 00:35:39,079
And because I had been to field study
centres in other parts of the world
661
00:35:39,079 --> 00:35:42,759
and there was no interpretive facility for
the natural environment
662
00:35:42,959 --> 00:35:47,639
in the Highlands at all
in the 1960s and '70s,
663
00:35:47,639 --> 00:35:50,159
I thought it would be fun to try and
pioneer it here.
664
00:35:50,159 --> 00:35:52,959
And people thought I was completely
barking,
665
00:35:52,959 --> 00:35:54,600
and they were probably right,
666
00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,680
but I'm stubborn and I stuck to it
667
00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,079
- and amazingly we've managed to
survive for forty years.
668
00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,800
Aigas is a long-established centre for
learning holidays and study courses
669
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:11,079
that explore the full range of fauna and
flora in the Highland landscapes.
670
00:36:12,039 --> 00:36:15,920
It's a combination of an education
programme for schools,
671
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:19,439
a nature conservation project
based activity
672
00:36:19,439 --> 00:36:22,439
- which keeps evolving -
673
00:36:22,439 --> 00:36:25,800
and then an eco-tourism project on
the top of it.
674
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,959
All based here on this little estate.
675
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,039
Since 2011, Aigas has been a leading
contributor
676
00:36:34,039 --> 00:36:37,039
to the programme of measures
designed to safeguard the future
677
00:36:37,039 --> 00:36:38,439
of the Scottish Wildcat.
678
00:36:39,039 --> 00:36:43,720
Nature conservation simply hasn’t been on
the political agenda.
679
00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:46,759
In fact it’s been starved
really very badly.
680
00:36:46,759 --> 00:36:49,839
It’s been very difficult to get the
Government fired up
681
00:36:49,839 --> 00:36:52,280
to do something about Scottish Wildcats.
682
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:57,159
So when, finally, there was genuine
interest at Government level,
683
00:36:57,159 --> 00:37:03,000
I thought, “this is good news
and it needs supporting”.
684
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:08,360
We opted for captive breeding because
that is what is so urgently needed.
685
00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,119
And while some of the scientists are
out there monitoring habitat
686
00:37:11,159 --> 00:37:13,159
and assessing prey
687
00:37:13,159 --> 00:37:15,639
and doing educational projects
and things,
688
00:37:15,639 --> 00:37:21,039
we can get on actually producing a
stock of captive bred wildcats
689
00:37:21,039 --> 00:37:24,839
which potentially will be suitable for
release one day.
690
00:37:26,439 --> 00:37:30,479
As a result of excellent care, patience
and knowledge,
691
00:37:30,479 --> 00:37:34,600
Aigas Field Centre now has two
breeding pairs of wildcats.
692
00:37:35,319 --> 00:37:38,360
And, appropriately, these young
animals have Scottish names
693
00:37:39,119 --> 00:37:41,200
– Hamish and Tanna,
694
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:42,560
Isla and Coll.
695
00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:47,759
All the cats within the captive breeding
project have to be genetically tested
696
00:37:47,759 --> 00:37:49,759
to find out their purity.
697
00:37:49,759 --> 00:37:55,159
Thankfully our cats are over the
threshold, which is above 75%
698
00:37:55,159 --> 00:37:58,600
- so ours sit between 88 and 89% -
699
00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,680
and that means that they can go on to
breed and hopefully
700
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:07,720
produce good offspring that can then be
moved around the captive population
701
00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:12,000
and over time the diversity of those
genetics will increase.
702
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:16,680
> So on top of the physical and mental
stimulations that we’ll have to do
703
00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,159
with the captive population to prepare
them
704
00:38:19,159 --> 00:38:21,800
for future release from the captive
environment,
705
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,360
we also have to look at the release sites
and make sure
706
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:29,400
that those have the right resources that
could hold reintroduced populations.
707
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:30,600
So further down the line
708
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:34,600
we will carry out prey surveys, habitat
surveys, threat surveys
709
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:37,119
and ensure that any
potential release sites
710
00:38:37,119 --> 00:38:40,800
are designed in such a way or
arranged in such a way
711
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:44,439
that there’s potential for future
connectivity between populations.
712
00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,400
What we know is that any future release
of wildcats
713
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,839
is going to be a very long and ongoing
project,
714
00:38:50,839 --> 00:38:53,439
but hopefully within the next two,
three, four years
715
00:38:53,439 --> 00:38:55,720
we’ll have carried out trial releases,
716
00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:58,239
and that will give us a much better
understanding
717
00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:02,119
of the larger scale releases that we
intend to do.
718
00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:08,200
The weather is fine and
conditions are ideal;
719
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:10,879
the search for the
Scottish Wildcat continues.
720
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:16,239
This area is known locally as one that
the wildcat often frequents.
721
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,839
The crew has been on the alert since
early morning
722
00:39:20,839 --> 00:39:22,920
and the cameras are on standby.
723
00:39:23,879 --> 00:39:25,479
This is a waiting game.
724
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,720
After a search period
that has lasted six weeks,
725
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:33,039
the crew has learned more
about the territories
726
00:39:33,039 --> 00:39:34,959
of the wildcats they are seeking.
727
00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:37,560
Nicknamed ‘Lady & Angus’
728
00:39:38,119 --> 00:39:38,920
there are two animals
729
00:39:39,119 --> 00:39:40,759
in this particular area.
730
00:39:42,879 --> 00:39:46,560
Pursuing an animal that is rarely
observed and even harder to detect,
731
00:39:46,879 --> 00:39:50,319
comes with its fair share of
disappointment and frustration.
732
00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:53,839
However, patience is not without its
rewards:
733
00:39:54,759 --> 00:39:57,879
for example, on a shoot during a
particularly gloomy day
734
00:39:57,879 --> 00:40:01,560
when morale was somewhat low and
time seemed to crawl by,
735
00:40:02,159 --> 00:40:05,720
from out of some lofty nowhere, a
Barn Owl flashes past.
736
00:40:07,039 --> 00:40:09,319
It was as if an archangel had descended
737
00:40:09,319 --> 00:40:12,720
to renew the film crew’s sense of
purpose and morale!
738
00:40:17,879 --> 00:40:21,720
The preservation of the remaining
wildcats is a two-pronged approach:
739
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:26,920
trap-neuter-vaccinate-release
(TNVR for short)
740
00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:31,280
is designed to reduce risks to any
wildcats in the Priority Areas.
741
00:40:32,079 --> 00:40:34,839
Both the breeding programme
and TNVR system
742
00:40:34,839 --> 00:40:39,239
need to be working in tandem if we are
to safeguard the wildcat’s future.
743
00:40:40,039 --> 00:40:43,639
TNVR is an effective method
- that’s used all over the world -
744
00:40:43,639 --> 00:40:46,079
effective method of feral cat control.
745
00:40:46,079 --> 00:40:50,759
It has been proven to have much higher
success than just shooting cats.
746
00:40:50,759 --> 00:40:52,400
If you go out and cull cats,
747
00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:56,600
all you do is create a vacuum and other
cats will just move in,
748
00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:59,800
and those cats might not be healthy,
they might have disease.
749
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:03,200
So with TNVR, you’re creating a healthy,
stable population of feral cats
750
00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:05,959
that cannot breed, and they cannot
breed with wildcats,
751
00:41:05,959 --> 00:41:09,800
so they are what we call wildcat friendly
feral cats.
752
00:41:10,159 --> 00:41:11,639
The system works like this:
753
00:41:12,039 --> 00:41:13,479
a feral cat is trapped,
754
00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:15,360
neutered,
755
00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:16,680
vaccinated
756
00:41:17,159 --> 00:41:18,959
and then released back into the wild.
757
00:41:20,319 --> 00:41:22,800
All these are feral cats,
they don’t have owners.
758
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:24,800
We make sure there are no wildcats
in the area
759
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,439
that we might trap accidentally for
example,
760
00:41:27,439 --> 00:41:30,560
so we do a lot of work on the ground
before we even put traps out.
761
00:41:31,879 --> 00:41:33,159
I'll just pull this trap out.
762
00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,239
Generally the cats that we're going to
trap, we know exactly who the cat is
763
00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:42,119
because we have a camera out for weeks,
maybe even months beforehand.
764
00:41:42,119 --> 00:41:44,079
We make sure that it's not someone's
pet cat,
765
00:41:44,079 --> 00:41:48,039
so we have photos printed of the cats,
we take them round to all the local houses
766
00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:51,119
and we try to find out if the cat is
owned or not.
767
00:41:51,119 --> 00:41:52,479
Then we do pre-baiting,
768
00:41:52,479 --> 00:41:55,800
so we lock these cages open and put
the food inside
769
00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:57,439
and we film the cats coming in.
770
00:41:57,439 --> 00:42:00,079
And only when we are sure of who the
cat is,
771
00:42:00,079 --> 00:42:01,519
that it's not an owned cat,
772
00:42:01,519 --> 00:42:03,600
and we're sure that they'll come in and
take the food,
773
00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,239
then we set the traps - and then we start
checking them every night
774
00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,159
- and hopefully, we catch something.
775
00:42:08,319 --> 00:42:11,959
We have these handheld microchip scanners,
like this one,
776
00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:15,000
and all you do is run it over the cat in
the trap
777
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,439
- you can do it with the cover on so you
don't stress the cat
778
00:42:17,439 --> 00:42:19,439
- and it beeps and tells us a microchip
number.
779
00:42:19,439 --> 00:42:21,920
So if that cat is microchipped,
I know it's somebody's pet.
780
00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:25,319
We can find out if it’s stray and if it
is, we can get it returned to the owner.
781
00:42:25,519 --> 00:42:30,400
And we do various other things - and
the simplest one is the food bag test.
782
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:34,400
If you rustle a food bag
or a pouch like this,
783
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:38,879
a pet cat will meow at you and will know
that sound and they know it's food,
784
00:42:38,879 --> 00:42:43,360
whereas a feral cat who's never been
owned will not know that sound
785
00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:45,800
and they would be very anxious still.
786
00:42:46,639 --> 00:42:50,479
We usually set traps, like this one,
in the evening
787
00:42:50,479 --> 00:42:52,519
around seven or eight o'clock.
788
00:42:52,959 --> 00:42:56,000
The reason being that we don't want to
leave cats in the traps
789
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,159
any longer than necessary,
790
00:42:57,159 --> 00:43:00,639
so we check traps every 12 hours.
791
00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:03,879
If there's a cat inside the trap we get it
to the vets as soon as possible.
792
00:43:03,959 --> 00:43:07,600
We work very closely with the local vets,
the local vet practices,
793
00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:11,039
so they know that cats are coming in,
so the vets then neuter the cats for us.
794
00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:14,639
We do quick blood tests on them to
check whether they have any disease,
795
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:16,759
if they don’t and they’re all healthy,
796
00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:21,519
we vaccinate them against common
feline diseases like feline leukaemia,
797
00:43:21,519 --> 00:43:23,720
which is a fatal disease for cats,
798
00:43:23,720 --> 00:43:27,159
and diseases like cat flu.
799
00:43:27,159 --> 00:43:29,839
So we vaccinate the cats and then we
return them,
800
00:43:29,839 --> 00:43:33,400
so they’re put exactly where we caught
them and let go.
801
00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:36,159
Generally we leave some food out
802
00:43:36,159 --> 00:43:39,000
for at least a couple of nights with
a camera
803
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,479
and we just check that the cats are fine
and that they're coming back.
804
00:43:41,479 --> 00:43:44,920
We give them something to eat so that
if they're feeling a bit groggy,
805
00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:46,639
they don't have to fend for themselves.
806
00:43:48,159 --> 00:43:52,680
As the greatest threats to the wildcat are
interbreeding and spread of disease,
807
00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:57,200
the neutering and vaccination of other
cats will aid in protecting the wildcat,
808
00:43:58,159 --> 00:44:01,239
while captive bred individuals will
in future be released
809
00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,759
to reinforce the population in the wild.
810
00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,519
Another big part of what this project
does is monitoring
811
00:44:08,519 --> 00:44:12,280
and the purpose of the monitoring is
really to inform our conservation action,
812
00:44:12,479 --> 00:44:14,759
so we need to know where are all the
wild living cats,
813
00:44:14,759 --> 00:44:16,839
where do we need to target our
conservation work.
814
00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:20,639
So what the monitoring programme
does is to use trail cameras
815
00:44:20,639 --> 00:44:23,280
to survey huge areas of the Priority Areas
816
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,800
and find out where are
the wild living cats
817
00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,600
- and that includes wildcats, hybrid cats
and feral domestic cats.
818
00:44:30,079 --> 00:44:31,800
Generally it happens over the winter,
819
00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,360
and that’s because it’s the best time to
find wildcats.
820
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:38,600
The cats are hungry, so they’ll come to
bait that we put next to the camera trap
821
00:44:39,159 --> 00:44:41,319
and the males tend to be wandering
a lot more
822
00:44:41,319 --> 00:44:43,039
because it’s the beginning of the
breeding season,
823
00:44:43,039 --> 00:44:45,360
so the males are wandering about
looking for females.
824
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:47,000
We train up local volunteers,
825
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,319
they run the cameras for us over a
couple of months over winter,
826
00:44:49,639 --> 00:44:51,800
then we spend a long time going
through all that data
827
00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:55,439
and then we can target the
trap-neuter-vaccinate-release programme
828
00:44:55,439 --> 00:44:57,280
throughout the rest of the year.
829
00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,159
We rely on public sightings as well, we
get data that way.
830
00:45:00,159 --> 00:45:02,800
We also get data from roadkill,
unfortunately,
831
00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:05,560
but we get data from dead cats to
give us locations.
832
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:09,239
But trail cameras are really the core of
all the survey work that we do.
833
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,639
She scuffs paw-prints in fresh snow
834
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:19,280
– blunted, shallow;
835
00:45:20,639 --> 00:45:24,439
a low-slung sun burnishing
her bridging back.
836
00:45:24,959 --> 00:45:25,959
Heads north,
837
00:45:26,439 --> 00:45:28,280
ranging over a netherworld,
838
00:45:29,439 --> 00:45:33,800
tasting salt in the air as she slopes
towards a drab sea.
839
00:45:35,759 --> 00:45:37,159
It is a wide land:
840
00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:40,400
once plenteous, now tightfisted –
841
00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:43,680
this is no courteous domain,
842
00:45:44,039 --> 00:45:45,560
no gallant land.
843
00:45:46,839 --> 00:45:50,400
And this windswept shoreline will offer
no abundance.
844
00:45:51,319 --> 00:45:53,119
Behind, there is clamour,
845
00:45:53,439 --> 00:45:54,560
voices raised,
846
00:45:55,079 --> 00:45:56,079
tempers taut.
847
00:45:58,239 --> 00:45:59,239
Almond-eyed,
848
00:45:59,639 --> 00:46:02,439
she surveys left, right and ahead.
849
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:07,239
A salted, north-tethered wind
dampens her nostrils:
850
00:46:08,479 --> 00:46:11,560
amid the clamour of gulls
and the lash of waves,
851
00:46:12,039 --> 00:46:13,039
she turns,
852
00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:15,079
raises her head to the sun,
853
00:46:15,479 --> 00:46:16,479
defiantly,
854
00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:18,239
and pads,
855
00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:19,360
purposefully,
856
00:46:20,079 --> 00:46:21,639
back to her forest kin.
857
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:34,879
All organisations involved in the
preservation of the wildcat
858
00:46:34,879 --> 00:46:37,639
promote responsible domestic cat
ownership.
859
00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:42,959
And as wildcats can interbreed with
both domestic and feral cats,
860
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,479
there is a threat that such reduction of
the wildcat gene-pool
861
00:46:46,479 --> 00:46:51,159
could lead, eventually, to genetic
dilution, and ultimately, to extinction.
862
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:54,280
People living in the countryside
owning cats,
863
00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:55,200
they can help a lot
864
00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:59,639
by making sure that their cat is neutered,
is vaccinated and is microchipped.
865
00:46:59,639 --> 00:47:01,600
And that way, they are helping to save
866
00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:04,879
this enigmatic and iconic Scottish
species from extinction.
867
00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:08,000
Each wildlife centre promotes programmes
868
00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,560
that are designed to introduce and
enlighten people
869
00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:13,239
about the animals they may encounter
during a visit.
870
00:47:14,439 --> 00:47:17,959
Formal education events feature strongly
with school visits
871
00:47:17,959 --> 00:47:21,519
and learning programmes or children,
young people and adults.
872
00:47:22,519 --> 00:47:25,119
We rely on people telling us where the
feral cats are
873
00:47:25,119 --> 00:47:27,560
so that we can go in and
trap and neuter and vaccinate them.
874
00:47:27,759 --> 00:47:29,560
So we’ve done a lot of work
with local schools
875
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:33,360
on identifying your pet cat,
microchipping your pet cat
876
00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:36,639
- getting people involved in responsible
pet cat ownership,
877
00:47:36,639 --> 00:47:40,439
so that they can take ownership of
some of the issues affecting wildcats
878
00:47:40,439 --> 00:47:42,600
and help us to protect them.
879
00:47:43,159 --> 00:47:46,639
Having these evenings, people get to
meet other like minded people,
880
00:47:46,639 --> 00:47:50,119
so you get a sense of community about
the wildcat project,
881
00:47:50,119 --> 00:47:52,439
because all these people are coming to
the same events together
882
00:47:52,439 --> 00:47:54,519
and talking about their own experiences
883
00:47:54,519 --> 00:47:59,680
- you know, how often does your cat visit,
and whereabouts they are,
884
00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:01,720
and some people have been watching
these cats
885
00:48:01,720 --> 00:48:04,560
for almost two years now on camera.
886
00:48:04,560 --> 00:48:07,079
They’re very familiar with them, they’ve
become quite personal to them,
887
00:48:07,079 --> 00:48:08,600
and they’ve become the researchers.
888
00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:11,000
They tell me now about the
cat’s habits
889
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:12,920
and how often the cat’s returning
890
00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,800
and they know a lot of information
about these individual cats,
891
00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:20,479
which we’ve not really been able to do
very much on this level before,
892
00:48:20,479 --> 00:48:24,360
have that kind of intimate knowledge about
wildcats because they’re so elusive.
893
00:48:25,639 --> 00:48:27,800
Public engagement of this kind
is essential
894
00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:30,680
if a clear understanding
of the plight of the wildcat
895
00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:34,800
is to be understood and addressed
not just by professional conservationists
896
00:48:34,800 --> 00:48:36,800
but also by the public at large.
897
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:40,039
We do a huge amount of community
engagement work.
898
00:48:40,039 --> 00:48:44,280
We have volunteers running the survey
for us over the winter,
899
00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:47,360
we have volunteers involved in the
trap-neuter-vaccinate-release programme,
900
00:48:47,600 --> 00:48:50,400
and we’ve had volunteers out trapping
for us over the winter,
901
00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:53,239
we have vets that work for us on a
voluntary basis.
902
00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:55,479
And these are all local people
903
00:48:55,479 --> 00:48:58,639
that in a lot of cases had no idea
904
00:48:58,639 --> 00:49:03,159
there were wildcats living sometimes
quite literally on their doorstep.
905
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:06,879
A wider constituency of interest
and action
906
00:49:06,879 --> 00:49:10,879
will ensure a speedier solution to saving
this threatened species.
907
00:49:12,479 --> 00:49:14,119
Generally just raise awareness!
908
00:49:14,119 --> 00:49:17,479
Raise awareness within communities
909
00:49:17,479 --> 00:49:20,360
and make it known that
910
00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:24,639
we have this amazing,
charismatic creature in the UK
911
00:49:24,639 --> 00:49:27,039
and it really needs saving.
912
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,119
> I would love everybody who is
interested in the wildcat
913
00:49:30,119 --> 00:49:31,439
to write to their MP saying
914
00:49:31,439 --> 00:49:33,720
"I do hope that you're urging the
Government to get on
915
00:49:33,720 --> 00:49:35,519
with conserving wildcats".
916
00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:37,400
Because people pressure!
917
00:49:37,839 --> 00:49:41,039
And, you know, I'm old fashioned and I
don't properly understand social media,
918
00:49:41,039 --> 00:49:43,000
but I believe that
919
00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,000
if Donald Trump can get all these tweets
920
00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:49,039
and Facebook pages and whatever else,
921
00:49:49,039 --> 00:49:52,360
then we ought to be able to get a few,
come on! Shouldn't we?
922
00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:52,400
then we ought to be able to get a few,
come on! Shouldn't we?
[Laughter]
923
00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:54,680
[Laughter]
924
00:49:55,360 --> 00:49:57,600
Whatever the fate of the Scottish Wildcat,
925
00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:01,000
its place in Celtic mythology
is forever established.
926
00:50:02,039 --> 00:50:04,119
Within that extravagant folklore,
927
00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:08,200
the Cait Sith is a fairy creature whose
origin was, most likely,
928
00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:09,879
inspired by the wildcat.
929
00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:13,680
Within the realms of the oral tradition,
930
00:50:14,119 --> 00:50:17,159
Cait Sith continues to haunt the Highlands
931
00:50:17,159 --> 00:50:20,400
and like so many other
such mystical characters,
932
00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:24,959
continues to play out fictional adventures
across the province of the imagination.
933
00:50:27,319 --> 00:50:30,159
In reality, the wildcat’s future relies
934
00:50:30,159 --> 00:50:33,959
not just on the efforts of the many
hard-working people and organisations
935
00:50:34,159 --> 00:50:36,879
that seek to preserve
this spellbinding animal;
936
00:50:38,119 --> 00:50:41,039
it also lies in the hands of the public at
large
937
00:50:41,519 --> 00:50:43,079
– and not just in Scotland,
938
00:50:43,319 --> 00:50:45,439
but throughout the United Kingdom,
939
00:50:45,879 --> 00:50:48,879
for this is a threatened British species.
940
00:50:51,439 --> 00:50:55,400
I think the future for the wildcat
is uncertain.
941
00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:59,319
The positive thing is that
it’s quite late in the day,
942
00:50:59,319 --> 00:51:03,479
but there are now a lot of people
focusing their full attention
943
00:51:03,479 --> 00:51:06,879
on making sure that that species
doesn’t go extinct.
944
00:51:07,039 --> 00:51:10,400
Hopefully, optimistically,
with all of these people
945
00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:11,959
fighting for wildcats,
946
00:51:12,639 --> 00:51:17,079
we’re not at the stage where we’re
going to lose that species forever.
947
00:51:17,119 --> 00:51:19,000
> I think there’s an awful long way to go
948
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,639
before we can be certain
that we can save it.
949
00:51:21,639 --> 00:51:24,920
The news of the wild is that there are
very many hybrids out there
950
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:28,560
and we’re not finding very many
good-looking wildcats at all.
951
00:51:29,079 --> 00:51:32,439
And I suspect that we will probably have
to use a combination
952
00:51:32,439 --> 00:51:35,319
of more intensive management of the
wild population
953
00:51:35,319 --> 00:51:38,159
but also reintroduction of
captive bred wildcats
954
00:51:38,159 --> 00:51:40,800
- actually the captive bred population
955
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:42,400
looks a lot better than
the wild population,
956
00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:43,600
so I think there’s hope there.
957
00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:45,400
We do have some good cats,
958
00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:48,479
and eventually we could reintroduce
them into these areas
959
00:51:48,479 --> 00:51:50,680
and hopefully reinforce those populations.
960
00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:52,200
> It’s a collaboration between
961
00:51:52,200 --> 00:51:54,600
the work being done in-situ and ex-situ,
962
00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:56,720
so there’s multiple approaches
being taken.
963
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,000
We’re not relying on the sole strategy
of the captive breeding programme
964
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:03,039
or the sole strategy of the
trap-neuter-release programme.
965
00:52:03,039 --> 00:52:05,000
There’s so many bodies involved
966
00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:08,920
that I think it has a strong possibility
and a strong potential
967
00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:11,519
to be able to pull this back.
968
00:52:11,839 --> 00:52:15,360
> Nature conservation in my lifetime
969
00:52:16,200 --> 00:52:19,360
has always been two steps forward,
one step back,
970
00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:21,959
and I think that’s exactly what’s
going to happen.
971
00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:25,800
We have to keep making the
two steps forward,
972
00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:28,079
whether it’s with Red Squirrels,
or whether it’s with wildcats
973
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:31,119
or whether it’s with beavers
or anything else.
974
00:52:31,479 --> 00:52:34,519
But inevitably, we’re going to get
knocked back,
975
00:52:35,159 --> 00:52:36,479
but you just mustn’t give up.
976
00:52:37,800 --> 00:52:41,079
Much valuable scientific research and
practical work
977
00:52:41,079 --> 00:52:44,959
is currently under way to save
and preserve the Scottish Wildcat
978
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:48,720
– but whatever the charismatic
animal’s future,
979
00:52:48,720 --> 00:52:50,800
be it survival or extinction,
980
00:52:51,119 --> 00:52:53,759
its presence,
whether physical or otherworldly,
981
00:52:54,400 --> 00:52:56,280
will continue to forever enrich
982
00:52:56,280 --> 00:53:00,000
the fertile narrative of the
Highlands of Scotland.
84316
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