Scottish wildcats: Second year kittens are born in Scotland
- Published
It is hoped the kittens could be released into the wild in the Cairngorms National Park next year.
There's a pitter patter of tiny paws at a wildlife park in Scotland.
Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms National Park has welcomed not one, not two but four litters of Scottish Wildcat kittens.
The 11 wildcat kittens are part of the conservation project by Saving Wildcats, which is trying to bring the species back from the "brink of extinction".
It's the second year in a row that wildcats have been born at the centre.
The wildcats parents to the latest litter are called Droma, Fruin, Fian and Torr.
Droma and Fruin had four kittens each, Fian gave birth to two and Torr had one.
When their kittens are old enough they will be released into the wild to carefully selected locations to begin to restore the population.
The conservation project is being led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
How rare are wildcats?
They are one of the UK's rarest and most endangered animals.
David Barclay, conservation manager at the Saving Wildcats team, said the kittens would "play an important role in securing a future for the species.
"Over the next year, the wildcats will be prepared for the challenges of life in the wild.
"Once they are independent and no longer reliant on their mums, they will move into large pre-release enclosures designed to support natural development and reduce exposure to humans and disturbance.
"Everything we learn from the wildcat releases which have begun this year will help to inform the future releases and ensure they are as successful as possible."
What are wildcats like?
Wildcats might not look so different from a pet cat you might have at home, but they are about twice as big, with a wider face and much thicker fur.
We think they've been living in Britain since the last Ice Age, and were even once rumoured to be man-eating predators, but in reality they are incredibly shy and actively avoid humans.
They hunt small animals like mice and rabbits, and wildlife experts are hoping they can become an important part of the food chain once released into the wild, to help keep rabbit and mice numbers from getting too big.
