Highland Wildlife Park welcomes new arrivals

Two rare Scottish wildcat kittens have been born at the Highland Wildlife Park.

The female kittens have been named Ness and Einich, in keeping with the park’s tradition to name wildcats after lochs, and have just started to explore outside their den.

Ness and Einich were born late in the season to mum Betidh and the park’s resident mature male wildcat, Hamish.

Scottish wildcats are a native icon under threat and it is hoped that Ness and Einich will play a significant role in the conservation breeding programme, as part of the new Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan.

The action plan was unveiled on September 24 and the Highland Wildlife Park is set to be one of the main sites to host a population for breeding and possible reintroduction.

Douglas Richardson, head of living collections at the park and steering group member of the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group, says: “The appearance of these wildcat kittens is the latest such event in the wildlife park’s long history of breeding the species.

"But with the Wildcat Action Plan, the contribution that these little chaps may make in the future to their species’ survival will hopefully be more impactful.”

There are currently no reliable population estimates of the Scottish wildcats, but experts agree that it is one of the UK’s most endangered mammals.

Their biggest threat is hybridisation with feral populations of domestic cats and the park’s keepers work hard to explain the importance of responsible pet ownership.

Scottish wildcats are the only wild member of the cat family to survive in Britain; however, their elusive nature makes them extremely difficult to spot in the wild.

Visitors to the park will have a rare opportunity to see wildcat kittens up close as they explore their enclosure, but due to their shy nature, a little patience may be required.

Image courtesy of Alex Riddell