Thousands back plan for first Scottish wildcat reserve
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Scottish wildcats are 70 times more elusive than the giant panda.
More than 800,000 people have backed a plan for the first-ever wildcat reserve in Scotland.
Estimates suggest there are only around 30 Scottish wildcats left in the wild, making them 70 times rarer than the giant panda. Their last remaining stronghold is in the Clashindarroch Forest, Aberdeenshire.
Wildcat Haven - the only organisation focused solely on protecting the wildcat in the wild - discovered a stronghold of 13 wildcats living in the forest. However, the whole area is under threat from logging by government agencies.
Wildcat Haven subsequently launched a petition to stop the logging of the Clashindarroch and make it a protected area. More than 813,000 people have now signed the petition, making it the biggest British wildlife petition of all time.
Dr Paul O’Donoghue said: "The Clashindarroch is the best site in Scotland for the wildcat and the population we have found there is utterly priceless and offers great hope for the future of the species.
"It is astonishing that the last stronghold is being destroyed by the very government that is supposed to be saving it. If there were 13 pandas in there then it wouldn’t be logged and so why is the magnificent Scottish wildcat suffering this fate."
A legal submission has been made to Scottish Natural Heritage setting out their duty to notify the site for designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) making the Clashindarroch the first and only wildcat reserve in Scotland.
Dr O'Donoghue added: "The support for our plans to get SSSI status for the Clashindarroch is simply unprecedented and cannot be ignored by the government. The people have spoken and the message is clear. Save the wildcat in the wild where they belong."
RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.
