The project aims to save the species from extinction.
Twenty-two critically-endangered wildcats have been released into a Scottish National Park, in an effort to save them from extinction.
The release of the wildcats, known as ‘Highland Tigers’, was organised by the Saving Wildcats conservation project and led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The cats, which were born in a conservation breeding for release centre at Highland Wildlife Park in 2022, now reside in undisclosed locations within the Cairngorms National Park.
The project has taken years of preparations, drawing on global conservation and scientific expertise to develop an understanding of wildcat ecology and behaviour.
The Saving Wildcats conservation team will now closely observe the wildcats as they adapt to the wild, while also preparing the next generation for release next year.
These trial releases mark the first ever conservation translocation of the animal in Britain, and the project aims to release approximately 60 wildcats over the next three years.
David Field, chair of the Saving Wildcats Project board and chief executive officer of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “We are delighted that the Saving Wildcats partnership has taken this historic step towards securing a future for the species in Scotland.
“The time is now to give the ‘Highland Tiger’ the best chance of survival and I am thankful for the work of our team members, partners and supporters in making this happen.
“I am also particularly grateful for the support of our local community in the Cairngorms as, without their engagement, we would not have reached this exciting milestone.”
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