大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - Wildcat spotting: how can you tell it鈥檚 not just a regular cat?

Wildcat spotting: how can you tell it鈥檚 not just a regular cat?

26 October 2018

There are thought to be fewer than 300 Scottish wildcats (Felis silvestris grampia, also know as the ‘Highlands tiger’) left in the wild.

This subspecies of the European Wildcat is now considered ‘vulnerable’, in terms of its worldwide conservation status. Cross-breeding with domestic and feral cats has drastically reduced their numbers.

How to spot a wildcat

The Scottish wildcat - beautiful, powerful, and on the edge of extinction.

If you’re lucky enough to see one in the wild, how will you be able to tell it apart from a feral cat? Here are some key differences:-

The wildcat is bigger than domestic ones
They have a thick black-ringed tail
Their skulls are heavier and more robust
They don’t have white feet
As well as being elusive they are somewhat less friendly than your average cat — you have been warned!