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Wildcat kittens born in Cairngorms National Park
The project's cameras have caught footage of the kittens in the wild.
Saving Wildcats conservation project celebrates success.

Scottish wildcat kittens have been born in the wild in the Cairngorms National Park, marking a major milestone for a conservation project.

Last summer, 19 captive-bred wildcats were released as part of the Saving Wildcats project, which is led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Since then, the cats have been monitored with the help of GPS collars. At least two of the females have given birth this year.

Keri Langridge, Saving Wildcats field manager, said: “We suspected that some of the females had given birth when their movement and activity changed very suddenly, but didn’t know for sure until footage of the kittens was captured on our cameras.”

The mothers and kittens are being monitored, with care being taken not to disturb them. Once the kittens are old enough, the team will attempt to take DNA profiles to make certain that they are the offspring of male wildcats.

Scottish wildcats have become at risk of extinction in recent years, and interbreeding with domestic cats is one of the dangers the species faces. To minimise the chances of this happening, the Saving Wildcats project has been neutering feral domestic cats in the local area. Cat owners in the area have also been urged to make sure their pet cats are neutered.

Helen Senn, lead for Saving Wildcats, said: “This is a major milestone for wildcat recovery in Scotland.

“These births demonstrate that the process of breeding wildcats for release into the wild is working, as those released animals have learned to hunt and survive – and now reproduce in their first breeding season, a clear indication that they are doing well.”

Image © Saving Wildcats

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA survey investigates sheep worrying

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched its latest survey to better understand the severity of sheep worrying in the UK.

The survey will be open until Friday, 21 February 2025. UK sheep farmers are invited to share their experiences of sheep worrying by dogs and its impact on the industry.

NSA has been gathering information about sheep worrying for over 10 years as part of its campaign to raise awareness of incidents and produce new ways of educating the public.

Sheep worrying, often caused by dogs being loose near fields, can result in physical injury, miscarriage and death of animals affected.

The results of the survey will be shared with interested parties, including the UK press, before spring and ahead of lambing season next year.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit NSA's website.