General

We are pretty sure our black-footed cat female Diva gave birth, 1-2 days ago, but she isn’t allowing any one to see just yet. Like a true protective mommy she is hiding in the dark end of the den. When there is more news we will let you know.

Our other female Beauty and her kitten are still doing great as well!!! Exciting times!

We are especially pleased with the recent births because black footed cats are a relatively rare species. Also, they are difficult to breed.

– Wild Cats World ambassadors at Cat Conservation Trust –

The current WCW project are:

• Spotted Cats Conservation Project /WCW Leopard Conservation Project S.A.
  Projects and investments in South Africa since 2011 for captive animals (leopard, cheetah, African wildcat, caracal, serval, black-footed cat).
  Currently the project is situated on Holmes farm near Cradock (Black-footed cats).
• Javan leopard release program (JLRP), started in 2013
  Cooperation with Wanicare foundation / Cikananga Sanctuary Java/Indonesia to release wild captured leopards (in conflicts with humans) in the wild again.
• Nepal Leopard Release Project
  Educational and awareness project in association with Jane Goodall Institute.
• Madame “X” Project Huge semi-wild project for lions and cheetahs
  This is a private project for celebrity Madame “X”; we respect her wishes not to reveal her name and location and are very honoured she asked Babette de Jonge & Wild Cats World to represent and help her in this wonderful project.

250 square mile region of West Highlands now feral cat free according to survey by pro-neutering Wildcat Haven project, halting risk of hybridisation to the critically endangered Scottish wildcat

After a decade of bad news for the Scottish wildcat, in which population estimates have plunged from thousands to less than 35, largely due to cross-mating with feral domestic cats, there is now real hope that the species can be saved from extinction.

The Wildcat Haven project in Ardnamurchan and Sunart in the West Highlands, established by the Scottish Wildcat Association to conserve the species by neutering away its primary threat, has announced that after five years of intensive planning, trials and fieldwork funded primarily by grants from US foundations, that the 250 square mile project region appears free of feral cats and feline diseases.

“Cats of any kind are notoriously difficult to survey,” explains project chief scientific advisor Dr Paul O’Donoghue, “however a summer survey turned up nothing and over the last six months we’ve really saturated the area with live traps, cameras, vets and ecologists, and had lots of people from the local community out looking as well. The only feral cats seen have already been neutered, which means the population should collapse naturally within the next couple of years. Once verified, this will be the first time feral cats have been removed from such a large mainland area anywhere in the world.”

Based on a peninsula with a small land bridge, the area is protected by a large, heavily monitored and camera trapped buffer zone at a geographic bottleneck which feral cats cannot migrate past. Further surveys are being carried out and the local community asked to report any sightings, but now the project has its eyes firmly set on the next phase.

“Our goal is to establish populations of genetically pure wildcats,” Explains Dr O’Donoghue, “we are determined not to settle for second best or to settle for a bunch of tabbies that bear a resemblance to wildcats. Protecting anything less than the pure Scottish wildcat will condemn the species to extinction.

“The behaviour of feral cats and pure wildcats is very different, Scotland’s ecology needs the true wildcat and, outside of a wildlife park enclosure, this is the only place in the UK where they are safe from hybridisation.”

The project has drawn strong support locally, in an area with a remarkable diversity of wildlife where people are greatly concerned that any conservation efforts are carefully planned and rolled out.

“This is a huge achievement for everyone involved,” commented Steve Piper, who founded the project with the SWA in 2008, “the project only really moved out of field trials a couple of years ago so this is very rapid progress on something many said was impossible; Wildcat Haven is easily five years ahead of the SNH action plan, they’re well aware of it but have chosen to ignore it; a practical, affordable, fully field tested way to save the genetically pure Scottish wildcat which has built the support of very diverse stakeholders; this is only future the Scottish wildcat has.”

Website: wildcathaven.co.uk