General

22nd May 2013 | Posted by Babette de Jonge

A biologist from University of Chester has developed a genetic test which addresses the fundamental issue in the conservation of the Scottish wildcat – how can we identify pure wildcats from hybrids?

Dr O’Donoghue’s team at Chester has spent two years working on the research with data analysts at FIOS Genomics in Edinburgh to complete the cutting edge test which is the first of its kind in the world.

Until now there has been no truly definitive way of identifying whether existing individual cats are pure wildcats or hybrids and estimates currently suggest there are, at best, only 100 pure Scottish wildcats remaining in the wild – this test could prove to be a vital tool in the fight to save the species.

The work was funded with support from the Aspinall Foundation, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, the Bosack Kruger Foundation and the Summerlee Foundation.

In today’s local paper “Gooi-en Eemlander” (24/1/13) some more publicity for our Wild Cats World and Spotted Cats Conservation projects in the interview with founder/manager Babette de Jonge. Sorry, in Dutch again, but the basic message is what we are trying to tell here everyday: By raising awareness, education, conservation and by giving the cats the respect they deserve, in their natural habitat and in captivity, we are trying to do our fair share to make the world a better place for the wild cats species.

For the Dutch (and South African) readers: in the second “Oog Voor Zuid Afrika” magazine you can read this 2-paged interview with Babette de Jonge about Wild Cats World, Spotted Cats Conservation and her passion for the wild cats. From February 1st the magazine will be available in Holland in the better magazinestores like Ako, Bruna and Primera, but there’s also an on-line copy available. For that please go to the website www.oogvoorzuid-afrika.com.

Meet Félipe, the new ambassador for our leopard conservation Project part II in SA. Félipe is born October 1st, 2012 and he will be the future partner of our female ambassador Feline, who is still enjoying the company of her brother Felix, for whom we hope to find a lovely girlfriend soon too. It will of course take at least another year, maybe longer, to introduce Feline and Felix to their new partners. In January 2013 we will already start building the new leopardenclosure at our Spotted Cats Conservation Project in SA where we already have projects for leopards, servals, black footed cats, caracals and lions.

Ever since June this year there’s work in progress at our Spotted Cats Conservation Project in SA. After the huge leopard enclosure, projects for black-footed cats, servals, caracals have been started and finished.
The huge new camp for lions Chuck and Norris has been worked on hard by Francois Erasmus and his workers as we speak. Hopefully this will be finished by the end of this year so that both “Ambassadors Against Canned Hunting” can move in.

Early next year another project will be started: Leopards Phase II, with another huge enclosure and new leopards coming in to form future couples with resident leopards Feline and Felix.

At the caracalproject male Leo will join female Lea, and the ashes of late caracal Nina will be spread there. This will officially open the caracalproject, honouring Nina who died of human cruelty in sanctuary/Stichting Leeuw (Lion), Landgoed Hoenderdaell, Anna Paulowna in the Netherlands.

Of course we are relying solely on gifts and sponsoring, and we like to express our gratitude and heartfelt sympathy to the generousity of some supporters, who already helped us to realise so many fantastic projects, creating the life our great cats deserve!
By volunteering at our project you can also support us! For more info please contact us or follow us on Facebook, Twitter (see the icons in the header) or on the website wildcatsworld.org.