Highland Tiger (Scottish Wildcat)

The Highland Tiger cat once roamed all over Britain, but now they are only found in the Scottish Highlands. These wildcats have longer legs and are about 25% bigger than a domestic cat. 
 
Habitat loss and hybridisation with domestic cats (both feral and pets) are the greatest threats for Highland Tiger. Other threats include road incidents and treating the wildcat like vermin, as it is legal to kill feral cats in Scotland. It’s estimated that there are fewer than 100 Highland Tigers or less, and most of these are carrying at least 25% domestic cat genes.
 
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (EXTINCT IN WALES)

Photo Credit: Jeff Lack / WTML

  1.  Al-Fulaij, N. et al. (2012) Summer 2012 – woodland trust, Woodland Trust. Available at: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/media/1823/wood-wise-protected-species.pdf (Accessed: 27 November 2023).
  2. Natural World (no date) Scottish wildcat, National Museums Scotland. Available at: https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/natural-sciences/scottish-wildcat/ (Accessed: 27 November 2023).
  3. Gibbs, J. (2021) Scottish Wildcats: Six things you should know about the ‘Highland Tiger’ and how it’s fighting for survival in 21st century Britain, Country Life. Available at: https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/scottish-wildcats-six-things-you-should-know-about-the-highland-tiger-and-how-its-fighting-for-survival-in-21st-century-britain-221270 (Accessed: 27 November 2023).