Highland tiger kittens born at Kincraig
Scottish wildcat kittens born at Kincraig
Incredibly rare Scottish wildcat kittens have been born at the Highland Wildlife Park.
The two litters have spent the first couple of months safely tucked up in their dens at the Kincraig facility.
'Highland tigers' are facing the very real threat of extinction due to hybridisation with domestic or feral cats, habitat loss, and accidental persecution.
But a conservation breeding programme for eventual release into the wild means the species has a fighting chance of survivial.
ABOVE: one of the wildcat kittens from the two new litters.
(photo credit: RZSS/Alex Riddell)
David Barclay, RZSS Cat Conservation Project Officer said: "The birth of these rare kittens is not just another boost for the captive breeding programme but for the conservation of this magnificent native species as a whole.
"Through our work with Scottish Wildcat Action, we are doing everything we can to save the Scottish wildcat from extinction and the safety net of the captive breeding programme is becoming more and more vital as wild populations continue to decline.
"We have recently developed an off-show breeding facility for the wildcats, one of the largest of its kind in the world for small cats.
"Through the conservation breeding and pre-release training programme we will eventually use captive born wildcats to carry out reintroductions across Scotland."