Introduction
Wildcats in Britain have a history that dates back to the early Holecene period. This is approximately around 11,700 BC (Scottish Wildlife Trust, 2011). The cats were spread throughout the region and constituted a major part of the natural habitat. As the British Isles separated from the Europe, the population of wildcats started to see a massive drop. This separation happened between 9000 and 8000 BC. A lot of wildcats were isolated from their native habitats. This is one of the major reasons behind the difference between wildcats from Europe and Britain. For instance, wildcats were darker and made of bold strips in Europe. Sooner, there were massive differences in their bodily features and physical abilities.
According to the Scottish Wildlife Trust, there is very little evidence to prove these differences genetically (Nowell & Jackson, 1996). The cats were identified using their scientific name – Felis silvestris. By the start of mid-19th century, wildcats that were once very famous in Europe started to disappear. The widespread cat was no longer seen in countries like Southern Scotland, Wales, or England. This can be attributed to habitat loss, frequent hunting, and persecution. The demise happened in a short time duration. By the end of the 19th century, wildcats were rarely seen in most parts of Britain. Above all, the decline did not cease to happen. It continued to drop since the number of hunters and merchants who considered wildcats as their prime target increased. Many sporting estates started to hunt down wildcats as a part of their hobby. This was when many rules and regulations had to be established to prevent the complete dismissal of wildcats in Britain. During the early 20th century, wildcats were restricted to North and North-East Scotland. With the end of First World War and the advent of Forestry Commissions, the population of wildcats started to recover. The Forestry Commission started to plant new forests and expand the population of wild cats.
Habitat Requirements for Wildcats
When it comes to habitat requirements, wildcats in Britain are very specific. These animals live and grow in “mosaic” environments. By definition, mosaic environments are made of wooden areas. These areas can provide amazing shelter to plants and animals. The wooden regions are filled with coniferous forests and plants with broad leaves. In some parts of the forest, you will come across scrubs that provide lots of cover and protection to animals. Likewise, you will come across open hills, long grasses, and riparian edges in mosaic environments. Mosaic areas are populated with preys that please wildcats. This includes small mammals like rabbits, voles, and mice. Forestry Commissions play a very important role in the growth of wildcat territories. These animals prefer to stay in habitats that are close to their prey. This is why wildcats are found in places with gradual ecotone transition and natural compositions. In simpler terms, wildcats are found in regions that are between open ground and forest edge.
Wildcats lead a very different life. They are usually nocturnal. Their dens are found in different forms and places. In most cases, wild cats stay in hollow trees, dead wood, rocky outcrops, crevices, and rabbit burrows. However, wild cats do not stay near human habitats. This can be attributed to the presence of dog walkers, excess noise, and broad day light. Indeed, this makes wildcats a perfect example for nocturnal animals. In 2008, the Scottish Wildlife Trust Woodland Policy improved the quality-of-life for wildcats. They improved the quantity and greenness of native woodlands. This gave wildcats an amazing ground for populating and expansion. Their moves increased the overall quality of wildcat strongholds!
Wildcats look for two important requirements in their habitats. This includes food and shelter. With time, they seep into juniper thickets and dense gorse trees that provide both shelter and resting grounds. As mentioned previously, the Forestry commission started many plantations that looked like perfect grounds for cultivating wild cats. These plantations protected wildcats from their natural enemies and human activities like grazing. Meanwhile, rocky areas protect wildcats too! Female wildcats prefer den-like shelters for breeding.
On the other hand, riparian areas and open pastures are their hunting grounds. The cats move from one territory to another and use open areas for attacking preys. Heavy snow is something that wildcats detest. This is because snow makes hunting very difficult. Wildcats move across regions, when there is too much snow in the region (Kilshaw, 2011). Habitats preferred by Britain wildcats differ from one region to another. Wildcats found near East Scotland prefer pasture lands, woodlands, and moorlands. Cats from West Scotland stay in rough grounds and uplands. There are differences between these wildcats and the way they hunt.
Threats to Wildcats
Hybridization
One of the biggest issues faced by wildcats in Britain would be “Hybridization.” This is a very long problem that the Britain wildcat population faces. The wildcats experience hybridization with domestic and feral cats. By definition, hybridization happens when two different species mate and give birth to offspring. The offspring gets its gene from two different species. This means, one half of its gene would be from the wildcat and the other would belong to the feral/domestic cats. Hybridization has been happening between wildcats and feral/domestic cats for a very long time (Olivera et al., 2008).
In order to adapt with their new neighborhood, wildcats start to spread and come in touch with domestic or feral cats. It is quite interesting to note that wildcats cannot be differentiated from domestic/feral cats in Scotland. Apart from issues with abundance and distribution, it is difficult to protect wildcats legally too! If hybridization is not handled with care, it will result in a situation where there are no more pure wildcats. This can result in genetic extinction. With time, it would be impossible to spot between hybrid and pure wildcats. Researchers believe that out of 3,500 native wildcats, only 400 to 500 of them are pure . However, there are very few facts to prove if the cats are pure or not! In fact, some scientists believe that pure wildcats are no longer present. Some techniques use blood tests to check the wildcats’ purity. Currently, all the tested wildcats are hybridized to some extent.
Disease
Scientists believe that domestic cats and feral cats cause lots of diseases in wildcats. The contact between wildcats and domestic/feral cats has caused a new range of diseases (Wildwoodtrust.org, nd). Though these diseases are treatable and harmless in domestic and feral cats – they can be very fatal in wildcats. This is because wildcats have very little or no immunity against these diseases. As mentioned previously, FCV and FeLV are two major diseases that affected wildcats in different parts of Britain. Both FCV and FeLV can result in cat flu and pneumonia. These diseases are transferred due to infected bodily fluids. The transfer happens during mating and fighting. Meanwhile, FCV and FeLV cause many types of cancer and anaemia. These are believed to be fatal health issues. Another disease that transfers from domestic or feral cats to wildcats would be Toxoplasma gondii. This is an endoparasitic disease that causes blindness, lethargy, poor coordination, and death. Many Scottish wildcats are found with Toxoplasma gondii.
Loss in Habitat and Fragmentation
Another reason behind the loss of wildcats in Britain would be habitat loss and fragmentation. A lot of changes have happened to landscape in Britain. Over the past years (may be centuries), mankind has started to occupy a considerable amount of land area. Land is used to develop industries and agriculture. For example, places like Scotland were subject to serious deforestation activities by the start of the 20th century. The loss has been extensive and irreplaceable. Even woodlands are fragmented frequently. This makes survival very difficult for wildcats. Today, there are very few forests for wildcats in Scotland.
Habitat loss and fragmentation has resulted in the isolation of wildcats. Small groups of wildcats then spread across different habitats to ensure survival. Unfortunately, this makes life and mating very difficult for wildcats. As a result, wildcats start to interact with domestic cats and feral cats. This increases the risks of wildcat hybridization. Habitat loss exposes wildcats to open roads. This increases the chances of open road accidents. Likewise, the loss of habitat reduces the number of prey available for wildcats. Deforestation and extensive grazing of cattle, deer, and sheep has a major impact on vegetation too. This reduces the population of wildcat’s prey species. As the number of wildcat prey species decreases, the native animals are forced to migrate and breed with domestic/feral cats.
Human Persecution
Recently, human persecution became a major reason behind the loss of wildcats. A lot of people mistake wildcats for domestic and feral cats. In fact, gamers hunt down wildcats while targeting birds and other domestic species. It is quite astounding to note that game keepers have special plans to control the number of domestic and feral cats in the region. Unfortunately, they harm and kill wildcats by mistake. This is because both wildcats and domestic/feral cats look very similar. It is very difficult to differentiate these animals during the night. A lot of game keepers are keen and determined to protect their native cats. But, the wildcat is meant to be protected by law too. That is why harming, killing, or even disturbing wildcats is a wrong thing to do (Scottish Wildcat Action, 2015).
Difficulty in Differentiation
As mentioned previously, there are very few differences between wildcats and feral or domestic cats. It makes it very difficult to differentiate them. This is because wildcats and feral/domestic cats have lived together for a very long time. Indeed, there are many hybrid versions of wildcats in the region. This is why enforcing legislations and targeted conservation of wildcats is a tough job. Today, it is very difficult to estimate the actual population of wildcats. This can be attributed to the cat’s very secretive lifestyle. With respect to genetic characteristics, there are few genetic markers that track true wildcats, domestic/ferals, and hybrid versions of the animal.
Predator Control
It is quite unfortunate that wildcats are considered as predators by some villagers and hunters. As a result, wildcats are hunted down by many locals. Wildcats tend to destroy crops and kill other tamed animals in the region. This creates a sense of insecurity amongst villagers. As a result, villagers engage in predator control methods and kill wildcats. This is another primitive reason behind the drop in wildcat population. Some people consider hunting wildcats as a great game. These hunters use special equipment and strategies to track and kill wildcats. It is believed that predator control can destroy the number of wildcats in the long run.
Before wildcats were protected by Scotland’s legal protection acts in 1988, about 92% of the cats were killed. Most of these deaths were caused due to hunting. Recordings from the National Game Bag Census (between 1984 and 1985) revealed that out of 274 wildcats, 40 were shot to death in North Eastern, Eastern, and Central Scotland. Issues with mortality are high in isolated regions and low-density areas. And, wildcat survival is very low near tourist areas too. This is a major reason behind localized extinction.
Helping Wildcats
There are several ways to preserve and protect wildcats. Commoners should take few actions to help these animals. One of the best ways to differentiate wildcats from domestic and feral species is by using reflective collars. These collars can help local game keepers figure out domestic animals from the rest. However, this does not limit the actions you can take. As mentioned previously, hybridization is a major threat to wildcats. It is very important that local pets are separated from wildcats. This is why feral cats and other local pets should be neutered. Neutering reduces the chances of a domestic cat breeding with wildcats. Feral cats have caused many issues to wild animals. By neutering feral cats, you can save the number of wildcats. There are special organizations to help with neutering. This includes Cat protection and local vets. The neutering process is also known as Trap Neuter Return alias TNR. During this process, domestic and feral cats are captured. They are neutered using local surgical methods. Next, the cats are released into the wild. Likewise, tamed cats and kittens can be neutered and adopted into homes. With time, feral cats will not be able to breed with wildcats.
Though the benefits of vaccination are limited, it is of paramount importance that domestic cats are vaccinated. Proper vaccination will make sure domestic cats do not spread diseases to wildcats. Above all, it is easy to vaccinate domestic cats!
1. Legal protection
Legal protection is very important for protecting wild cats. This concept surfaced by late 1980s. Protective legislations were placed to take care of wildcats. These legislations are meant to overcome the issues of hybridization. Legal protection comes with expert backup! According to experts at Oxford University, hybridization can be overcome using coat patterns. These are also known as pelage criteria. With the help of coat patterns, around 400 wildcats can be protected. Teams can gather wildcats and establish safe areas where groups of wildcats can survive. These areas are void of feral cats that mean wildcats will not be able to breed with others and lose its purity. In order to create special areas of wildcat conservation, protection legislations should be re-written. With the right kind of protective legislations, human persecution can be avoided and wild cats can be protected.
2. Fanfare plans
Wildcat Conservation Action plans in Scotland have announced special fanfare plans in 2012. These conservation plans fall in line with organizations that take care of tigers. These teams know how to differentiate cats from wildcats. Pure wildcats are genetically different the feral ones.
3. Prevent Canned Hunting
Conservation is an interesting but challenging project. It depends on the role the team members play. A lot of good fieldworkers are required to bring “orders” and legislative plans active. As a part of the conservative plan, teams are asked to overcome canned hunt. Unlike conventional hunting methods, canned hunting consists of trapped animals in a closed fence area. These animals are trapped and not allowed to escape. The animals are trapped for environment and recreation. Canned hunting is a move that has to be prevented. The practice behind canned hunting is filled with ethical, moral and legal issues. There are no scientific benefits or conservation values in canned hunting. All hunters should be banned from canned hunting. This should be treated as an unethical sport and an enemy against endangered species.
Recommendation
Wildcats can be conserved by following few interesting steps. First of all, wildcats should be moved to other locations. This includes safer forests and woodlands. Luckily, the number of wildcats in the region is very less. To be more precise, the numbers are between hundreds to few thousands. This makes moving wild cats to safer locations easy. Moreover, there are plenty of wildlife programs and associations to help with the relocation. Wildcats can be differentiated from the normal ones easily (Fredriksen, 2016). They can be differentiated by camera trapping (Kilshaw, 2015). There are many ways to cluster and separate cats into groups. This includes methods like diverse clustering and admixture analyses. These methods were derived from countries like Portugal.
Organizations like Wildcat Haven are pulling together lots of effort to conserve wildcats and to ensure survival of the pure species. It focuses on the removal of domestic and feral cats from the region. As mentioned previously, these wildcats tend to spread feline and genetic diseases through blood and other bodily fluids. Their studies are done to trap and protect Scottish wildcats in different stages. The organization works in close association with local communities that gain support from various bodies like local businesses, land owners and commoners. They have assigned plenty of land area to preserve the rate at which wild cats grow in the region. The protected region has everything wild cats want to live and grow! Captive breeding is a simple way of preventing hybridization. Captive breeding makes sure pure wild cats don’t mix with feral or domestic cats (Hubbard et al., 1992; Kitchener, et al., 2005). Though there are very few wildlife parks that don’t support captive breeding – this is a concept on the rise.
For improving the welfare of wildcats, there should be more conservation programs! Unfortunately, this has not been very easy. There is a handful collection of conservation programs to nurture the welfare of these cats.
Conclusion
When it comes to preserving wildcats in Britain, there is so much to be explored and understood. The conservation of wildcats is more about preserving an abstract version of living cats that engage in unruly and unexpected inter-bodily mating. There are plenty of advocates proving the uniqueness and morphological nature of wildcats. Unfortunately, all these genetic uniqueness is getting lost in a hybrid swarm. Indeed, wildcats are happily interbreeding with domestic and feral cats without worrying about their next generation. However, scientists and environmentalists are concerned about its presence. This is why human beings intervene in the way wildcats multiple. Moving on, communities engage in practices that attempt to preserve the native qualities of wildcats. Measures are taken to prevent unexpected accidents and habitat destruction. Some tend to take wildcats out from the wild and keep them in wildlife sanctuaries. This is where TNR programs are used to the captive breed and increase the population of living wild cats. With history, the present and the future in mind – wildcats are a species that should be preserved. When compared against other wild animals, it is easy to take care of this endangered species. Yet, proper laws and regulations are required to make sure the wildcats are conserved properly.