A wildcat with a striped coat sits alert in tall, lush grass. The setting is serene and natural, exuding a sense of wilderness. Logos for "Big Give" and "Earth Raise" are visible.

Without your help, wildcats could be lost from Scotland entirely 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Together, we can support their recovery 😻

Donate by 29 April, and @biggive.bsky.social will double your support as part of the #EarthRaise fund ➡️ bit.ly/SavingWildcatsEarthRaise2026

National Mammal Week — Mammal Society 20 - 26 April • Nationwide National Mammal Week is an annual celebration of Britain’s wild mammals. Take part in the Mammal Discovery Challenge to help collect vital data while having fun and learning...

2/2 Find out more ➡️ mammal.org.uk/national-mammal-week

1/2 It's #NationalMammalWeek - a celebration of Britain’s wild mammals and the people working to monitor, protect and restore populations of these vital species, including the wildcat.

Take part in Mammal Society's ‘Mammal Discovery Challenge’ and record your mammal sightings to win daily prizes ✨

A wildcat with a striped coat is partially hidden among tall green ferns and grass. It gazes intensely, conveying a watchful and alert demeanour.

Male wildcat, Gorse, is one of the 46 wildcats that have been released into the wilds of Scotland since 2023.

To find out more about how the newly establishing population is getting on, sign up to the project’s e-newsletter (issued every other month) ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/join-us 📫

Hi Freyja, it varies depending on each individual. Some wildcats don't return to take the first offering and immediately start hunting successfully. Others may need support for a few days or weeks to build their confidence and hunt enough to feed themselves 🧡

Hi Jan, thank you so much for your understanding and very kind words of support. We hope you continue to enjoy following the wildcat's journey back to Scotland 🧡

A brown striped cat with green eyes lies on the ground outdoors, resting its front paws on a small wooden plank, surrounded by grass and trees in soft sunlight.

Wildcats are obligate or ‘true’ carnivores because they depend on the consumption of meat for all their nutritional requirements 🐾

You can find out more about wildcats eat here ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/guidance/what-wildcats-eat/

📷 P. Ross

There are physiological and behavioural benefits for waiting until this developmental stage. For instance, wildcats have all their adult teeth by this point, and the team are also able to observe them demonstrating key behaviours that will help them adjust to life in the wild 🌄

A young wildcat sits in a sunlit forest, surrounded by green foliage and branches. Its eyes are directed toward the camera, conveying a calm curiosity.

A year goes a long way… 📆

To date, this partnership project has released 46 wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park, all of which have been at least a year old at the time of release.

2/2 This method differs from the delayed-release enclosures by providing greater flexibility in selecting release sites, as well as enabling the introduction of individual wildcats to where their genetic contribution is most needed 🧬

Find out more ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/direct-releases

1/2 A different approach to releasing wildcats 🐾

Last year, three of the 18 wildcats released into the Cairngorms National Park were transferred to their release points in a direct-release box. After a short period, the automatic door on the box opens, and the wildcat can leave in its own time.

Hi Joe, yes - the release points are all monitored using live-link cameras and the locations are not made publicly available to allow the wildcats time to settling in to their new environment undisturbed 🧡

A wildcat with green eyes and striped fur sits attentively on a sunlit, grassy patch, surrounded by trees. The scene feels calm and natural.

Oh, hey 👋

Looking for something to do with the kids this half-term?

On 14 and 15 April, join the team at Glenmore Visitor Centre & Cafe for wildcat-themed family activities between 11-1pm 🌄

Keep up to date ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/join-us

Welcome back, spring (we hope) 🌼

After a snowy start to April, the weather is warming up again, and the released females may (hopefully) be bringing kittens into the world!

The team will continue to monitor the released population for signs that another generation of wildcats has been born 🐾

😹😹

Thanks so much for sharing the event 😻

Patience is a virtue ✅

This winter, seven of the released wildcats living wild in the Cairngorms National Park were safely trapped, health-checked, and six were recollared, before being released again.

The GPS-radio collars continue to provide vital data on wildcat behaviour and ecology 🧡

Reserve your place ➡️ theeuropeannaturetrust.com/clinging-by-a-claw

A wildcat with striking green eyes looks intently upward, surrounded by lush green and orange ferns. The scene feels natural and curious.

Help save Scotland's wildcats ✨

On 21 April, join The European Nature Trust and Saving Wildcats at the London Premiere of 'Clinging by a Claw' 🎥

Celebrate the progress made so far with TV presenter Megan McCubbin and filmmaker Alistair Fothergill, while generating further support for wildcats 🐾

😹😹

😹😹

😇😼

A wildcat with closed eyes sits calmly in lush green grass. Text reads "Sleepy Skye" at the top left. The mood is serene and peaceful.

A wildcat with a sleepy expression sits in lush greenery. Text reads "Need a catnap?" An arrow symbol is in the bottom right corner.

Close-up of a yawning wildcat with closed eyes, whiskers visible, and "Feline fatigued?" text on the left. Background is blurred wood. Quiet mood.

A wildcat peacefully sleeps on a surface, one paw curled. The text reads, "Let sleeping cats lie (for real)." The mood is calm and serene.

Sorry, Skye, are we keeping you up? 💤

Saving your species from extinction is clearly quite exhausting!

Give this beauty a wee boost - sponsor her and follow her kittens’ journey back to the wild ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/sponsor 🧡

A large wildcat walks confidently on a grassy path next to stone steps. A haggis sits above on a stone wall, watching, with a background of trees.

Wildcats and Haggis coexisting in the Cairngorms National Park 🙏

The team have been monitoring any impacts that wildcats may be having on haggis - a rare, endemic species found only in Scotland 🏔️

Footage has revealed the two iconic species living alongside one another with minimal interaction 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Two wildcats mate on a snowy, grassy terrain. The foreground cat faces forward with piercing eyes, while the other shows a protective posture.

Privacy, purr-lease! 👀

Did you know that wildcat males have barbed genitalia?

The spines stimulate ovulation, meaning the females release eggs upon mating.

Although this is not the only trigger for ovulation, it can help the team predict when a female may give birth 🐾

2/2 The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shadow and learn from experienced keepers within the conservation breeding for release centre 🌿

Applications welcomed before 3 April ➡️ savingwildcats.org.uk/animal-support-role-2026

1/2 Wildcats need YOU 🫵

Be part of wildcat recovery in Scotland and volunteer with Saving Wildcats’ animal team.

Responsibilities will include food preparation, enrichment preparation, animal observations, and enclosure maintenance at @highlandwpark.bsky.social, in the Cairngorms National Park 🏔️

2/2 Being able to identify pet cats from feral domestic cats is crucial for mitigating the threats of interbreeding and disease transfer to wildcats.

The issue reached 104 of the 129 MSPs - it is hoped they will consider the importance of responsible pet ownership to protect Scotland’s wildlife 🐈

1/2 Microchipping and collaring pet cats helps protect wildcats 📿

The team recently wrote an article highlighting the importance of mandatory microchipping for pet cats, which appeared in @scotlink.bsky.social's Nature Champions newsletter 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿