It's true that I am a confirmed dog lover, but I do like cats too. And I find it very sad when a species goes extinct. Wild jaguars are estimated to be down to less than 10,000. Tigers are in danger with less than 5,000 or so left. But the Scottish Wildcat is down to less than 100 in the wild and a handful in captive breeding programs. That is really on the edge. This year might be the year they become extinct.
I had no idea that there was a genuine wild cat living in the Scottish Highlands until a few years ago. I read the Hamish Macbeth mysteries by M. C. Beaton, where the hero, Hamish Macbeth, had rescued one of these cats who decided to continue living with him. I'm not sure how much of that could be true. The cats have a reputation for not being tameable, even when raised from a kitten. And they have even a worse reputation in the folklore of the region. As recently as 1950 the were accused of being mankillers. They reputedly hung from tree branches by their tales and dropped on unsuspecting humans, biting them on the neck and killing them. Fortunately, this was disproved.
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You are right. It's lack of diversity that comes first. That's what worries me. If you look at domestic farm animals, many breeds are going extinct. If we get down to just a few breeds, a catastrophe such as a disease could wipe them all out. We need that diversity to keep the planet going, for domestic and wild things.
I feel sorry for the scottish cats. We ought to save our planet and along with it the animals and plants. Soon it will be all barren, if it was just the human species left on earth. I dread the thought......
We can only hope. And try to let others know about these mysterious cats.
I never heard about Scottish Wildcats before. It's very sad there are only one hundred of them. Another prove how disastrous are consequences of our behavior. When we'll realize we are digging our own grave? Let's hope something really good happens to these wild cats in near future!
Wow, Thank you!
Can't remember if I tweeted this so I do it now. again great article.
We can only hope. I didn't even know they existed until a few years ago.
Oh I love these cats, and folds too, I do hope the Scottish wildcats survive and thrive.
I hope so too. Hope yours was a tabby and not a wildcat - like Hamish Macbeth....;-)
I grew up in Scotland so I knew about Scottish wildcats. When we were adopted by a tabby I said he looked just like these wildcats. I really hope they can be saved from extinction.