Scottish wildcat kittens may be able to assist save species.

Scottish wildcat kittens born at an animal park may be among the first to be released into the wild as part of a conservation programme.

According to research, the cat is extinct or on the verge of extinction in the wild.

Saving Wildcats is a programme that breeds wildcats in captivity with the goal of releasing them in the Cairngorms.

The initiative has announced the birth of the first kittens, eight in three litters.

After arriving at the park in 2021, sixteen mature cats were coupled up earlier this year. More kittens are expected to be born in the coming weeks, according to the project team.

Saving Wildcats conservation manager David Barclay stated, “Put simply, these kittens are the future of wildcats in Scotland.” Decades of extensive research have revealed that if we do not conduct releases to rebuild our critically endangered wildcat population, the species is highly likely to become extinct in Britain.”

Droma has three kittens this breeding season, Caol Ila has three, and Torr has two.

When the kittens are eight to ten weeks old, they will be sexed, micro chipped, vaccinated, and health-checked.

Saving Wildcats, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), is collaborating with national and international experts to reintroduce critically endangered wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park through breeding and release.