The Scottish wildcat is a European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) population in Scotland. It was once widely distributed across Great Britain, but the population has declined drastically since the turn of the 20th century due to habitat loss and persecution. It is now limited to northern and eastern Scotland. Camera-trapping surveys carried out in the Scottish Highlands between 2010 and 2013 revealed that the Scottish wildcat lives foremost in mixed woodland. Since individuals sampled in recent years showed a high level of hybridisation with domestic cats (Felis catus), the wildcat population is thought to be functionally extinct in the wild. It is therefore listed as critically endangered in the United Kingdom.
Learn more on Scottish Wildcats here: Scottish wildcat Wikipedia
