Wildcats released in Scottish Highlands in effort to prevent extinction in UK

Nineteen captive-bred cats released at secret location in Cairngorms in first phase of rewilding project

Nearly 20 young wildcats have been released into the wild in a pine forest in the Scottish Highlands, in the first phase of a project to rescue the species from extinction in the UK.

The cats were reared at a wildlife park operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) as part of a breeding programme that will eventually lead to about 60 wildcats being released in the Cairngorm mountains south of Inverness.