The Chester Zoo has a birth announcement. In a press release they were happy to share the following:
The arrival of the kitten – the first to ever be born at the Cheshire zoo – has given a big boost to a conservation programme which is working to bring Britain’s rarest mammal back from the edge of extinction.
Experts believe there could now be fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild making the Scottish wildcat, or ‘Highland tiger’ as it is affectionately known, one of the most endangered populations of cats in the world.
Wildcats once thrived in Britain but were almost hunted to extinction for their fur and to stop them preying on valuable game birds. They are now protected under UK law but remain under huge threat from cross-breeding with feral and domestic cats, habitat loss and accidental persecution.
While the three Scottish wildcats at the zoo are being held behind the scenes in the special breeding facility, those visiting the Chester Zoo can see them via a live webcam feed. Mum Einich, dad Cromarty and the new kitten make up the fewer than 100 Scottish wildcats, also known as the ‘Highland tiger’, left in the United Kingdom.
https://youtu.be/nXxXLaQNaZo