Photograph: Blickwinkel/AlamyEuropean wildcats are native to Europe and are larger than domestic cats, which are actually descended from the “tamer” subspecies of African wildcat. This is very special.”Facebook Twitter Pinterest Marianne Hartmann at her wildcat breeding centre in Zurich. We’ve got the land to do it but we’ll find other project partners.”The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is among those already breeding wildcats. The biggest challenge for wildcats is hybridisation with feral domestic cats, which conservationists would have to remove in large numbers from reintroduction areas. A Defra spokesperson said: “The movement and release of any species in England, including wildcat, should follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines.

Source: The Guardian May 30, 2019 14:20 UTC