Scottish wildcat, Felis silvestris grampia
A captive animal photographed in an enclosure in the West Country Wildlife Photography Centre, near Launceston, Cornwall. This kitten was part of a successful captive breeding programme that wis aimed at re-introduction and bolstering the wild population of Wildcats, which is now limited to northern and eastern Scotland. The Scottish wildcat is a Critically Endangered species and as well as habitat loss and persecution, the species is threatened by hybridization with domestic cats. A camera trapping survey between 2010 and 2013 in the Scottish Highlands found that wildcats live mostly in mixed woodlands. This image shows the kitten looking through the undergrowth as it emerges from the trees, taking care to check its surroundings, before emerging further. Invariably however, it did not move any further into the open at this young age.
Size: 6048px × 4024px
Location: West Country Wildlife Photography Centre, Cornwall
Photo credit: © David Pike / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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