European wildcats could soon be prowling the woods and grasslands of south-west England after a two-year study concluded a reintroduction of the species was feasible.
Having been absent for more than a century, mid-Devon has been judged to have the right kind of habitat to support a population of the animals.
The area has the woodland important for providing cover and den sites while its terrain creates good hunting territory, being home to small mammals such as rats and voles.
Although they may look similar at first glance, European wildcats are distinctly different from domestic cats. Often called woodcats in folklore, they are stockier and more muscular, with broader heads, thicker tails and tabby-patterned coats that help them blend into woodland terrain.
Unlike domestic cats, which are descended from Middle Eastern wildcats and have adapted to living alongside humans, European wildcats are truly wild animals. They avoid human settlements, hunt exclusively for themselves, and play an important role in balancing ecosystems by controlling populations of small mammals.
European Wildcat Reintroduction
The plan is for wildcats from colonies in Scotland to be transported south into selected enclosures for breeding. Their offspring would then be released into the wild.
According to the study, the wildcats would not be harmful to humans or to farm livestock and pets with between 40 and 50 animals turned loose.
The study says there would have to be cooperation with local communities and cat welfare organisations to support a neutering programme for feral and domestic cats.
The feasibility investigation was carried out by the South West Wildcat Project – a partnership of organisations led by Devon Wildlife Trust which includes Forestry England and the Derek Gow Consultancy, which works on rewilding projects.
European wildcats were once widespread in the south-west of England. Centuries of persecution, plus the loss and fragmentation of their favoured habitats, resulted in them disappearing across much of their range with the last recorded on Exmoor in the late 19th century.
Cath Jeffs, south west wildcat project lead at Devon Wildlife Trust, said: ‘It’s exciting that this report suggests wildcats could be part of the region’s nature once again. The return of this critically endangered species would be another step in the restoration of our native wildlife and will help rebalance local ecosystems.
‘Wildcats were once a widespread part of our countryside and today they remain an important part of woodlands throughout continental Europe including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.’
Two surveys were conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter. In one, 71 per cent of 1,000 people liked the idea of wildcat return. In the other, 83 per cent of 1,425 who responded expressed positivity.
