Wildcats have been restricted to parts of Scotland for hundreds of years, despite once being found throughout the UK. Indeed, it is a problem where a significant number of people now refer to it as the Scottish wildcat, something that is only temporary, and should not be the case for ever.
Wildcats may be released into England for the first time in hundreds of years. Being larger than domestic cats, they haven’t been seen in Southern England since the 16th century.
Domestic cats are descended from either wildcats from Africa, as well as the middle east. There are large numbers of domestic cats that have gone feral and live wild in the UK. These cause many problems for our own native wildlife.
The natural behaviour of a true wildcat, when meeting a feral domestic cat, is to kill. As such, it is highly likely, that if British wildcats were returned to England, there would be a reduction of feral cat population, and therefore the damaging behaviour that is so devastating to a range of native mammals and birds.
