Domestic cats are thought to have been first tamed back around 10,000 somwhere in the middle east. Unfortunately, as this is the cat that makes up the worldwide domestic cat population (almost exclusively) in many regions like Scotland, while reduction in numbers made specific subspecies of wildcat endangered, it has often been hybridisation that has pushed them over the edge.
There is little point in showing a map of the world, as they are found in almost every human population. It is thought that there are at least 200 million across the globe
Domestic cats are thought to have been tamed in Israel, which has unfortunately meant that this species of wild cat is now spread across the globe – many local species of wildcat have become extinct through hybridisation, the British wildcat is just one such example. There are now only pure British wildcats in captivity, and while there are still quite a few living wild in Scotland they have Asiatic wildcat features. This has happened in many places and solutions are not yet forthcoming.
While unfortunate, there is still work being done. In the UK there are plans to clear a peninsular of domestic cats, and re-establish a wildcat population. Only in situations like Scotland is hybridization likely, the most common reaction to a wildcat meeting a domestic cat is for the wildcat to kill the domestic cat. I hope to live to see the wildcat roaming Scotland once more, but we will se what happens.
Wildcats could potentially reintroduced into England for the first time in hundreds of years
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 have returned to the Netherlands on their own after centuries of absence
Many of the environmental issues that the UK faces continue to be worse because we are an island off the coast of Europe. Unlike France, we have to make the conscience choice to reintroduce wolves, where as in France they have returned naturally. Recent rewilding efforts in Germany and Belgium, saturated the local wildcat population …
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Wildcats set to return to southern England 150 years since their extinction in England and Wales
Once common across the whole of the UK, they were hunted to extinction. Currently, just a handful remain in Scotland. While interbreeding between wildcats and feral domestic cats is normally rare, in the current situation feral cats outnumber wildcats 1000 to one, and as such the wildcat is essentially extinct. The farmer who is looking …
Big cats moving between reserves
In the West, the idea of living alongside lion or leopard might be terrifying, but for many people in parts of Africa and Asia it’s just a way of life. In many parts of India, the tiger reserves are far too small. If the tigers would just stay in their own reserves, without human intervention …
Couple who tried to buy a Savannah cat in France, instead were giving a Sumatran tiger cub
Savannah cats are a cross between a domestic cat and a serval. On the left is a savannah cat, on the right is a serval cat. A serval cat is a cat species, that stands a bit taller than a normal domestic cat. They live in the savannas of the world and hunt mostly by …
Food for domestic livestock from fish a threat to African penguins?
We seem to be playing wack-a-mole when it comes to feedstock for farmed animals. In most of the world, livestock can graze for perhaps ¾ of the year. However, in countries with seasons, often in the winter the animals are in barns and are fed. Often, this feeding fattens up the animal faster than grazing …
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Wild dogs impacted by domestic dog illness
Image source Burrard-Lucas Photography Wild dogs are one of the hardest species of the savannah ecosystem to protect. This is because they live at low densities. They have been exterminated by humans in the misguided belief that wild dogs were killing more of their domestic livestock than other predators and they are highly impacted by …
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Did I miss the start of the end of the canned lion hunt?
South Africa has rather a problem. They have given over a large amount of their country to wildlife conservation, and many of the tourists who visit, come to see the wildlife. However, South Africa also has an important hunting history. Now, if you go back 50 years the number of buffalo and similar was so …
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More than 60 lions have been shot by British citizens in the last few years-since the death of Cecil
in 2015 the world was in uproar when a dentist from the States went to South Africa and shot a lion.T he shooting of lions is not unusual in South Africa, indeed they do more huntings than many countries. What was considered unacceptable was that this lion was tempted out of a protected area so …
UK government backsliding on environment? two clues and an how is Australia doing
The government of the UK has been talking the talk for a significant period of time. At times they have suggested some policies that should move in the right direction, unfortunately they have often reversed these relatively quickly. An example of this is the governments green housing grants – advertised as intending to improve the …
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Resolution to ban the sale of electric cars in Wyoming from 2035 effectively dead
A group of republican state lawmakers introduced a resolution that called for the sale of electric cars to be phased out by 2035. Apparently, the resolutions sponsor does not want them banned (in which case a very poorly worded resolution) he just wanted to make a statement about the phasing out of gas-powered vehicles in …
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If you have been lucky enough to have an encounter with wild Boar, like me you will have recognized them as like pigs but different – but …
Wild boar are the wild ancestors of the modern pig. This is why pigs and boar can interbreed – The domestication occurred in Europe, but started about 9,000 years ago, about 3000 years after we started farming crops. It appears to have happened slowly over time, not all at once as some other domestication moves …
There are more than 10,000 tigers living in the USA, with under 4000 in the wild
Back in 2010, the 12 tiger countries in the world came together with an aim to double their tiger population by 2022 the next year of the tiger. This has failed and I will write about it in an article coming out tomorrow. However, perhaps more alarming, there is currently almost 3 times as many …
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Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland
While the dingo made look like part of the native fauna of Australia, that is not the case. They were bought there by aboriginal people.
On pure numbers of fatalities (not to mention cost, simplicity and and health of our ecosystems), wolf reintroduction is a no-brainer
In the half a century running up to the year 2002, there are only 8 recorded fatalities from wolf attacks across the whole of Europe and western Russia. Also when thinking about this number we need to remember that the majority of these sorts of occurred in parts of the world where there are many …
A warning about the upcoming American election, denial of scientific fact can’t continue – we must get the word out
Introduction Before I get into this article I want to make a few points clear. Firstly I recognise I’m not an American, that is why I’m writing an article about this rather than voting. Secondly the concept that non Americans don’t have a right to have a view is insane, not least because even if …
Vietnam bans wildlife trade in the hopes of stopping a future outbreak
A substantial number of the most recent epidemics, or potential epidemics, have come out of wild areas and generally illegal means of hunting. Whether legal or illegal this hunting can cause significant problems. Apart from the horrific effects that epidemics like the one we are emerging from, hunting can destroy ecological balance of a wild …
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What if the renewable power generation opportunity is not where the electricity is needed?
Construction on the longest under water high voltage cable in the world is about to begin. Due for completion in 2023, this cable will run from Denmark to the UK covering 475 miles. It will leave Denmark in Revsing, and make landfall in UK in Lincolnshire. This this cable will have the capacity to power …
Living alongside….. Lions
Lions are amazing animals to encounter while you are on holiday. They are fascinating animals and given their ability to hunt they hold a certain danger which we find exciting. But what about those people who live alongside Lions all year long?
Saving the Sumatran rhino
As with many rhino species the Sumatran rhino has had a tough period in the last 40 years (in 1976 it was thought there were still 800 Sumatran Rhinos left in the wild). Â They were once found across Sumatra, Borneo, and other parts of Indonesia, all the way up into mainland Asia in places such …
They are not hard to see if you are in the right place. I have seen them in Africa, take a night drive in almost any nature reserve. Links will be added below.