Wild kittens born to released females for third year in a row

Saving Wildcats has announced a third consecutive year of wild births, with several released females confirmed to have given birth to new litters in the Cairngorms National Park this June.  

The project, led by wildlife conservation charity the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), celebrated these new arrivals as a huge accomplishment for wildcat restoration efforts in Scotland. This news follows breeding successes in 2024 and 2025. 

Louise Hughes, Saving Wildcats field operations manager, said: “There is so much anticipation when you first suspect there have been kitten births. It is a truly exciting event and seeing kittens on trail cameras really lifts the whole team and spreads a genuine buzz throughout the many communities across Scotland that support wildcat restoration.” 

The team suspected that multiple female wildcats had given birth after changes in behaviour were spotted by project officers monitoring their GPS-radio collar data. These indicative behaviours included frequent returns to a single location. After setting out trail cameras, they were rewarded with visual confirmation on Tuesday 2 June. Images showed a released female carrying kittens along a path. Female wildcats often relocate their kittens to more suitable den sites. 

It is not currently known if other females have given birth, or how many kittens are in each litter. Efforts to discover this are ongoing, including close tracking of other wildcat GPS-radio collars and trail camera monitoring.  

Roo Campbell, NatureScot Mammal Specialist said: “This increase in the wild population is one of the most encouraging signs a reintroduction project can have. It shows that the wildcats that have been released are adapting to the wild, surviving, finding mates and reproducing without human support.”

Though the confirmation of successful breeding is reassuring, the wildcat population remains small and vulnerable. Efforts to bolster the population will continue, with more animals due to be released this summer. These newly released individuals will ensure the population’s genetic diversity and ability to cope with future challenges, including wildfires, bad weather and disease.  

Saving Wildcats is keen to remind the public that wildcats are protected by law. People should not actively seek them out. If a wildcat is encountered, individuals should avoid disturbing them and quietly leave the area.  

Suspected sightings of wildcats in the project area of Badenoch and Strathspey are welcomed and can be reported to [email protected].  

Saving Wildcats is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.