Betcha didn't know that there are wildcats indigenous to Scotland, did you? Or that they are endangered?

Good documentary to watch: The Tigers of Scotland

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Adorable photos show a newborn litter of 5 Critically-Endangered Scottish wildcat kittens.

First-time mom Talla gave birth to the litter at Wildcat Wood in Highland Wildlife Park, on April 2nd, and the kittens are due to receive their first veterinary check soon to determine their sexes.

The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is one of the country’s most iconic animals, but also one of the most endangered. This is mostly because of inbreeding with feral or domestic house cats, and habitat loss.

Taxonomically speaking, it’s a subspecies of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) but appears so much like just a rugged tabby cat that two hikers, in one instance GNN reported on, believed they had found a lost tabby kitten in the snow on a hike in Cairngorms National Park.

One of the hikers noted that the animal’s claws were like “miniature razors,” ["murder mits"] and he and his friend joked that the little creature must be a Scottish wildcat.

A total of nine wildcats live at the Highland Wildlife Park. The new kittens will be on show for the public to visit, unlike other wildcats which are part of a breeding project. At 5 weeks old, they are already exploring their enclosures and playing atop the plastic and wood crates that form their den.

CONTINUE READING: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/adorable-photos-show-a-newborn-litter-of-critically-endangered-scottish-wildcat-kittens/