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WildCRU completes first Scottish wildcat camera trapping study

In 2010, in collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), WildCRU completed the first camera trapping study of the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). The study determined that camera traps could be successfully used to monitor wildcats allowing both individual identification and therefore density estimates to be made and also used to identify areas where wildcats, hybrids and domestic/feral cats co-exist. The methodology is now used by various reseachers across Scotland and is currently being utilised as part of the new Wildcat Action Plan developed by SNH to help establish areas of conservation priority for the wildcat.

The results from this study “Kerry Kilshaw, Paul J. Johnson, Andrew C. Kitchener and David W. Macdonald (2014). Detecting the elusive Scottish wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris using camera trapping” have recently been published in Oryx.