Wild Cats Are Trained For The Life In The Wild In Preparation For The Nationwide Release In 2023
Wild cats are getting a second chance, and the countdown is already on.
With a nationwide release planned for 2023, conservationists are working to teach the cats how to hunt so they can survive without human care. The animals were once widespread across the country, but habitat loss and hunting pushed them close to extinction, leaving only a small number in remote parts of the Highlands.
Now, environmentalists want to reintroduce wild cats across the UK over the next few years, and the plan is already drawing attention. Read on.
Behold, a wild cat.
Weaning wildcats off human attention
The environmentalists are now teaching the wild cats to take care of themselves instead of relying on people for food. They are using toys and special techniques to make the process easier for the cats. They are in charge of the cats' breeding and training. They are teaching the cats to hunt rabbits in a special facility close to where they will be released.
It is a careful process, and the cats have a lot to learn before release day.
And if you think wildcats avoid people, this solitary wildcat was filmed on Mount Everest.
The scientists are working closely with experts who recently released wild cats in Spain to determine the best way to prepare the animals. A crucial part of the training is weaning the cats off human attention, as their domestication in zoos has made them dependent on people for food and care.
The cats are taught how to hunt using different toys because the use of live rabbits is against British wildlife regulations.
Helen Senn, from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, told reporters: "What we are trying to do in terms of training is to mimic the natural conditions that these cats would encounter in the wild as much as possible, to give them the best chance once they are released into the wild.
We can try to mimic the way an animal might have to hunt or find food in the wild, which includes randomizing the time at which animals are fed and trying to dissociate animals from human presence. For example, we can put food into a timed box so that they do not associate a human coming into the enclosure with being fed or being fed at a certain time."
After the initial release in Scotland in 2023, environmentalists are planning releases in Wales, Devon, and Cornwall, as these areas have appropriate environments to accommodate them. The cats will be fitted with GPS so researchers can track their movements.
The whole reintroduction process is slower in England because there is no scientific consensus on the matter, though Natural England has confirmed they are analyzing the subject.
Before release training, Utah trail cams caught a mountain lion with three cubs.
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