{"id":25967,"date":"2026-01-23T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=25967"},"modified":"2026-01-23T07:33:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T12:33:42","slug":"england-could-once-again-have-its-wild-cat-a-species-that-has-been-absent-for-more-than-a-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/england-could-once-again-have-its-wild-cat-a-species-that-has-been-absent-for-more-than-a-century\/25967\/","title":{"rendered":"England could once again have its wild cat, a species that has been absent for more than a century"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For more than a century, England has been missing its only native wild feline. Now, conservation officials and partners in southwest England say the European wildcat<\/a> could realistically come back, if the region can manage the risks that come with releasing a predator into a modern landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big takeaway is simple. A two-year feasibility report<\/a> says parts of mid-Devon have enough connected habitat to support wildcats, while public support looks strong. The next question is the one locals will care about most. Can people, pets, and farms live alongside a cat that has been gone since the 1800s<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a European wildcat is, and why its return is a big deal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the \u201capex predator\u201d headlines, this animal is better described as a medium-sized hunter, not a wolf or a big cat. It looks a lot like a chunky tabby, but it is genetically distinct and tends to avoid people, mostly moving at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporters argue the wildcat\u2019s role is less about drama and more about balance. In plain terms, adding a missing predator can help keep common prey species<\/a> in check, which can ripple through a woodland ecosystem over time. That is the theory, anyway, and it is one reason reintroductions keep showing up in UK nature debates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read More: For years they were believed to be the last mammoth bones, until scientists discovered they were whales found 400 kilometers from the coast<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What the feasibility work says about habitat, prey, and safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest \u201cyes\u201d in the research is habitat<\/a>. The report says southwest England<\/a> has enough woodland connected by rough grasslands and other suitable cover to support a sustainable population, with mid-Devon flagged as a particularly well-connected landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would the cats eat, and should anyone worry? The report points to diets that focus heavily on small mammals, and it says wildcats pose no meaningful threat to people, lambs, or pets, with standard precautions recommended for poultry. If you have backyard chickens, think about the same kind of steps people already take against foxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public seems on board, but the hardest problem is close to home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reintroductions can fail without local support, and the project\u2019s polling suggests a stronger starting point than many wildlife rollouts<\/a> get. Two surveys run by the University of Exeter found 71% of a representative sample of 1,000 people liked the idea, while 83% of 1,425 online respondents also felt positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a catch that is uniquely modern, and it lives on your street. Interbreeding with domestic and feral cats can blur wildcat genetics over time, which is one reason Scotland\u2019s population has struggled. The plan being discussed centers on partnerships with cat welfare groups and expanded neutering efforts in areas where wildcats could live, plus clear reporting routes if problems show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read More: For years they were believed to be the last mammoth bones, until scientists discovered they were whales found 400 kilometers from the coast<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What the project\u2019s own benchmarks say about timing and scale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for a single release date, the official report does not set one. Instead, it frames the next phase as groundwork, with site selection, community engagement, and long-term monitoring still needed before any \u201cpaws on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On numbers, the report lays out what success would look like after releases begin. One benchmark is reaching a population of 40 to 50 animals, including at least 25 females, within five years of the first release, while also recording breeding early on. Media coverage has floated 2027 as an earliest possible starting point, but that depends on approvals, funding, and local buy-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scotland\u2019s early results, and the bigger reintroduction trend behind this<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

England is not starting from scratch. Scotland\u2019s Saving Wildcats work has reported encouraging signs<\/a>, including kitten births in the wild after releases, which researchers treat as a crucial proof point that cats can survive and reproduce once back on the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a longer paper trail behind the southwest effort. Earlier feasibility mapping by the Vincent Wildlife Trust<\/a> flagged parts of England and Wales as potentially suitable, helping set the stage for today\u2019s more detailed regional analysis. This is how reintroductions often move forward, step by step, with risk checks before any animal is moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read More: For years they were believed to be the last mammoth bones, until scientists discovered they were whales found 400 kilometers from the coast<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You can read the South West Wildcat Project feasibility report<\/a>, the University of Exeter social feasibility report<\/a>, the earlier Vincent Wildlife Trust feasibility report<\/a>, and Scotland\u2019s Saving Wildcats update<\/a> on kitten births.The main official work has been published as the Southwest England Wildcat Reintroduction Feasibility report by Devon Wildlife Trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main feasibility study was published on the Devon Wildlife Trust website<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For more than a century, England has been missing its only native wild feline. Now, conservation officials and partners in … <\/p>\n

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