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Facing imminent extinction the Scottish Wildcat used to to be found widely across the country. Today the most optimistic population count suggests there are around 315 individual wildcats left and they are only in the north of Scotland. Experts have suggested we may have only 5 years to save the species.

In response Scottish Wildcat Action is the first national conservation plan with a vision to restore viable population of Scottish wildcats into the Highlands. Their plan is a multifaceted approach. It involves tagging, tracking and mapping wildcats in their natural habitat. Domestic cat owners have a role to play too. The biggest threat to the wildcat is hybridisation with domestic and feral cats. Which begs the question should we be neutering domestic cats that are near wildcat habitats? And if all this fails should we follow what worked for the Iberian Lynx and develop a captive bred population with the intention of releasing them into the wild later on?

But is it too late and at what cost? Should we really be ploughing all these resources and expertise into saving them?

In this Brainwaves Pennie Latin meets some of the researchers, conservationists and scientists who are trying save the iconic Scottish Wildcat.