From birds to cats: Cath Jeffs spent more than 25 years working for the RSPB. There she led a project which achieved great success bringing back rare cirl buntings to sites across South Devon. In 2023 she joined Devon Wildlife Trust to lead the South West Wildcat Project. Cath’s cat’s name is Si.

What does the name ‘European wildcat’ make you think of? Perhaps, it conjures images of Scotland’s remote wilderness areas. Indeed, you may even be more familiar with the name ‘Scottish wildcat’, rather than ‘European wildcat’. 

I’m going to take a guess that you probably didn’t immediately think of Devon! 

However, this might be about to change. For the past two years Devon Wildlife Trust and its partners Forestry England and the Derek Gow Consultancy have been conducting a detailed investigation into the feasibility of bringing this elusive, native cat back to South West England. 

I’ll give you an insight into what the research found in a moment. But first, let me tell you about how my fascination with this charismatic cat began.

First encounter with the last of its kind

I can still recall the first time I ever encountered a European wildcat. In the late 1990s I took a trip to the west coast of Scotland, exploring the Ardnamurchan Peninsula in the expectation of seeing lots of wildlife, but also desperately hoping I’d find a wildcat. 

I got lucky. Driving at night through a landscape of open grassland and woodland there was a wildcat crouching at the side of the road doing the classic snarling pose I’d seen depicted in so many illustrated nature books, its teeth bared, and whiskers flared. 

One moment the cat was there, then it had disappeared. A fleeting meeting, but one which stuck with me.

I didn’t realise it then, but during my brief encounter on that isolated Scottish road, I was looking at one of the last survivors of a dwindling population of European wildcats in Scotland. It and its remaining kin were in deep trouble and heading for extinction in Britain. 

The wildcat’s secretive nature and the mystery surrounding the species masked their perilous state for many years. In 1988 they were finally given British protected species status, but by then had already been extinct in England and Wales for more than 100 years. Scotland became their last refuge, not because it supported the only remaining suitable wildcat habitat, but because human persecution had driven them from everywhere else.

Scarcity breeds trouble

Designating them as a protected species didn’t end the problems facing wildcats. It’s thought that persecution may have continued. Unfamiliarity with the species meant some may have been trapped or shot by land managers in the mistaken belief that they were unowned domestic cats (which can be legally controlled). 

But scarcity also introduced another, more serious challenge to wildcats in Scotland. Low numbers reduced the chances of wildcats interacting with one another and led to wildcats interbreeding with domestic cats – an issue known as hybridisation. Genetic analysis has shown that hybridisation within the UK wildcat population only became prevalent within the past 60 years; linked to low wildcat population density, fragmented populations, and low genetic diversity.

By 2019 the situation was stark. The UK’s remaining wildcat population in Scotland was considered unable to sustain itself. Without new wildcats being released to supplement them, the species would become the first native mammal to be lost from Britain since the grey wolf in the 18th century. 

Fortunately, the story didn’t end there. A determined effort to bring back the species gained momentum in 2022 when the Saving Wildcats Project released their first captive bred wildcats into the Cairngorms. More than 45 animals have been released so far. Survival has been high and animals are now breeding, giving hope that the Scottish population can be saved. 

The releases also sparked interest and gave impetus to the idea that wildcats could be reintroduced elsewhere in Britain. Learning and taking inspiration from Scotland; could a wider wildcat comeback work?

Coming home to South West England?

It’s here that the wildcat’s tale comes closer to home. If wildcats were to return to England then a first step needed to be determining where? A preliminary study undertaken by Vincent Wildlife Trust and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust pinpointed the South West of England as being the best option. The region’s low-density road network and suitable habitat connected by an extensive network of hedges were two main advantages for wildcats. 

With a record of species reintroduction which included beavers and pine martens, perhaps it’s no surprise that it was Devon Wildlife Trust who took this finding as a signal to begin seriously exploring whether wildcat reintroduction could work. 

A working partnership with Forestry England and the Derek Gow Consultancy was formed and the South West Wildcat Project was formally established in 2023. Its first task was to launch a two-year feasibility study to investigate what the impacts of the return of wildcats might be on local people and wildlife, and whether wildcats could flourish in a region in which they were last seen more than a century ago.

The project needed someone to lead it, I saw the role advertised and went for it. The decision was a simple one: this was an opportunity to be involved in helping to save a critically endangered species. It was also a chance to use my conservation experience working in bird conservation, including reintroductions, but with a very different focus. 

From the outset I knew the job wouldn’t be simple. Species loss doesn’t just mean the absence of an animal from a landscape. As time passes the animal’s absence also creates a vacuum in human memory and understanding. This can lead to fears and misconceptions about the impact a species could have if they were reintroduced. Ensuring we undertook a thorough assessment of these considerations would be vital. This project wasn’t to be just about wildcats, it was about people too.

Understanding why wildcats were lost was also important. The history of wildcats is one of human persecution. Their classification as ‘vermin’ was enshrined in law by an Act of Parliament in 1566. Even though they preyed on mice, rats and voles, they also competed with humans for food in the shape of rabbits. This meant a bounty was placed upon the head of every wildcat. Historical records show us that the result of this bounty was that more than 300 wildcats were killed in Devon between 1629-1699. 

Persecution continued, even as wildcats became scarcer. Records are sketchy, but we think the last wildcats disappeared in the region in the mid 19th century.

Thankfully our view of predators has changed since, and a growing appreciation of their value within ecosystems means predators are being tolerated and even brought back. 

This was strongly reflected in independent research undertaken by the University of Exeter for our feasibility project. This found that 71% of 1,000 people (representative of the age and gender of the region’s population) contacted by the researchers liked the idea of wildcats returning. This approval increased to 83% in an on-line questionnaire that involved more than 1,400 participants. Interestingly, the research also revealed that people who showed more knowledge of wildcats and their habits were more likely to be in favour of seeing their comeback.

Impressive as these figures are they shouldn’t mask some people’s unease about wildcats. Part of this centred on concerns around wildcats and livestock such as poultry and gamebirds. Evidence from wildcat populations in other parts of Europe such as Germany shows that while wildcats look to avoid contact with humans and their settlements, they are not just a wilderness species and do live in farming landscapes, especially if they contain woodland. This makes Devon’s countryside well-suited to their return, but it also suggests challenges. One of the South West Wildcat Project’s main findings was that if reintroduction is to happen it should move hand-in-hand with support for the communities involved, looking to address challenges before they arise.

Probably the greatest concern raised was the potential impacts on other wild species. Put simply, some people wanted to know if the return of wildcats would put even more pressure on our already struggling nature? 

The project spent a good deal of time looking into this issue. Its widespread literature review analysing wildcat diet did not identify any rare or endangered UK species likely to be negatively impacted by the return of wildcats. For example, bats are not recorded, and hazel dormouse are rarely observed as prey. Instead wildcats target widespread and abundant species, with rabbits often being their main prey item, along with small mammals including mice and voles. Other prey includes birds, lizards, amphibians, even beetles. Carrion is also an important part of wildcat diets at certain times of the year. 

These findings should reassure Devon’s nature-lovers. However, careful monitoring of released wildcats and their impacts would be a core part of any reintroduction project.

Questions and answers

Two years of work from the South West Wildcat Project has given answers to key questions. Is the reintroduction of the European wildcat in the region feasible? Yes. Is there an appetite among the public to see the animal returned? Yes. Will wildcats be a threat to either farming or wildlife? No, but mechanisms should be put in place before animals are released to ensure issues are identified and dealt with quickly. 

Does this mean that wildcat reintroduction will happen? Maybe. 

A lot remains to be done. Pine marten reintroduction has taught us that bringing back native species in the UK is a lengthy, expensive and complex process. This means there is no firm plan and no fixed timetable in place to release wildcats into the Devon countryside – yet.

But one recent experience has left me more determined than ever to see the return of wildcats. On a holiday to India my aim was to see the biggest cat species, tiger, and the smallest, the rusty-spotted cat (look them up - they are amazing). After days of searching I had wonderful encounters with both animals – a thrilling experience which was shared with our local guides. This led me to think that if India, the most populated country in the world, can share space with wild cats (the nation’s tiger population has doubled over the last ten years), then perhaps it is not so far-fetched for wildcats to be back in Devon.

What next for wildcats?

We believe that wildcat releases in the South West of England are feasible and would have a positive impact on the region’s wildlife and wild places. However, a great deal of work remains to be done before this can take place. It is unlikely that any reintroduction of the animals could take place before 2027 at the earliest.

Key tasks include:

• Undertaking detailed assessments to determine exactly where wildcats could be released.
• Identify habitat improvements to support wildcats and other wildlife.
• Working with communities to ensure better understanding and acceptance of what wildcats are and will do.
• Sourcing a healthy and genetically diverse cohort of wildcats for reintroduction.
• Gaining the legal permissions to allow for the release of animals.
• Establishing a long-term monitoring plan for wildcats, along with securing support for local communities to help them live alongside wildcats.
• Securing funding to make a reintroduction programme a success.

Find the reports and evidence here