To Be Clear On Wildcats (apparently its confusing people)

 

(c)2022 BWFS

I cannot keep explaining this so please, if you are interested read the previous wildcat posts.

Scottish wildcats are supposedly (like the red squirrel and badger) protected as endangered species. Other wildlife IS protected but in the UK killing animals seems a 'fun' thing (or psychotic behaviour) and something that local and national authorities as well as UK police forces are not comibg down hard on.  In fact fox hunting with dogs as well as badger baiting is still ongoing in Cheshire and Shropshire and local police know this but "don't want trouble" apparently.

On private estates and forestry red squirrels are still being killed. Wildcats are still being killed as are badgers and foxes. Only when wildlife -ie a fox - threatens your livestock can action be taken and I have seen no evidence of cows or horse taken down by a fox yet (they'll fake that eventually).  

So, yes, wildcats are still being killed and private landowners feel they can do what they want as it is their land. More people need to speak up.

Again, back in 1790 it was declared that were it not for feral (domestic) cats the wildcat species in Scotland would have been extinct long before: it was hunted and killed as adult, juvenile or cub for bounties or as 'sport' -'sport' wiped out wolves and it almost wiped out wildcats. There has never been a halt to the killing of ferals or wildcats until the pretence of protection given to wildcats which still allows the shooting and snaring or use of other traps to kill ferals -ferals that are keeping wildcats going as a species.

Ignoring written history and facts and yelling "we must keep wildcats 'pure' -kill ferals!" is showing that those involved have not studied their subject via anything other than the dogma handed down on TV, in books where it is repeated ad nauseum and in supposed centres of education.

I started my research in 1980 and have gone back into the literature and most today are only into wildlife as a career that pays until they retire. Naturalists do not retire they continue to work and I have a colleague (LM) who puts most modern zoologists to shame.