In this blog, we aim to highlight some of the volunteer projects that Stagfire staff are actively contributing to and what they have been doing recently to protect some of Scotland’s exquisite wildlife.
Scottish Highland Tiger
Sadly it isn’t common to hear people talk about the Scottish Highland Tiger and even fewer have actually seen one in the wild. With its ruffled “tiger stripe” flanks and majestic thick club like tail the Scottish Highland Tiger or commonly referred to as the Scottish Wildcat is a native cat species to Scotland. It is a wild predator that is notorious in Scottish folklore. The Scottish wildcat is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the biggest threat to its survival is hybridisation with feral domestic cats.
Three of Stagfire’s team have become actively engaged with the Scottish Wildcat Action project. The volunteer work they have been involved with for this project includes camera trapping and the Trap, Neuter, Vaccination and Return (TNVR) activities. In 2016 they applied their wildlife skills and knowledge to deploy camera traps in the Strathspey priority action area. We were successful in capturing not only feral hybrid cats but also the elusive Scottish Highland Tiger on camera.
Now into 2017, staff members are actively involved in the second stage of this project, TNVR. This stage involves the humane capture of feral cats in Scottish Highland Tiger priority areas which are then neutered by a vet to prevent them breeding and transmitting diseases to the Scottish Highland Tiger.
To find out more on this volunteer project and how you can also contribute to the plight of the Scottish Highland Tiger further information can be found here http://www.scottishwildcataction.org/
