The cats were bred and released by Saving Wildcats, a European project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in partnership with a group of conservation and governmental organizations. “It’s a really exciting milestone,” says Dr. Helen Senn, project lead for Saving Wildcats and head of conservation and science programs at RZSS. Saving Wildcats has taken every effort to ensure the captive-bred cats will have the instincts and hunting skills needed for survival in the wild. Saving Wildcats hopes to keep breeding and releasing around 20 kittens annually over the next few years to give the wild population the best chance of getting established. Wildcats could be drivers for healthier ecosystems because creating better habitat for them will benefit many other species, says Senn.

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Persons: CNN — Young, “, ”, Helen Senn, “ They’ve, “ We’re, Senn, we’ve Organizations: CNN, wildcats, Scottish Highlands, Saving Wildcats, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Highland, International Union for Conservation, Group, Wildcats, Cairngorms, ”, Wildcats Feline Locations: Britain, Scotland, Europe, England, Wales, Kincraig, Scottish