This tabby is a tiger in disguise

10:56am Thursday 6th March 2008

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IN recent weeks, wild cats have featured in the news because they are now considered to be an endangered species.

It is difficult to know precisely how many of them remain in our country but one wildlife consultant thinks there may be a least 400 and probably more.

Here we need to make a distinction between domestic cats that have gone wild, and the genuine wild cat. It may help to know that this ferocious animal is sometimes called the British Tiger, and it is the only native member of the cat family to be living wild in this country. It cannot be domesticated and it is claimed that this shy but savage animal is totally impossible to tame.

Wild cats live in remote forested area of Scotland, consequently it is highly unlikely - but not impossible - that one will be seen in this region. Because they move mainly at night, they are regarded as highly secretive and do not like open spaces.

When they are not confronted or cornered, they are very timid, preferring to hide whenever possible but if they are cornered, they will hiss and spit alarmingly, crouching with their backs hunched, teeth bared and ears flattened back to the neck. That is when they should not be approached.

The likeness to a tiger is evident because, although this cat is only slightly larger than its domestic cousin, it does have dark grey or black stripes along its body, head and legs, with similarly coloured rings around its bushy tail. The tail has rather a blunt end with a black tip. Its main colour is a light brown shade, sometimes with white underparts and when it walks, it has all the appearances of a miniature tiger, especially in the way it moves .

Although currently restricted to the highlands of Scotland, wild cats once roamed across the entire countryside of Britain. They were part of our plentifuf wild life until the middle of the 18th century, but later, around the 1860s, they began to suffer persecution from landowners and farmers due to their undoubted skills in killing small animal and ground nesting birds, especiall game. Their fur was also highly prized by the Victorians. In addition to birds, they will take rabbits, hares and rodents, and they are extremely capable killers, sometimes working alone and sometimes in pairs. It was that persecution that drove wild cats from England and into the highlands. Over the past 70 years or so, however, wild cats have been spreading slowly southwards and it seems this is due to afforestation schemes that have provided it with new habitats. Nonetheless, it doe not seem to have colonised our forest areas, although conservationists are now planning to re-introduce the wild cat t0 England and Wa les.

Whether this would be popular or welcomed remains to be seen.

One problem is whether the wild cats still in existence are genuine felis sylvestris or whether they have interbred with domestic cats. Even a former domestic cat that has lived in the wild for most of its life is not the same creature a a genuine wild cat. Those who wish to reintroduce the wild cat to England and Wales want to be sure they are dealing with the genuine species and not a cross breed.

This is something that cannot be easil determined and I understand the only foolproof method is to test the DNA of captured wild cats and those kept in captivity for the purposes of breeding "pure" wild cats. Already, there are wild cats in captivity for controlled breeding and the are known to be free from blood tainted by their adventurous domestic cousins. Scottish Natural Heritage is now trying to establish the number of wild cats living in the highlands. This will be the first such survey for more than 20 years and SNH is asking assistance from motorists and hikers when they visit wild cat country.

It is pointed out that wild cats are most likely to be seen at dusk or dawn, when their eyes are caught in the lights of passing motor vehicles. A person walking quietly in the woods might also notice the animal. The address of Scottish Natural Heritage is 12, Hope Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 2AS, phone 0131 4474784.

If you do come across one, please don' treat it like a domestic tabby cat - this is one of our most powerful predators, a true miniature tiger