The Scottish Wildcat - on the verge of extinction

[Alan H]

Oh, I wasn't objecting to the stuffed animal as it surely was very old, indeed. I also have no objection to the sporrans either, if they were also very old. I would cry foul and raise a fit if a new Scottish Wildcat sporran was to appear, though.

I'm glad to hear that the Clans Chattan are aware of the situation and are helping in whatever way they can to improve it! The Wildcat is truly a gorgeous animal, totally aside from any Clan associations or history. Add in their influence on past generations and it would be a trajedy if the species were to disappear.

If indeed they are down to 35 animals, then the situation is beyond dire, as the genetic variation...statistically speaking... becomes untenable at around that number. There comes a point where interbreeding produces non-viable offspring. The Cheetah is an example of a feline species that is much like this. All extant cheetahs are VERY closely related to one another, indicating that the species went through a population bottleneck in the not-too-distant past. It would be tragic if the Scottish Wildcat had the same issue.

[Macman]

I was going to comment on Clan Chattan's efforts in this regard, but creagdhubh beat me to it and knows way more about it than I. I think it's a good example of what a clan association can do that can hopefully make a difference.