An animal seized by police, believing it to be of a rare and vicious species, turned out to be a simple domestic tabby cat.
North Wales Police seized the animal, which they believed was a Scottish Wildcat, a species rarer than the tiger, after it was reported that a man in the Conwy area was keeping a member of the protected species without license. The force has now confirmed that was an ordinary domestic house cat.
In February, officers searched a private address and found a one-year-old kitten which was being cared for by St Asaph-based rescue group, Wildcat Haven, who said they were rehabilitating the animal after finding it abandoned in the Scottish central highlands. Wildcat Haven said they were planning to release the animal, named Finlay, back into the wild before he was seized on Valentine's Day, North Wales Live reported.
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Following months of investigation, North Wales Police have today announced that an independent expert has confirmed the cat is in fact a domestic tabby cat.
A police spokesperson said: "Following consultation with NatureScot and Natural Resources Wales a search was conducted on February 14, 2022. The animal reported to be a Scottish wildcat was located and taken to a specialist facility to determine its identity.
"It was examined by an expert in wildcat identification, who concluded it to be a domestic tabby cat which may have a low proportion of wildcat genes, lower than that required to consider it to be a Scottish Wildcat (Felis silvestris)." Police said Finlay is being cared for at a specialist facility and a 43-year-old man is assisting them with their enquiries.
Speaking at the time, Wildlife Haven said the endangered animal was being nursed back to health on private land in Conwy. The group claimed the animal was moved from Scotland because of the country’s right to roam laws and had never previously been required to seek a licence.
Following the police investigation, a NatureScot spokesperson said: “In this case the animal was not assessed as being from a protected species. While there are provisions in legislation that allow for the caring and rehabilitation of protected species, NatureScot strongly encourage early communication with our licensing team to help guard against any offences being committed in relation to possession.”
