NEW footage has captured a wildcat hunting in the wild in Scotland with a kitten in tow.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) used thermal imaging to capture the footage having previously used the technology to survey deer populations in the Angus Glens.
After yielding better than expected results foresters suggested using the thermal imaging to try and capture a much rarer species: the Scottish wildcat.
The drone-mounted technology makes it far easier to spot well-camouflaged animals as it detects the heat signature being emitted by their bodies.
Ben and Katie Harrower from FLS contractors BH Wildlife Consultancy were drafted in to try and catch a glimpse of the rare and elusive species on camera.
“We have been working with Ben and Katie for about three years on deer surveys and the results have been phenomenally successful in helping us to refine our deer management work,” said Gareth Ventress, an environment forester for FLS.
“It’s also been useful in helping us to build our understanding of feral goats and feral wild boar populations.
"Following this success we started looking at other applications for the technology, thinking that it might have potential in searching for protected species in complex habitats.
“We asked more in hope than in expectation but Ben was up for the challenge and came up with some great footage.
“This spurred us on to make a more focussed effort in Glen Doll and that too came up trumps.”
Gorgeous🥰 New footage from Forestry and Land Scotland shows wildcats hunting - with a kitten in tow. It's thought to be the first thermal drone image of its kind in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/u6bUp3xuXn
— The National (@ScotNational) August 7, 2024
Once an animal is located by the camera it can then switch to a daylight setting, giving clearer images and even zooming in.
By utilising the cameras alongside geographic data land managers can build up a more sophisticated understanding of wildlife populations in a given area.
While it is likely that that native Scottish wildcats are “genomically extinct” due to extensive interbreeding with domestic cats, FLS works on the assumption that any felines with wildcat markings could be wildcats.
When they are detected then woodlands are managed accordingly in a bid to protect their fragile populations.
“We might have a rough idea of a general area to search and it can take many hours and several attempts before capturing anything,” said Ben Harrower.
“It’s also pretty challenging when you are trying to fly between inclement weather and often being smothered in midges.
“Capturing images of any animal the size of a cat in the wild would be next to impossible without the benefit of the thermal camera but once you have a target in-frame, it’s easy enough to then track and film them.
“It was something special to watch as the adult female showed the kitten how to hunt voles, with the most important part of the lesson being that she only managed to catch one vole out of four attempts.
“And the kitten even showed off what it had learned by pouncing on its own.”
Later footage from Glen Doll showed a single wildcat roaming amongst windblown trees.
Gareth added; “This footage is really exciting to see and illustrates the potential of this technique in aiding conservation efforts, particularly for critically endangered species.”
FLS is one of many partner agencies in the Saving Wildcats conservation project that is working towards restoring wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park to boost the Scottish population.
