Overview
- The South West Wildcat Project’s two-year assessment concludes mid‑Devon and connected habitats could support a sustainable wildcat population.
- Independent University of Exeter surveys found strong local backing, with 71% of 1,000 people and 83% of 1,425 online respondents supportive of reintroduction.
- A phased release of roughly 40–50 wildcats is envisaged, with no releases expected before 2027.
- Hybridisation with domestic and feral cats is identified as the principal threat, prompting calls for coordinated neutering programmes with local communities and welfare groups.
- Partners will now develop detailed proposals, secure funding and engage farmers and landowners, and the species is assessed as posing minimal risk to people, pets or livestock while feeding mainly on small mammals.