The Tigers of Scotland (2017) - Scottish Wildcat Documentary - Directors Cut (4K)
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Narrated by Iain Glen, this independent natural history documentary investigates the Scottish Wildcat, their endangered status and the conservation efforts being undertaken to prevent their extinction.
Scottish Wildcats are affectionately known as Highland Tigers. The name originates from their striped fur and that they’re not only one of Britain’s largest predators, but the UK’s only ‘big cat’.
Originally released on Netflix in 2018, this is the first time the full length, unedited version has been published, and in 4K.
Directed by Leanne Gater
Should you wish to support the conservation work helping the Scottish Wildcat, the filmmakers suggest donating to the following organisations:
savingwildcats...
www.rzss.org.u...
www.aigas.co.u...
fivesisterszoo...
I saw a Scottish Wildcat in 1956. I was 7 years old at the time. My Dad saw it first. From memory, he had found it's den, and got his hand and wrist heavily scratched. It was on a picnic at the Glendevon. We often picnicked there by the river. I have been living in Australia for 60 years now. My memory is strong of the event. My parents and an auntie and uncle were with us that and many times. They were very excited about the sighting. Dad spoke of it for years.
This is a fabulous documentary, I just wish my Mum and Dad were still alive to have seen it too. I'm sure Dad would have watched it many times,
This account chimes with me.In1978I took my new wife (from Kenya) to explore an area #called Clashindarroch We saw a juvenile wild cat devouring a pigeon.She must be arguably the first Kenyan ever to witness such an event...but we share abmbarry's excitement
@@wraymenzies9925There's several species of wildcats in Africa. What specie do you think it was?
@samdegoeij6576 T
They saw the wild cat in Clashidarroch. Which is in Scotland.
We in Inverness still have domestic cats bread with wild cats, there is a wild Tom cat here in the suburbs, but at
as a tracker, you cannot track wildats, but there are very many hybrids, the domestic is to small(normally)to give birth to the wild cat head is too big. No one shoots wildcats they learn too fast! And don't stare at the lamp, but they follow the lamps (lamping people,its illegal)to get the"gralach"which is the guts left by sometimes poachers, but they can be in front of you in the dark and can't see with a light,
What a wonderful story! From the United States I wish you the very best luck in saving the Scottish Wildcat.
This is the most poetic script for a documentary I've ever come across
Have you seen the Japanese Island Cat documentary ?
Im glad there are still people who care about wildlife. Hope this wildcat will thrive again as they were before.
this was an absolutely phenomenal film! I love how it included Scot myths w illustration. Absolutely wonderful. Thanks to everyone.
Stunning documentary, I'm glad we are now seeing progress made to help these wonderful animals
I really enjoyed this and it brought back a wonderful memory. Myself and 2 friends were walking along the outskirts of a very dense shrub area with plenty Hawthorn and Brambles {{ great protection for wildlife }}. We heard this hissing and growling, below and to the side of the narrow path we were on. I would say this was in 1977/78. And it was definitely a Scottish Wildcat, in Central Scotland {{ South Lanarkshire }}. She was the spitting image of your cats in this video,. I felt like i was seeing her all over again, just much calmer loll. She had kittens and boy was she a fierce mother omggg. I could also swear that she did like a fake charge at us loll, like bears do but with a cat it was funny looking. We stood quietly for a minute then moved away to a safe distance. We laughed when i said, "That cat has the Rottweiler head of all cats" lolll. Beautiful cat, the coat on her was amazing. She made it very clear we were not welcome but it was brilliant and we understood her.
We love our wildlife, hence why we were and i still am over there when possible, camera at the ready now. We only got a fleeting glance of her babies, hidden in the grass and her stood over them. The kittens were tiny and i can only guess she was moving them to a more secure area. Sadly we never saw her, or any other Scottish Wildcat after that, even though the woods and river were both our playground and classroom. I have saw the odd feral cat but no wild ones, so sad because they are awesome to see. Well this is 2024 and i still remember everything about our encounter with 1 in 1977/78.
❤IT, THANK YOU 😊
LOTS INTERESTING INFO
BEAUTIFUL CAT
PRAY YOU HAVE
GOOD RESULTS.A BIT SAD BUT 😢 THOUGHLY ENOYED
❤❤❤😊😊😊❤❤❤
@@patricewilcox792 Thank you and i am happy you enjoyed 🥰
What an excellent documentation, top-quality content on this level is rare.
A video like this is worth a whole month of Internet fees by itself, especially since it is a full hour long. The fact that it is available free of charge, for everyone to enjoy and learn from, is amazing.
I really hope all the hard work of so many dedicated people trying to save these gorgeous animals will be successful.
Scotland's diverse climate and terrain create a unique habitat for a variety of wildlife. From the rugged peaks of the Highlands to the expansive lowlands and coastal cliffs, Scotland offers a rich tapestry of environments. The temperate maritime climate, influenced by the surrounding seas, provides mild winters and cool summers, making it suitable for both native and migratory species. The lush forests, heather-covered moors, and abundant freshwater lakes and rivers sustain a diverse array of animals, including red deer roaming the hills, otters navigating the waterways, and eagles soaring above. Scotland's natural landscapes not only offer sanctuary but also inspire awe, providing ample opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts to observe and appreciate the country's thriving biodiversity. I love this video. what amazing documentary!
Being from Scotland most of Scotland’s terrain is not natural and mainly consists of heather that is regularly burned by disgusting, horrible blood thirsty affluent aristocratic private land owners for shooting and poisoning Grouse
A huge majority of the land is barren and desolate and has had entire forests / trees torn down and felled and cleared away for grazing and agriculture.
the Deers are damaging and destructive for the environment as they devour all of the vegetation / plants and roots they forage for thus reducing the nutrient and mineral quality of the soil
Deer are decimating habitats so fuck up with your rose tinted romanticised shite. You’re factually incorrect and yer clearly not fae Scotland
Scotland doesn’t have any Lakes. We have Lochs . At least get it right .
@@janice506 It's AI, isn't it?
One step, two step, three steps *MEOW*
Very very creamy and yum yummy of you, in the soft, of the night....
I live on Deeside, Aberdeenshire and have seen wildcats and their young right here. I hope their elusiveness is what’s keeping their higher numbers a secret 🤞🏼
I live in Norway and they sound a lot like the lynx here in Scandinavia, that move like ghosts through the woods. I don't think they are critically endangered, but I've met anyone anyone that's seen them. Hopefully the regrowth of the old forests of Caledonia will be a success. Wild creatures can easier hide in dense woodland.
Thank you for sharing this documentary - very informative and I hope that the efforts of all of the conservationist win out and this fabulous animal can continue to live wild and free in the Highlands.🙏
Look how wide its face is, beautiful creature!❤
The story and the poem and the end were just delightful.
Thank you. A fantastic documentary. Thought provoking, educational and fascinating. I hope all the hard work of volunteers, professionals and educators continues to grow, progress and gets rewarded.
These wild cats are everywhere. We had many down here in Savernake forest. Identical. Big, muscly, striped and green eyed. Also very scared of humans. They didn't like being around us at all. widely misidentified as feral cats but definitely the same European forest cat as the Scottish wild cat. Britain definitely has bigger cats too. I'm in south Gloucestershire and there are many sightings and images of large cats here. Fascinating area of debate
What a great film! This is such a delight for cat (and feline) lovers like me. Thanks to everyone involved in making it and for educating the population about the importance of wildlife conservation and this fabulous feline. John Rice’s poem at the end fits the film so beautifully.
Hi I have a wildcat in my garden who has really thick fur in winter and would not come inside even in winter but will take food. He will not let me stroke his back even after feeding him regularly for 2 years. He squats in my shed (getting in under the eaves) in the Garden, I live in Dunblane and will be moving soon, so I need him trapped and checked to confirm he is wild and taken to the wild cat AIGAS place if he is, as he has become semi dependent on my food. He sometimes goes away for a couple of days then comes back. He has not been doctored, but I managed to get a tick and flea treatment on him, when he was eating recently, as I noticed he had ticks but could not get near him. I am rarely permitted to touch his head only. He has very large teeth and sharp claws. He closes his eyes to say he is happy, but does not purr. He will not go on my lap or come too close. He looks like a tabby cat with black feet and a long black stripe on his back and ring tail. He gets on well with the other wildlife, he always leaves a little food for the hedgehog and the crow birds, and they do not fear him, which seems odd. I think he is the alpha male for a few cats in the area, most of the others have collars, but there may be others at night. He is at my kitchen window at 6am sometimes. There is an occasional black cat too which is not human friendly even with food. Kind regards Alison W Bell
This cat needs to be investigated for possible breeding stock purposes espically as you said he might be too humanised
Great to hear your story im happy he is a happy boy mybe just tell new owners of the home it comes with a mascot cat and to enjoy the cat
@@dougross-s4r thanks - yeah thought I might leave a note as a last resort and try to market him for keeping mice and rats away.
Thank you for sharing this interesting story!
Now I feel like I know this cat myself.
Does he get along with domestic cats?
My MacBean ancestors came out to Australia in 1839. They were from around Newtonmore on the Spey - shepherds on the Calder river in Glen Banchor. They were a part of the Highland clearances.
Their clan and a wider confederation was Clan Chattan who had a wild cat as an emblem and a motto 'touch not the cat without a shield'.
I thought the wild cats were extinct - so glad they're not?
Check out the thylacine. Some of my friends are from Victoria and they've said they seen them.
they was criminals really just told you that
I am of the Chattan clan I think its The GLOVE It's a lovely tartan the hunting Macintosh a nice shade of brown
@@christinemackay2869 Touch not the cat bot a glove” 🫶🏼
We have to save the wildcat we have lost so much of our native wildlife, as a country.
That’s down to rich landowners who care more about creating a good hunting estate for their rich buddies they make me sick they don’t care about Scotland or our wildlife
rejoin the European union!
Nádherná kočka která dělá Skotsko tak krásně mělo by se dbát aby nevymizela to by bylo deprimuji
I have one in my back bedroom, she is 16 years old. My daughter has 2, house cats who love to escape out, they are about 9. I lived in the highlands for 14 years, although they were rare, we did see them reasonably regularly. The ones we have were deserted kittens who would not have been able to survive with out help.
Cool be really cool get breeding pairs
@@dougross-s4r No they had to be neutered, not really wild when raised by humans, although never loose the wild traits.
@@suzannehaigh4281-Cloning could provide breeding Scottish Wild Cats. Worth a shot, at least.
@@thominaduncanson7596 They still are not really rare in certain places of Scotland, but I keep where we used to live quiet.
My last words would still be here kitty kitty kitty. Beautiful wild beasties. The wild cat looks like my wee girl❤
They look like domestic cats and do inrerbreed but pets they do not make. Very aggressive, territorial and if you pick it up you need leather gauntlets to your elbows. They look a lot like domestic cats but bigger built with wider heads, bigger jaws, teeth and paws. They are not known for being cuddly 😬.
Please save these beauties
And don't let them dissappear 😢 much
❤From beirut lebanon
Nobody needs to be shooting or trapping ANY cats, thank you very much!!!
TNR is okay. Otherwise we would be overrun with cats. No need to kill them for sure.
We don't have to kill feral cats (or nuisance cats) in Canada because the coyotes and fishers clean them all up. If you have cats here, you keep them indoors.
I love cats.. but the folks in New Zealand might disagree..
Spay or Neuter your domestic cats..
I live in the Pacific Northwest.. we don't have any small "native" cats.. outdoor cats often fall prey to bobcats and coyotes.. that distresses pet owners.
I feel sorry for the cats.
Absolutely
Excellent documentary on various levels. An skillful mix of scientific theories, environmental concerns, cultural folklore, and future projects to defend endangered species. Poetic and remarkable on every level 🐱🌹
Mr Gerald Durrell was, in his time, an expert on the conservation and breeding of species thought impossible to breed in captivity. His successes at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust were legendary, one example being his successful breeding, at Jersey, of the New Zealand tuatara. His methods would be vital in the preservation of the Scottish cat, as I presume they are. "Touch Not The Cat", the motto of a number of Scottish Clans. Col, NZ
They could reintroduce wolves, bears, lynx and beavers but even eagles are being poisoned by grouse breeders who make money from shooters. It's an outrage that eagles are being poisoned by so called game keepers.
They should be fined n jailed
Have you seen a wolf and a bear up close? Would you want that near your house?
Scotland intends to reintroduce wolves back into highlands
Scottish government indicates no plans on reintroducing lynx, wolves or bears into the wild as of my typing this
@@LeeGeeA bear? Probably not. But wolves are not the monsters Europeans made them out to be. Ignorance and greed led to wolves being demonized and extirpated in the past, and Europeans are the main culprits, nothing more fair than trying to fix the shit they did.
What an excellent documentary!!!
They were stating this cat's rarety some 40 years ago when I was in the highlands. I was hiking and fishing and saw a wild cat. So for some reason not a lot has changed in 40 years, why is that??
My guess is ... money. These projects are way more expensive than one might think, and they yield no profit. Hence not many private investors are interested in them ... and private money is needed, since whatever funds the government usually makes available are never enough.
I was shocked by the estimated numbers, even the best case of 400 specimen is terribly low.
I really hope the population of these spectacular animals can be made to grow to healthy and safe numbers again.
@@Gaius__ I would have to ask what you feel the benefits of increasing the numbers of wild cats would be?
They want to introduce the pine martin back to England and if you read their website it sounds great but they are economical with the facts. What the pine martin promoters do not tell you, is the fact that, they are as destructive as the mink and will go down a river bank and eat everything from voles, to birds and their eggs and in a short time the river will be baren of wildlife. I saw this on the river Cherwell in Oxford after animal rights released mink into the local countryside. Then look at the disaster of the reintroduction of sea eagles on the local sheep farmers in Scotland. They take hundreds of new born lambs because it was easier than hunting fish and the farmers were promised compensation if this happened but were not compensated.
You can see the stress on the wild cats face.... They have a very hard short life, unlike our protected, loved house cats....
And here I thought the Scottish wildcat was from the imagination of Marion Chesney Beaton 😊
What a delightful, beautifully produced, informative, and wonderfully narrated documentary!
I visited Scotland several times in my life. The Highlands are what I most remember, and would love again to see, smell, and hear.
Thank you so much!
So, are they still left? They said the cats could be wiped out in the next 5 years. And this documentary was made 6 years ago
Who cares listening to all of this bullshit no such thing as a pure Scottish wild cat, they are just a mixed bag of 57 varieties that have been breeding in the wild for decades. Nothing special about them in any way shape or form.
I saw some at the zoo in Dundee a while back. So there must be breeding programmes.
Yes. In fact forestry Scotland consistently reports on a population in an undisclosed forest.
Excellent film
Excellent thank you ❤
My late husband in South African merchant navy loved the Cumbria area of British Isles
I'm a North American, and this reminds of efforts to save the wolverine. Ultimately, it's vital to save the food source, and vermin have so many predators. This appears to be a genuine effort by the Scottish people, and I wish them much success. Any animal lost to the wilds is a tragedy. Lovely documentary.
Scotland is beautiful!
They are beautiful.
I see a resemblance between Scottish wildcats and manuls (Pallas' cats). Are they not so distantly related? The Scottish cats don't have the round pupils, but their facial profile is similar and style of body movement. Also the ears on the side of the head.
Like Humans animals adapt to their environment.
Hello, I also live in the 🇺🇸. Along with some Scottish roots of the Walker Clan. I really enjoyed, watching this. I hope your 'wild' Cat's, can be saved. They are beautiful, also. We have Bob Cat's, over here. Though...a larger breed, compared to your UK/Scottish...Wild Cat's. Forget, if the US, has any Lynx? Our Mountain Lion's [Puma's] are common. As they have some, wild one's, in Griffith Park...next to the heart of Hollywood. As G. Park is huge, with several hills, within. Currently, they're building a second Nature Bridge Crossing. Both are over-passes, to...two of our, major freeways. As West Los Angeles, has alot of hills; clear to Malibu Beach, etc., heading north...along the Pacific Ocean and inland. Due to so much, building of homes, etc. Less and less land, for these wild creature's, to live and exist. Really sad. As I live in So. California, USA. Some of our other state's, started building these 'special' crossings...just for our wildlife. Protecting them, from getting hit by car's, while crossing our dangerous...freeways. As we lost a few, Mountain Lions [Cougars], trying to cross our 405 major freeway. One or both, were 'tagged', to keep track, of them. Thank you for sharing, this. 😀👍
In 2023 a license was approved by NatureScot to release captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms region in June of that year.[49][50] 19 cats were released in early June 2023, with a further 40 expected to follow in 2024 and 2025.[51][52][53] In spring 2024, at least two of the cats released the previous year gave birth to kittens.[54][55]
That's from the European wildcat Wikipedia article
I was wondering if anything was being done to help
Went there because it was indicated in Scottish article that there really isn't a difference
European wildcat isn't endangered and us protected as well
Beautiful!!
What a beautiful creature - looks like a domestic tabby cat on steroids! The tail is like a raccoon's. It looks like a very tough cat, indeed. I'm in the US, and I have had the pleasure of seeing a bobcat and a mountain lion just once each. They, too, prefer to not be seen. The saying goes for mountain lions (aka cougars), you may go your whole life without seeing them, but they see you!
I love the drunken folklore story of the king cat. Cheers!
Amazing!
AMAZING DOCUMENTARY
This vid is so neet. Didnt know of the Scottish wild cat. What a great animal. Thanks
I must learn to be more patient!
I am soooo glad they are handling the feral cats in said manner!
There's an easy way to tell the difference between Domestic and Wild cats. Wild Cats prefer Fancy Feast whereas Domestic cats prefer Whiskas. Ofc, both hate Friskies.
I am a ginger with some Scottish heritage. One of my favourite utube channels is about a cat in Dundee. I love cats, the domestic and wild.
Scotland is extremely beautiful and the people seem friendly and welcoming. However cat murder is not cool and never ok in any country, including my own.
Nice that Iain Glen is the narrator! Be proud of your wild kitties Scotland, they are beautiful and unique!♥️🐈♥️
🐾🌈☮️🇨🇦🕊
Keep teaching, people. You’re doing a hreat job!!The Earth cannot stay green and flourish without its wildlife.
This program for the Wild Cat is fantastic. The more people know about this incredible cat (and Eagles, beavers, etc.) , the better conservation will be.
Much, much good luck. A country ( ours anyway, america) identifies so much with its wildlife. But we have work to keep the awareness up, too. Telling the stories and legends to lids in school about the cat (and other animals), i think, would go along way. I’m sure Brits identify with the tribes, and there are many, who came and settled in Britain, and linking these tales of animals with the various settlers would go a long way. After all, you do have fantastic myths and legends about the spirits who live in Scotland alteat. :) 🌿🐭🐝🦋🦌🐈⬛🪶🦢🦫🦡🌷🌱
Beautiful cat❤❤❤❤
WONDERFUL MOVIE! THANK YOU! LOVE THE UNIQUE BEAUTIFUL CUTE APPEARANCE OF THE WILD CATS!
DONT DO THAT
Congrat. They try to save them and their habitat.❤
Excellent.
beautiful
Whit's aw this then, Jimmy? They are magnificent.
Scotland doesn't have a very good modern day wildlife management program.
No scientific wildcat population surveys.
No tagging and telemetry studies for species data.
It's pretty hard to establish an effective program for them without that much needed information.
That's one thing US states have been very good at, good wildlife management.
Wonderfully done documentary. It was interesting to hear that they'd adopted TNR as a strategy to curb the genetic impact of domestics, even though it was recently confirmed that there no 'pure' Wildcats left 😓
Excellent! Thanks. 🙂
strathaven is pronounced straeven, some of the words are prnounced differently to how they are written. this cat is so similar to domestics it's amazing
We have that lynx cat in Sweden. I used to have a cat that lived in the forest for many i years and took wild rabbits and other prays. He was huge comparing to ordinary cats
Is that you, Ser Jorah? 🤣🤣
I would love to see the lynx brought back to Scotland it would be benifishal to the deer population as well but probably better spending the money and time saving the wildcats we have 1st.
The domestic cat problem really needs sorting out as well the amount of wildlife they kill not to mention the breeding with our few wildcats we have.
Excellent
What's amazing is they look so much like our domestic cats. Gotta wonder if this type of wild cat is where domestic cats originated.
In Africa we have a wild cat that looks similar to these wild cats The cats in Africa crossbreeds with domestic cats
This is a fine documentary on an important topic, I liked it and now want to learn what's happened with the project since this film came out 6 years ago. I lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina until recently. The Red Wolf had gone extinct there and scientists used zoo captive Red Wolves to first breed and then begin to 'rehab' the offspring for eventual release in the most remote parts of Smoky Mountain National Park. It didn't work. It was announced a few years later the reintroduction was not successful. The Red Wolves 'disappeared.' No other explanation was ever given as far as I know.
Hey that's looks like my neighbours cat. His name is Bob. 😂
Less than 200 Florida panthers left.
I was hoping a tiger not a little pet cat
GREAT DOCUMENTARY//LET'S HOPE THEY SURVIVE AS A SPECIES.
...It is the Scottish Wildcat. Meow!
Soft creamy coolies...
So are these a relative of Pallas Cats or maybe even the American Bobcat ?
It has to be realised that the vast proportion of people who live in the ‘countryside’ and rural areas, do not own land and are not engaged in livestock farming or earn money from it nor can afford to own farms/land/estates
What’s that to do with the film?
Does the wildcat population decline have any correlation with the decline of the wild haggis population? One would assume that the haggis would be a natural food source for the cats.
Ho ho
great vid from a cat lover wild or domestic
Lee looks like pie😊
I’m 60 and grew up in Strathpeffer and we lived just in front of the forest and I remember my old lady neighbour friend saying she saw a wild cat in the woods when she was out walking our dog. I never did see any and iv been all over the area they’ve been seen but no sittings unfortunately.
No more Rats!
Very interesting documentary I’m very certain me and my mother came across baby wildcats when we were on our way home she slammed on the breaks because 3/4 baby cats fitting the description of wildcats spilled out onto the road playing and when they seen the car they darted back into the thick forest and since my mum is a crazy cat women she told me to get out and make sure if they were okay so I got out and tried to call them over like I would normally with my cats at home but all I could hear was tiny rustlings in the bush and forest (it was late night so I couldn’t see anything)but I still remember that moment they were extremely cute and had the same markings and body as wildcats do so I’m pretty sure we did see them but I’ve held that memory for a couple years now I never knew how rare they were but it makes it all the more important to me that I had this experience
why is our answer always to shoot and kill things and cut & clear?
Also nice country 👍
A film about film makers making a film. Very meta.
Nice!
There is also the Caracal Lynx which is found in Africa and parts of Asia ...
FIGHT FOR THE WILDCATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think more zoos and sanctuaries in the UK should take on these cats as they should with other endangered species. However, domestic cats aren't evolved to eat biscuits, they are obligate carnivores and get most of their moisture from what they eat. Otherwise they can have many health issues associated with lacking moisture. Check out Jackson Galaxy for more info on the subject.
Great video. I donate to the conservation of Wildcats and wondered if the Scottish government could be petitioned to bring in a law where all domestic cats must be chipped and neutered? I know it would be difficult to regulate but where breeding cats are concerned they would be kept in secure establishments where they could not escape but would have to be GPS chipped and all kittens tagged and neutered, unless they were going to a licensed breeder. If the law also meant cats found on the street would be automatically tested, neutered and chipped, it would be easier to find them indoors for the same procedures. This is probably the only way we would be able to contain hybridisation and ensure the survival of the species.
Don't be ridiculous!
@@heatherc1563 So, you don't care about hybridisation of a species, see what it did for Humans, we have people like you
@@boblordylordyhowie yeah what it did to humans the problem is the corrupt and stupid government. Everything those crooks touch gets worse. Having them going anywhere near people's homes or pets is very bad. The way to help wildcats is to preserve their habitats. Maybe some captive breeding too. The government can fack off.
Old fashioned fears, I don't get it! Why can't the success of reintroduced wolves and bears of Yellowstone; and national parks reintroduced bison success.
In Sweden we've always had lynx. I don't see why people are hesitant about reintroducing them in the UK? Hardly anyone speaks about lynx being problematic to domesticated animals here. Wolves on the other hand are more prolific in their killing of domestic animals though. Some people want to kill all the wolves, which begs the question of why we think we have the right to kill anything that gets in our way? Surely we can sacrifice a few sheep to restore natural order of prey and predator? Populations of deer and other prey animals are out of control due to the lack of predators!
Er - just a note that hyperbole is pronounced hi - purr - bollee rather than hi-purr-bowl. Comes from Ancient Greek. It is not pronounced the way that 'bole' is usually pronounced in English.
This was from 2018. Where do we stand in 2014?
To think these animals have been called "vermin." _We_ are the vermin, we've destroyed so much for so many other species. 😞
Wait, the Barn owl gives inspiration and purpose? One of these cats would take down a barn owl at the first opportunity.
I guess if I’m going to be attacked by a tiger, I’ll choose one from Scotland if I can. Even so, I won’t eat anything that’s been in a sheep’s bladder.
The Scottish Tiger and Eurasian Lynx would be easier to get along with due to size and shyness. We rarely see lynxes in the USA because they are so shy and don't like to be near people. If you have a lot of their prey out there, you'll probably rarely see them. And obviously the Scottish Tiger / Wildcat is too small to be a big problem for livestock. Without predators, your deer will eat you out of your wildlands and then start on your farms and yards. Trust me on this - they do that in the USA.
So an alley cat in the forest? Cool
We have lots of lynx, bobcat, bear, mountain lion, etc. here in America, would love to give them to you.. lol. Does Scotland want those predators back? Curious... and I am a descendant of Scottish immigrants here in USA. Upon a little research, I found a site "The Lynx to Scotland project".. pretty interesting. It was funny how Great Britain doesn't live under the fear of wild animals like we do here in America...you can't take a walk in the woods without worrying about bears, moose, etc.
Seen one in a zoo. Looks almost identical to a domestic tabby cat.