Quartet of rare felines settle into their new enclosure

Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed four Scottish wildcats – one of Britain's rarest mammals – to its animal inventory.

The quartet arrived at the zoo a few months ago from the Highland Wildlife Park, both part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Scottish wildcats will remain part of RZSS's conservation project at the zoo.

The three male cats – Leven, Lomond and Linnhe – and one female – Lochy – have settled into their new home well, and are normally found hanging around the treetops of their enclosure.

While they may seem similar to a pet cat, Scottish wildcats have a more wide, flat head and a bushy tail with dark rings around it. There are also differences in their genetics and blood type.

It is thought that there are as little as 400 of these wildcats left, making them more rare than the Amur tiger.

Image courtesy of RZSS

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