Overview

A mysterious and rarely seen beast, the Scottish Wildcat is Britain’s rarest mammal, and one of the most endangered carnivores in the world. Over the centuries, one by one, Britain’s most formidable wild animals have fallen to the thoughtless march of humankind. A war on predators put paid to our lynxes, wolves and bears, each hunted relentlessly until the last of them was killed. Only our wildcats lived on. The Scottish wildcat’s guile and ferocity are the stuff of legend. No docile pet cat, this, but a cunning and shadowy animal, elusive to the point of invisibility, but utterly fearless when forced to fight for its life. Those who saw one would always remember its beauty – the cloak of dense fur marked with bold tiger stripes, the green-eyed stare and haughty sneer, and the broad, banded tail whisking away into the forest’s gloom. Driven to the remnants of Scotland’s wilderness, the last few wildcats now face the most insidious danger of all as their domesticated cousins threaten to dilute their genes into oblivion. However, the wildest of cats has friends and goodwill behind it. This book tells the story of how the wildcat of the wildwood became the endangered Scottish wildcat, of how it once lived and lives now, and of how we - its greatest enemy - are now striving to save it in its darkest hour.

Full Product Details

Author:   Marianne Taylor
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Wildlife
Weight:   0.180kg
ISBN:  

9781472954374

ISBN 10:   1472954378
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   27 May 2021
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Prologue - gatita fiera 1. A Cat in Context - evolution, relationship 2. Wild Tales - myth and legend Trip 1: Speyside, 2013 3. Born to Kill - biology of cats and wildcats Trip 2: Ardnamurchan, 2013 4. Life Unseen - how wildcats live Trip 3: Speyside, 2014 5. A Bloody History - humans and wildcats in conflict Trip 4: Speyside and Beyond, 2015 6. Of Cats Tame and Wild - wildcats and domestic cats Trip 5: Ardanmurchan, 2016 7. Salvage Operation - conservation efforts to date Trip 6: Speyside, 2018 8. An Uncertain Future - population, projects Acknowledgements Further Information Index

Reviews

There is some intriguing material about the folklore around the Scottish wildcat... The material on the difference between cats and dogs [...] is fascinating. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday * In part, Taylor's book charts a journey across Scotland tracking the Highland tiger and in part it's a reflection on the wildcat's cultural significance and what needs to be done to save it. - Patrick Galbraith, The Times -- Patrick Galbraith * The TImes *

Author Information

Marianne Taylor is a freelance writer, illustrator, photographer and editor, and author of many natural history books, including Way of the Hare, Dragonflight, British Birds of Prey and RSPB British Naturefinder. A passion for all wildlife has been a driving force throughout her life.

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