New wildcat night hunt footage reveals stalking behaviour

Footage believed to show a Scottish wildcat hunting in the wild at night for the first time shows previously unknown behaviour, a conservation group says.

Wildcat Haven said the video captured at Clashindarroch in Aberdeenshire has shown the animal to stalk its prey and not ambush it like previously thought.

The group believes there to be at least 50 wildcats in the region, with three found since January.

Paul O’Donoghue from Wildcat Haven told BBC Scotland News they were able to assess that it was a wildcat due to coat markings.

He said the footage – which was taken at the start of April – showed the wildcat stalking its prey “almost like a mini leopard” would.

“The wildcat senses the mouse from 10 or 12 metres away and the second the mouse stops the wildcat leaps on it and bounds away in almost one movement,” Mr O’Donoghue said.

“The agility and the prowess is really incredible, you can only see this through an infra-red camera.”

The organisation has cameras set constantly running in locations in the region for a month at time.

The wildcat was spotted in a recent review of footage.

Wildcat Haven said it hopes it can teach more about the behaviour of the animal, as well as raise awareness.

Mr O’Donoghue said: “We’re understanding more about habitat use, where these cats are, how they behave and crucially we use that information to inform conservation efforts”.

It is hoped the population of wildcats is increasing in the region with the Clashindarroch described as a “key breeding ground”.

Wildcat Haven said it has images of 30 wildcats in Aberdeenshire.