Ron Bury's Wildlife: Could Chester geneticist save the Scottish wildcat from extinction?

Saturday, 18 August 2012

Could Chester geneticist save the Scottish wildcat from extinction?

A Scottish wildcat - but is it a hybrid or a purebred?
Picture supplied by Neville Buck,
of The Aspinall Foundation.

Geneticists from the University of Chester are developing a test that could crack the Scottish wildcat’s DNA code and save one of Britain’s rarest and most iconic species from extinction.

"If we can identify enough wildcats to develop a viable breeding programme, we can then look at ways of conserving this beautiful species and preventing one of Britain’s most incredible, iconic animals from disappearing from the face of the earth."
Dr Paul O''Donoghue

Read the full article

This web site is about the wildlife, particularly the mammals, of the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve area in the north west Highlands of Scotland, UK; and the equipment I use to search for them, which is chiefly trail cameras.

I provide a technical support and parts service for the Ltl Acorn range of cameras and the income from this provides for the upkeep of this site and the purchase of cameras for my own surveying.

I hope you find the site useful and informative; and please contact me if you have any questions that I haven't already covered.