Hi Everyone,

A quick update before Christmas, as we reach 470,000 people asking for the protection of Clashindarroch Forest and an interestingly timed extinction claim from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, one of Forestry Commission Scotland's partners in the "Scottish Wildcat Action" project; I've copied a Facebook post from Wildcat Haven below which responds to it.

Before that, a massive thank you to you all for signing, sharing, and donating to this cause to protect a forest for the benefit of all the wildlife inside it. That we're so close to half a million signatures is amazing, and it's a collective voice that will be heard even if legal action is the only way to do it. Wildcat Haven are instructing lawyers, letters have begun going back and forth, but please keep up the support, keep the petition growing, and if you can afford it please do donate to Wildcat Haven's legal fund at www.gofundme.com/savethewildcat or www.wildcathaven.com/make-a-donation (and you can contact them directly at admin@wildcathaven.co.uk if you would prefer to make a bank transfer, send a cheque, or any other payment method).

Thanks so much for your generosity and support, have a wonderful festive period whatever your faith, lets all hope 2019 is a good year for the Scottish wildcat.

Here's that Facebook post on the "functionally extinct" claims some of you may have seen in the British press...

##### From the Wildcat Haven Facebook (www.facebook.com/scottishwildcathaven #####

A few of you have written to us about a recent study by RZSS which concludes that the Scottish wildcat is now 'functionally extinct' in the wild (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46617965

This report from RZSS claims that the Scottish wildcat can only be saved by the captive breeding program run by RZSS, which we the public are told holds the best quality wildcats, as proven by a genetic test created by... RZSS.

Incredibly, this is the same captive breeding program which featured in previous news reports after most of the kittens born into the program were neutered having been found to be hybrids of poor quality (www.thetimes.co.uk/…/rare-wildcats-neutered-by-keepers-nw3w

RZSS (and its zoos Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo) are, of course, part of Scottish Wildcat Action: a group which also includes Forestry Commission Scotland. We find the timing of their press release intriguing because we recently informed Forestry Commission Scotland via legal letter that we consider their forestry operations in Clashindarroch Forest to be illegally disturbing the habitat of a critically endangered species.

As our followers will know, Clashindarroch Forest in Aberdeenshire is home to arguably the most important population of Scottish Wildcats in existence. Our followers will also know that we've been supporting a petition to try and stop the Forestry Commission from destroying this crucial habitat. That petition currently has over 469,000 signatures, making it the biggest British wildlife petition in history, and yet it remains unanswered.

We do not think it a coincidence that a multi-agency group which includes Forestry Commission Scotland is claiming that the Scottish Wildcat is functionally extinct in the wild. It is patently not in their interests to conclude otherwise.

This latest claim is particularly curious given that earlier this year the Scottish Wildcat Action group themselves claimed that the Clashindarroch was part of a "Wildcat Wonderland" with signs of wildcat everywhere.

http://www.scottishwildcataction.org/…/walking-in-a-wildca…/

What could possibly cause a u-turn of such epic proportions? From a "Wildcat Wonderland" to "functionally extinct" in a matter of months! Isn't it handy for Forestry Commission Scotland that they have RZSS on hand to declare a species 'functionally extinct' at a time when their forestry operations are threatened?

We encourage interested parties to look at the results of the current captive breeding programme. Over a 4 year period, 21 kittens were born at RZSS. 14 were neutered, 5 are dead and we don't know about the other 2. It was all covered by the Sunday Times in great detail and never retracted.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/…/rare-wildcats-neutered-by-keep

The aim of Scottish Wildcat Action is to create a zoo population of Scottish wildcats. It is the aim of Wildcat Haven to save the Scottish Wildcat in the wild.

You can support our legal action at www.gofundme.com/savethewildcat or www.wildcathaven.com/make-a-donation

We will not let the Scottish wildcat be greenwashed away; protect Clashindarroch and they can still be saved, out in the wild, where they belong.