Return of England’s wildcats
Animals to be reintroduced after being declared extinct in 19th century
Three families of wildcats are starting to be reintroduced in England this year after the species was declared extinct more than 150 years ago.
Conservationist Derek Gow, who is an expert on mammal reintroductions, is building England’s first wildcat breeding complex on his farm in west Devon.
He hopes to introduce the cats into the complex this year and then release them into the wild in three years’ time. His aim is to have a population large enough to breed 150 wildcat kittens every year.

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