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wild cats may be welcomed back in parts of England After two years of study found out that now is enough natural habitat and public support for them reintroduction,
Conservationists have determined that there is enough woodland In south west to support one Increasing population of feral cats – The land of mid-Devon has been proposed as an ideal place for their return.
The vast majority of local people were supporting Britain’s greatest threat mammals Creature Reintroduced to the area they once roamedA survey by the University of Exeter found that 71 per cent of 1,000 people surveyed in the South West liked the idea of the return of feral cats,
In another survey conducted by the university, more than four-fifths (83 percent) of the 1,425 people who responded to an online questionnaire expressed support for their reintroduction.
Not only do feral cats pose no threat to humans, pets or lambs, but there is also little threat to other endangered animals such as bats or hazel dormice. Poultry can be protected using the same measures used to keep them safe from foxes.
Wild cats were historically called woodcats due to their presence in woodlands. They were particularly dominant in the south west, having a presence in Exmoor in the late 1920s, but due to hunting and destruction of their habitat they disappeared.
Cath Jeffes of Devon Wildlife Trust, who leads the South West Wildcat Project, said: “It is exciting that this report shows that feral cats can once again be part of the region’s nature.
“The return of this critically endangered species will be another step in the restoration of our native wildlife and will help rebalance the local ecosystem.
“They are critically endangered, why shouldn’t we bring them back, they were here and the reason they are not here is because of persecution. They are part of our natural heritage.”
Reintroduction would likely leave at least 50 feral cats over a period of time.
Wildcats are Britain’s only remaining native cat species, and are “critically endangered”, with only 115 of them left in the wild in their last refuge in the Highlands. Although they look similar to the domestic tabby cat, they are much larger, thicker and have a blunter-pointed tail.
The wildcat diet focuses on widely distributed species, with 75 percent of its prey consisting of small mammals, including voles, rats, wood mice and rabbits, the University of Exeter reports.
Conservationists hope that they can restore the “balance” of the ecological cycle by maintaining their role as a predator and reducing the population of destructive animals such as non-native gray squirrels to ensure the diversity of woodland wildlife.
But Ms Jeffs explained: “There is still a lot of work to be done before the first feral cats are released into the South West.”
He said interaction with stakeholders like farmers and shooting community would be important.
There are no immediate plans to release the cats into the wild, but Devon Wildlife Trust said its partners are committed to developing a reintroduction plan, including securing funding for the scheme.