Introduction
The Scottish wildcat is a culturally emblematic creature, known in the Scots language as will cat or wullcat and in Gaelic as cat fiadhaich. It is the focus of an extensive mythology and popular literature. Though once found throughout the UK, it has since the 19th century been restricted to Scotland and in 2014 the total population was estimated as between 115 and 314 (Kilshaw 2015). It is listed as a protected species in the EU Habitats Directive, which was transposed into domestic law by The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (Macdonald 2019: 4).
Efforts aimed at wildcat conservation have given rise to several controversies and disagreements. First, scientists and activists differ over the definition of a ‘wildcat’, as the animals are all to some extent interbred with feral domestic cats. Wildcats and domestic cats can interbreed to produce healthy, fertile offspring, raising the questions, what is the force of legal protection ...




