A report produced by the Scottish Wildcat (Felis silvestiris) Society concludes that there may only be about 40 wildcats left in the wild in Scotland today.1 which means an icon that symbolizes the wilderness in Scotlan. may well disappear from this shores. As a "ghost species", due to various human activities, wildcats have functionally become extinct. Losing wildcats is not only a loss for Scotland but also a blow to the Scottish spirit, as "Scotland without any wild wildcats just wouldn't be Scotland."2
This design aims to take the extinction of wildcats as a powerful warning and bring them back to the Highlands from a more non-anthropocentric perspective. Wildcats use a wide range of habitat types in Scotland, which overlap with many other wildlife species, so saving wildcats can also bring opportunities for more species to thrive. This design delves deeply into the habitats and ecosystems that support their lives, connects wildcat culture with this land, and explores the ability of non-human factors to shape the landscape, all in order to bring wildcats back to Scotland!
1 “Why the Scottish Wildcat Is Staring Extinction in the Face,” The Guardian (Guardian News and Media, September 15, 2012), https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/16/scottish-wildcat-extinction.
2 A“Amidst Hybridisation and Habitat Disruption, the 'Highland Tiger' Is Clinging on by a Claw.,” National Geographic, September 7, 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2020/09/amidst-hybridisation-and-habitat-disruption-the-highland-tiger-is-clinging-on-by-a.
