Standing advice on trapping wildcats as by-catch

During the course of live-trapping of other mammals within the range of the wildcat in Scotland, it is possible that you will capture a wildcat. This is most likely when you are attempting to capture feral cats, e.g., for legitimate predator control or as part of a Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (TNVR) programme. This is because there is a large overlap in habitat use and other behaviours between wildcats and feral domestic cats. Furthermore, once a cat has scent-marked a trap, this scent is attractive to both feral domestic cats and wildcats.

Guidance on distinguishing between feral cats and wildcats can be found on the NatureScot website - Definition of a Wildcat. In Table 1 of the guidance, the first two rows are those that will be applicable to users of this advice (1. “Where pelage markings are not visible” and 2. “Where a detailed pelage assessment is not possible”). 

It is an offence to deliberately or recklessly capture injure, kill or harass a wildcat. Therefore, you should not set traps with the intent of capturing a wildcat. If you do accidentally capture a wildcat, it should be released immediately.

The definition of ‘reckless’ with regard to capturing a wildcat will depend on the situation and is not set out in the legislation. The advice below outlines ways of reducing risks to wildcats. By following this advice, you may be able to demonstrate that your actions in the lead up to trapping of a wildcat would not be considered reckless. There are two basic approaches to avoiding reckless capture:

Avoidance

• In areas where wildcats are known to be present, do not set traps that could capture a wildcat during their peak breeding season (when they have dependent young). This runs from approximately April to August inclusive. Traps that could capture a wildcat include anything specifically set to capture feral cats and any other traps that use lures and baits that could attract feral cats or wildcats. If you are not sure if there are wildcats in the area you are trapping, you should set camera traps to monitor the baited trap in advance of setting the trap for capture.
• Do not set traps that could capture a wildcat near a known wildcat den site at any time.
• If a wildcat is captured unexpectedly in a trap, release it immediately at the trap location and then either move the trap elsewhere or look at mitigating the impacts of further captures (see below).  Having a wildcat repeatedly enter a trap will obviously reduce trapping success for target species and therefore moving the trap may be a better option than resorting to the mitigation set out below.

Mitigation

• In areas where wildcats are known to be present, the cage trap you are using must be of a design suitable for wildcats so that, in the event one is captured unexpectedly, the risk of harm is reduced. Features of these include a maximum 1”x1” (25x25mm) mesh size to reduce damage risk to teeth, a covered/solid trap door and suitable protection from the weather. Any commercially available trap that meets international standards for feral cats and the criteria set out above should be suitable for wildcats.
• Check the trap a minimum of every twelve hours or use remote trap alarms such as Mink Police or remote monitoring cameras. Visit a trap as soon as possible after the alarm is triggered and always within eight hours of capture.
• Release the wildcat immediately at the trap location. It is an offence to keep or transport a wildcat.

The extent of wildcat captures as by-catch is poorly understood. Therefore in all cases, report incidences of by-catch, along with any other descriptive features of the captured wildcat, to NatureScot by emailing [email protected]. Include a grid reference of the capture location and photographs of the wildcat in the trap if possible. This will help us to develop guidance and methods that could help reduce the risks associated with wildcat by-catch.

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