Cornhill wildcats caught on camera
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A BANFFSHIRE man may have captured extremely rare pictures of a Scottish wildcat and her kitten, just yards from his house.
The crofter, who lives with his wife a few miles from Cornhill, is keeping their identities and location secret because the wildcat is a protected species.
There could be fewer than 400 of them remaining in the Highlands, making them rarer than Bengal tigers and at risk of extinction.
If the Cornhill sighting is verified, it would back up reports that the cats are extending out to agricultural areas of Aberdeenshire from their more common habitat around the Cairngorms.
"We have had astonishing sightings in recent days, even seeing them playing at one point," the crofter told ‘The Banffshire Journal’.
"We are in no doubt that they are wildcats. The kitten is about the size of an adult domestic cat, and you would not want the mother sitting on your lap.
"I think if you were confronted by it, you would turn around and walk the other way.
