Dartmoor Zoo welcomes two new endangered Scottish wildcats

The cats arrived from a wildlife park in Southampton

Two endangered wildcats have been welcomed to a Devon zoo as part of a breeding programme.

The female Scottish wildcats arrived at Dartmoor Zoo after being moved from New Forest Wildlife Park in Southampton.

The cats are said to be endangered due to habitat loss and being bred with domestic cats.

A spokesperson for Dartmoor Zoo said it will help to educate visitors about wildcats.

Scottish wildcats

• Very similar to a very large tabby cat in appearance but are stockier with fluffier, blunt tails

• They are the only native member of the cat family in the UK

• In the wild they are only found on moorland and in woodlands of the Highlands

• Feed on rabbits and ground-nesting birds

• Usually very shy and almost entirely nocturnal

• Have one litter of two to six kittens in early summer

Source: The Wildlife Trusts

Coral Jonas, chief operating officer at Dartmoor Zoo, which is also a charity, said: "This is the beginning of our future breeding and release programme and will also give us the opportunity to educate our visitors about one of the rarest mammals in Britain."

Ms Jonas thanked students from Ivybridge Community College who helped to build the cats' enclosure as part of a school programme.