A group of canoeists on the River Spey have captured what is believed to be the first ever recording of a wildcat swimming in Scotland. The sighting of wildcat Sully, born in captivity in 2022 and released into the wild in 2024, was caught on camera as she swam across the river.
Rare sighting on the River Spey
Sully was spotted by Craig Potter while canoeing with friends David McKillop and Will Walter, who managed to capture a video and photograph of the animal. Conservation project Saving Wildcats, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, identified Sully following the sighting due to her GPS radio collar.
Speaking to Saving Wildcats, Craig said: “We could see Sully downstream standing on the bank as we canoed down. We actually thought it was a fox due to its size! It's also cool how she kept her tail dry the whole time.”
Conservation efforts in the Cairngorms
Sully is one of the wildcats released as part of the project's efforts to boost numbers of the animals in the Cairngorms National Park. In 2018, the Scottish wildcat was found to be "functionally extinct" following a major study, and efforts to help the species' recovery have been ongoing ever since.
According to the Scottish SPCA, wildcats are stockier and more muscular than a domestic cat. They have longer legs and a larger, broader head and have been nicknamed as the "Highland Tiger" after being described as impossible to tame.
Confirmation of swimming behaviour
Posting on social media, Saving Wildcats said: "This summer, Craig Porter was canoeing with friends down the River Spey when they spotted female wildcat, Sully, swimming in front of them. To our knowledge, this is the first ever recording of a wildcat swimming in Scotland.
While GPS-radio collar data has indicated that released wildcats have been moving across rivers, it is truly wonderful to get visual confirmation of them entering the water. The team are so grateful to Craig and his friends for sharing their remarkable footage. By doing so, they are directly contributing to wildcat recovery in Scotland by furthering our understanding of their ecology."
A report into Saving Wildcats' efforts released in December described it as "highly effective" in helping to grow the population in the Cairngorms. Those who spot a wildcat are directed to visit savingwildcats.org.uk/haveyouseenawildcat for guidance on what to do next.
