Other Species.

The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is Britains rarest mammal and the only native wild feline species still (officially) found in the UK. It is slightly larger and stockier than a domestic cat, with distinctive thick, striped fur, a bushy tail, and no white markings. Once widespread across the UK, habitat loss, persecution, and hybridisation with feral cats have pushed the species to the brink of extinction. Now confined to remote areas of the Scottish Highlands, conservation efforts are underway to protect this elusive predator and restore its fragile population.

Image - Kellas cat on display at Zoology Museum, Aberdeen, Scotland

The Kellas cat is found in Scotland, believed to be a natural hybrid between the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) and a feral domestic cat. Named after the village of Kellas in Moray where the first specimen was discovered, it is known for its sleek black coat, long legs, and powerful build. Larger than most domestic cats, the Kellas cat has become part of Scottish folklore, often linked to legends of ghostly black cats. Though once considered mythical, confirmed specimens have shown it to be a unique example of hybridisation between wild and domestic feline species.

The jungle cat (Felis chaus) is a medium-sized wildcat native to Asia, the Middle East, and parts of North Africa. It has a slender, long-legged build with a sandy or greyish coat, tufted ears, and a short tail with black rings. Highly adaptable, it thrives in wetlands, grasslands, and scrub forests, hunting rodents, birds, and small reptiles. Though not native to the UK, a dead jungle cat was famously found on the side of a road in Shropshire in 1989,  one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for exotic cats living wild in Britain. This discovery, along with sporadic sightings, has fuelled speculation that escaped or released jungle cats could be surviving in the British countryside.

The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a slender, medium-sized wildcat native to Africa, known for its long legs, large ears, and striking golden coat marked with black spots and stripes. Highly adapted for hunting in grasslands and wetlands, servals use their exceptional hearing to locate small prey like rodents and birds. Their distinctive appearance makes them one of the more easily identified exotic cats reported in the British countryside.

The melanistic colour variant of the Serval is the one more often seen in the UK.

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a medium-sized wildcat native to Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, known for its distinctive tufted ears, powerful build, and reddish-tan coat. Agile and elusive, caracals are skilled hunters, capable of leaping high to catch birds in mid-air. Their secretive nature and ability to thrive in various habitats make them a plausible candidate for some exotic cat sightings in the UK, particularly those that are describe as looking “like a puma with pointed ears”.

A hybrid cat, as the result of a cross between a Leopard and a Puma. Cats matching this description have been seen in the UK, although there is no documented occurrence of them in the wild.

Image shows a pumapard, on display at the Rothschild Museum, Tring, England