Scotland's great-crested newts, natterjack toads and wildcats thrown a lifeline by the Heritage Lottery Fund

The great-crested newt, the natterjack toad and the iconic Scottish wildcat, although indigenous to the country, are rarely glimpsed as their numbers decline to nearing extinction.

Their fight for survival has been given a helping hand as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced funding for two natural heritage projects: the Scottish Dragon Finder, and the Scottish Wildcat Conservation project.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant of £422,400 to the Scottish Dragon Finder project which will directly involve 28,000 people in conserving Scotland’s amphibian and reptile species, collectively known as herptiles.

There are 10 native herptiles species in Scotland, seven of which feature as priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. These include the great-crested newt, the natterjack toad and the grass snake.

Over four and a half years, the project will involve communities, school children, gardeners and hill walkers in improving fresh-water ponds across 14 local authority areas, identifying and recording the current amphibians and reptile populations and in learning activities to raise awareness of the endangered species and the role they play in the country’s biodiversity.

The HLF has also given its initial support to the Scottish Wildcat Conservation project which aims to reverse the decline in areas of Tayside, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

There is not a reliable estimate of current wildcat numbers, although the evidence points to them being extremely rare. The main threat to its survival is interbreeding with domestic or feral cats as well as the risk of disease.

The new Conservation Action Plan aims to establish at least five wildcat areas as the focus for direct conservation activity. This will include a programme of neutering and vaccinating feral cats and working with land managers to reduce the risks to wildcats from land management activities.

There will also be a Scotland-wide awareness raising campaign helping people understand the threats to this iconic native animal and what domestic cat owners can do to help.

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