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One of the largest wildcats ever recorded is caught on camera in Scottish forest

<em>The enormous wildcat caught on camera has been nicknamed the Clashindarroch Beast (Wildcat Haven)</em>
The enormous wildcat caught on camera has been nicknamed the Clashindarroch Beast (Wildcat Haven)

An ‘enormous’ wildcat that is estimated to be 4ft long has been caught on camera wandering around a Scottish forest.

The animal, that was spotted by field workers in Aberdeenshire’s Clashindarroch Forest, has been nicknamed the Clashindarroch Beast.

It is thought to be one of the largest wildcats ever recorded in the world.

Traps baited with food have been set up across the Highlands, while cameras placed in front of them start recording any time something passes.

<em>Scottish wildcats are extremely rare (Rex/stock photo)</em>
Scottish wildcats are extremely rare (Rex/stock photo)

The technology is used around the world to help identify rare species such as wildcats.

Kev Bell, field worker at Wildcat Haven, told the BBC: ‘I’ve been fortunate to get footage of quite a few of these ghost cats; there’s about 10 to 15 of them here in the Clashindarroch.

‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw this cat, he is enormous, a magnificent animal.’

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He added: ‘Some people say that the wildcat doesn’t exist anymore but we know different and wildcats like ‘The Beast’ prove it.’

Domestic cats across more than 1,000 square miles of the West Highlands are neutered as part of the conservation project.

Experts do this to stop domestic cats hunting animals like rabbits and rats – animals that the rare wildcats feed on to survive.