Wildcats were once widely distributed across Britain, but are now confined to the Highlands of, well, Scotland. The Scottish wildcat has been declared functionally extinct, meaning current reproduction levels are not sufficient to save the species in the long-run, with its remaining populations continually threatened by habitat loss, including recent wildfires, and hybridisation with domestic cats.

Saving Wildcats, a conservation project run by the Royal Zoological Society, has released 50 captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park since 2023, which have gone on to have kittens of their own each consecutive breeding season. In September, 26 organisations came together to form the National Wildcat Strategy, aiming to restore Scottish wildcat populations to self-sustaining levels by 2045.

If you want to see a wildcat in person and don't fancy traipsing around the Cairngorms hoping to spot one of these elusive creatures, several British zoos have them on display, including the Highland Wildlife Park, Edinburgh Zoo, Battersea Park and Dartmoor Zoo. One in the Highland Wildlife Park followed me around hissing from inside his enclosure when I was a wain, I was so honoured.

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Brumback’s night monkey (Aotus brumbacki) is a New World primate species belonging to the family Aotidae and is endemic to Colombia. It inhabits closed-canopy forests and gallery forests, occurring at elevations of up to 1,500 meters, although it is more commonly found in lowland areas. These primates are arboreal and nocturnal, using tree cavities or dense vegetation for resting.

Brumback’s night monkey likely falls within the same size range as the closely related Colombian night monkey and Spix’s night monkey. Therefore, it is expected to have a head-and-body length of 12.05–13.39 inches (30.6–45.0 cm), a tail length of approximately 12.20–18.50 inches (31.0–47.0 cm), and a body weight of around 1.54–2.03 pounds (0.7–0.92 kg).

Its diet is primarily frugivorous, consisting of 59% fruit, while invertebrates account for another 28% and flowers make up the remaining 13%. Its social groups consist of an adult pair and their offspring, including juveniles and subadults. On average, groups do not exceed three individuals.

The species is classified as Vulnerable according to the IUCN due to widespread deforestation throughout its known range. Between 2000 and 2006, more than 70% of its habitat was cleared, and estimates suggest that its population has declined by 30% over the past 24 years.

Photographer’s Instagram:@sprwildlife

Sources:

- Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 3: Primates*. Authors: Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, and Don E. Wilson.

- New England Primate Conservancy (NEPC).

This tiny creature is actually a sea slug called Glaucus atlanticus.

It floats upside down at the ocean's surface and feeds on animals like the Portuguese man-of-war. The wild part? It can store their stinging capsules and use them for its own defense.

Beautiful, but definitely not something you'd want to pick up.