A RARE Scottish wildcat kitten has been caught on camera in Chester Zoo.

The female kitten, who is part of a breeding programme to save Britain's rarest mammal from extinction, was born at the zoo in August but has not been caught on camera until now.

There are as few as 100 wildcats, also known as the Highland tiger, remaining in the UK.

Tim Rowlands, the zoo's curator of mammals said: "Unlike domestic cats who can have several litters a year, Scottish wildcats will usually only have one, so every birth is really, really significant.

“The kitten was born to parents Einich and Cromarty in August but, given their incredibly elusive nature, had not been caught on camera until now.

"It’s ever so special to see just how active the kitten already is and how she’s already starting to practise the skills that these magnificent, stealth hunters use to pounce on their prey.

“Conservation breeding in zoos is a key component in the wider plan to prevent Scottish wildcats from disappearing altogether – and each new arrival offers another lifeline for the species.

"The hope is that the safety net population being bred by our carnivore experts will be released into the highlands of Scotland in the future.

"We’re very much part of the vision to restore and maintain a wild population of the stunning Scottish wildcat for the long term.”

Once thriving in Britain, the animals were hunted to the brink of extinction for their fur and to stop them from preying on game birds.

Chester Zoo is one of a number of conservation partners which form Scottish Wildcat Action - a co-ordinated effort to bring the Highland tiger's back from the brink.

One of the ways in which conservationists are able to estimate the population density is with trail camera technology and the zoo has also funded camera traps to support monitoring work in the Scottish highlands.