Folly Farm has welcomed its two newest residents in the shape of adorable wildcats called Caradog and Myrddin.

The male Welsh wildcats will live in a new exhibit built almost entirely by the zoo’s employees, as Folly Farm welcome them to help towards protecting Wales’ declining wildlife.

Caradog and Myrddin previously lived in Scotland, with the two of them being relocated as part of the managed European Breeding Programme for the species.

In giving a home to two males, Folly Farm is helping to aid wildcat breeding programs at other zoos, and the pair could even be used for breeding in the future.

South Wales Argus: The exhibit while under construction at Folly FarmThe exhibit while under construction at Folly Farm (Image: Newsquest)

Just slightly larger than a domestic cat and closely resembling a tabby, wildcats once roamed freely and are thought to have been the inspiration behind Welsh myths and legends.

Wildcats sadly became extinct in Wales at the end of the 20th century.

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To see wildcats outside of captivity today, you will now have to travel to the Scottish Highlands – and even sightings there are rare as the cats are notoriously shy.  

Folly Farm’s zoo curator, Tim Morphew said: “It is more important than ever to protect our native species. 51% of mammals in Wales need urgent action to protect them, or they risk becoming extinct like the wildcat. It is devastating to see our wildlife decrease like this, but there are things we can all do to help. That’s what our Native Species Enclosure is all about.”

South Wales Argus: The display at Folly Farm on the protection of the three species at the exhibitThe display at Folly Farm on the protection of the three species at the exhibit (Image: Newsquest)

Using materials found on-site, Folly Farm’s zookeeper team worked together to build the Native Species Enclosure, which is now home to the two wildcats.

“We wanted to keep everything as local as possible including the materials and plants used,” Tim said. “We even had the very generous donation of whisky barrels from Penderyn Distillery, which we have used to create the wildcats’ nesting boxes.”

Caradog and Myrddin, named after Celtic folklore characters, follow multiple harvest mice as Welsh natives to join Folly Farm this year, with white-clawed crayfish due to join soon.