THEY are almost impossible to see in the wild.
Shy and secretive - and on the brink of extinction - the Scottish Wildcat is ampng the most vulnerable animals on the planet.
Yet now millions of people have been introduced to the iconic animal after renowned American wildlife photographer Joel Sartore was alerted to the story of two Wildcat kittens which had been abandoned by their mother.
The pair were rescued by conservationists Wildcat Haven and are being cared for at a special enclosure set up in the West Highlands.
This gave Mr Sartore the opportunity to document them for his Photo Ark project with National Geographic, with the pictures being released today online.
READ MORE: Claws are out in battle to save Scottish wildcat from extinction
More than 90 million people subscribe to the publication's Instagram account, where the photos have been featured alongside those of other endangered animals.
Mr Sartore said: “I first heard about Scottish wildcats 20 years ago running some photography workshops in Scotland, and even then everyone said they were impossible to shoot.
"Now there's only about 35 left so Wildcat Haven have two of the rarest felines in the world in their care and they will soon release back to the wild.
“It was an incredible opportunity to come in and see this cat up close and tell the world about it."
READ MORE: Scottish wildcat at "high risk" of extinction say experts
The Photo Ark project has a unique stylistic approach capturing studio-quality portraits of wildlife rather than traditional in-the-wild natural history images.
For the photo shoot, the kittens spent a few minutes in a small tent erected inside their enclosure, with a hole cut in it for the camera lens to reach through, and studio lighting arranged outside of the tent.
Mr Sartore added: “The Photo Ark at its heart is an effort to educate people, and to get them to care about the extinction crisis.
"We could lose half of all species on this planet by 2100, and it's folly to think we can doom half of everything else to extinction and not have it affect humanity; it's going to affect us profoundly.”
READ MORE: Wildcat kittens could provide lifeline for species, say conservationists
The international interest in the species follwes a 12-month period where Scottish wildcats have enjoyed two viral videos, a Bing homepage and a 340,000 signature petition for their protection.
The kittens have continued to settle in comfortably at the rehabilitation and rescue centre, and are closely monitored with remote motion-sensor cameras which have captured footage of them chasing and playing with each other, even in their water bowl.
The enclosure. Pics - Steve Piper/Wildcat haven
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