Dear Members and Adopters,
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is committed to conservation work with big cats and is excited to announce developments in the implementation of its overarching strategy. RZSS has a history of actively conserving wild cats, both large and small, and our future plans are even bigger. At Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park we are focusing our skills and expertise on providing high quality environments for cats as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) coordinated breeding programme. Out in the field, our pioneering genetic research will help us to further understand and safeguard wild populations. Various new species will now enter collections both at Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo and the existing Big Cat Walkway at Edinburgh Zoo will be demolished.
Dating back to the 1920s and part of the original Sir Patrick Geddes designed Zoo, extensive work has been carried out over the years to expand and modify Edinburgh Zoo’s enclosures on Big Cat Walkway. The enclosures have been adapted and enhanced over time to meet the animal’s needs. However RZSS would prefer to develop enclosures more in-keeping with the aims of a 21st century conservation charity and will remove the existing infrastructure. In order to do this, the big cats currently residing on Big Cat Walkway will leave Edinburgh Zoo’s collection likely from the start of October. These include: a male and female jaguar and a male Amur leopard. All will go to suitable alternative homes in other collections as part of the relevant European species breeding programmes and RZSS will assess how to use this space going forward.
We are excited to reveal that a new young female Asiatic lion, Roberta, joined Jay the young male at Edinburgh Zoo last week to create a new pairing for Edinburgh Zoo. Roberta will shortly be visible to members of the public as she is just currently being introduced slowly to Jay. Also, a new adult male Sumatran tiger will join female Baginda and the current male, Tibor, will be transferred to another collection as recommended by the EEP. As a critically endangered species with only a few hundred left in the wild, it is vital we continue with this programme.
In addition to Sumatran tigers and Asiatic lions, Scottish wildcats will remain on view at Edinburgh Zoo and a pair margays, a small South American cat, has been moved to the cat house beside the sun bears.
Highland Wildlife Park, where visitors can currently see Amur tigers, Scottish wildcats, Pallas’s cats and Northern lynx, will also see some important new additions. Construction is soon to begin on an enclosure for a pair of endangered snow leopards. The environment at the Park mimics the high altitude range in the mountains of central Asia and the large space provides room for breeding as part of the managed European Breeding Programme. Also, a new off-show breeding facility for one of the rarest cats in the world, the Amur leopard is to be built; the pair at Edinburgh Zoo was incompatible. Here cubs will be born and reared with minimal exposure to humans and this hands-off approach will make the young eligible for reintroduction back to their native environment in Russia.
As part of the ongoing commitment of the Society to cat conservation, RZSS’ world renowned WildGenes laboratory, based at Edinburgh Zoo, will continue to house research staff and technicians that provide DNA analysis services to zoos worldwide, including substantial projects in S E Asia, Middle East and Africa, as well as undertaking collaborative research projects on topics of national and international conservation interest. For example the laboratory is currently assisting Al Ain Zoo, in the United Arab Emirates, to launch a breeding and research programme for the Arabian sand cat; the elusive animal’s habitat is under threat and the true number remaining in the wild is unknown. Importantly, RZSS WildGenes’ recent development of a DNA test now allows the assessment of the level of hybridisation of Scottish wildcats both in collections and in the wild and off show. Additional off show breeding areas are currently under development at the Park for high purity wildcats.
We hope our overarching conservation strategy will be welcomed and supported so we are able to achieve these vital goals. RZSS believes that the addition of these cats at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park will add to the attraction to visitors and enhance the visitor experience.
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