Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
0,1 snow leopard ‘Animesh’ has died. This leaves Highland with 1,1 - the breeding male and their daughter.
Highland Wildlife Park Highland Wildlife Park News 2025
- Thread starter Baringogiraffe12
- Start date
A new two-part documentary, Wildcats: Cait ann an Cunnart, is set to be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Wednesday 8 January, chronicling the progress of Saving Wildcats - a groundbreaking conservation partnership project aiming to prevent the extinction of wildcats in Scotland by breeding and releasing them into the wild:
New documentary chronicles the revival of wildcats in the Cairngorms National Park
New documentary chronicles the revival of wildcats in the Cairngorms National Park
2024 review by CEO David Field:
I can’t believe it’s time again to look back at the past 12 months, but 2024 has been a brilliant year for our wildlife conservation charity and Highland Wildlife Park.
We started off the year with the park joining the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
RZSS has long been a part of the global zoo community and the park joining WAZA reflects our charity’s dedication to high standards of animal welfare, wildlife conservation and inspiring people to protect, value and love nature.
Just before Valentine’s Day 16 wildcats were paired up for the third consecutive breeding season in the Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre, off-show at the park.
The birth of kittens was another critical milestone, demonstrating how integral zoos are in restoring threatened species.
At the end of February our now famous Japanese macaque, Honshu, captured the attention of people around the world when he took an impromptu holiday from the park.
After being caught, he took up residence at Edinburgh Zoo with three other males from the troop.
It didn’t take long for him to step up as the alpha male of the troop of juveniles who have turned their new space into their own bachelor pad.
In March HRH The Princess Royal visited the Saving Wildcats project. Our charity’s royal patron heard from the team responsible for restoring the Highland tiger to Scotland, and the work they do to breed the species for release, mitigate the threats the cats face, and monitor their progress in the wild.
April brought exciting news for invertebrate fans, with the first ever release of threatened dark bordered beauty moth eggs.
Some 750 eggs were released into a specially selected site in the Cairngorms National Park as part of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) partnership.
Invertebrates, like dark bordered beauty moths, play important roles in ecosystems.
More invertebrate success came in the form of 20 medicinal leeches hatching at a specially designed facility at the park.
This was only possible thanks to pioneering work done in 2023 to identify, retrieve and breed a group of the leeches which are rare in the UK and especially so in Scotland, where they are only found at three sites.
If this success continues then eventually, we hope to have enough healthy leeches to begin releasing them into the wild and start new populations in suitable lochs around the country in partnership with our colleagues from Buglife and Species on the Edge, in consultation with local communities close to release sites.
It was a great year for births at the park, with two adorable Eurasian elk twins named Pipit and Finch making a big impression on visitors.
Later in the year they were joined by the first ever vicunas to be born at the park, a female named Cusi and a male named Tupac. The youngsters are doing well and bring our herd up to seven.
In the summer we launched Universal Credit discounts to enable more people to experience the benefits of being close to nature.
Access to green spaces can have enormous physical health and wellbeing benefits so we were thrilled to see 23,000 people take up the offer.
Many people have told us that they would not have been able to visit without this offer because of the cost-of-living crisis.
The stories we have heard about children and even adults visiting for the first time have been incredibly touching.
Thank you to our wonderful local community for your support throughout the year, we look forward to welcoming you to the park in 2025.
Looking back at an exciting year at Highland Wildlife Park
I can’t believe it’s time again to look back at the past 12 months, but 2024 has been a brilliant year for our wildlife conservation charity and Highland Wildlife Park.
We started off the year with the park joining the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
RZSS has long been a part of the global zoo community and the park joining WAZA reflects our charity’s dedication to high standards of animal welfare, wildlife conservation and inspiring people to protect, value and love nature.
Just before Valentine’s Day 16 wildcats were paired up for the third consecutive breeding season in the Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre, off-show at the park.
The birth of kittens was another critical milestone, demonstrating how integral zoos are in restoring threatened species.
At the end of February our now famous Japanese macaque, Honshu, captured the attention of people around the world when he took an impromptu holiday from the park.
After being caught, he took up residence at Edinburgh Zoo with three other males from the troop.
It didn’t take long for him to step up as the alpha male of the troop of juveniles who have turned their new space into their own bachelor pad.
In March HRH The Princess Royal visited the Saving Wildcats project. Our charity’s royal patron heard from the team responsible for restoring the Highland tiger to Scotland, and the work they do to breed the species for release, mitigate the threats the cats face, and monitor their progress in the wild.
April brought exciting news for invertebrate fans, with the first ever release of threatened dark bordered beauty moth eggs.
Some 750 eggs were released into a specially selected site in the Cairngorms National Park as part of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) partnership.
Invertebrates, like dark bordered beauty moths, play important roles in ecosystems.
More invertebrate success came in the form of 20 medicinal leeches hatching at a specially designed facility at the park.
This was only possible thanks to pioneering work done in 2023 to identify, retrieve and breed a group of the leeches which are rare in the UK and especially so in Scotland, where they are only found at three sites.
If this success continues then eventually, we hope to have enough healthy leeches to begin releasing them into the wild and start new populations in suitable lochs around the country in partnership with our colleagues from Buglife and Species on the Edge, in consultation with local communities close to release sites.
It was a great year for births at the park, with two adorable Eurasian elk twins named Pipit and Finch making a big impression on visitors.
Later in the year they were joined by the first ever vicunas to be born at the park, a female named Cusi and a male named Tupac. The youngsters are doing well and bring our herd up to seven.
In the summer we launched Universal Credit discounts to enable more people to experience the benefits of being close to nature.
Access to green spaces can have enormous physical health and wellbeing benefits so we were thrilled to see 23,000 people take up the offer.
Many people have told us that they would not have been able to visit without this offer because of the cost-of-living crisis.
The stories we have heard about children and even adults visiting for the first time have been incredibly touching.
Thank you to our wonderful local community for your support throughout the year, we look forward to welcoming you to the park in 2025.
Looking back at an exciting year at Highland Wildlife Park
Maya, the last snow leopard cub remaining at HWP has arrived safely at her new home in Zoo de Jurques. Her dad, Koshi, is the now the only Snow Leopard at HWP.
Highland Wildlife Park
Highland Wildlife Park
What are their plans with snow leopard in the next few years (a question much more relevant now that they lost the Amur leopards ... completely)?
New statement from RZSS CEO David Field:
"The recent abandonment of four Northern lynx in the Cairngorms near our Highland Wildlife Park has sparked an intense and passionate debate about rewilding in Scotland. I was very proud of the response of RZSS staff in working with Police Scotland, Wildland Ltd and other partners to safely capture the lynx.
Sadly, one of the lynx died overnight, with the remaining three taken down to Edinburgh Zoo to go through the necessary biosecurity protocols. I’m glad to say that they have now completed their quarantine period and appear to be in good health. We know that they are all female and estimate them to be less than a year old. We are now carefully considering what the best outcome for them should be, which could include bringing them back to the wildlife park - close to where they were abandoned.
The incident has shone a spotlight on the wider discussion around species reintroductions, with the discovery last week of abandoned feral pigs in another part of the Cairngorms National Park adding further fuel to speculation that ‘rogue rewilders’ may be taking matters into their own hands. It’s been hypothesised that, frustrated by what they see as slow progress from government, some individuals may have decided to bypass the legal and scientific frameworks which are essential for responsible rewilding.
At RZSS, we understand the passion that drives these discussions. We know that restoring species to an area can bring significant ecological and cultural benefits when done properly. However, releasing animals into the wild without the necessary research, planning and consultation is reckless and risks harming both wildlife and local communities. Conservation must be guided by science, collaboration and long-term planning – not by impulsive actions, no matter how well-intentioned they may be.
The debate reached new heights when First Minister John Swinney took the unusual step of publicly stating that his government would not support the reintroduction of large carnivores to Scotland. This stance was met with disappointment from some quarters, including the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, who pointed to a recent poll which showed that 61 per cent of Scots support the reintroduction of lynx.
Clearly, this is an issue that the public cares about deeply, and one that demands thoughtful discussion. While we recognise the complexities of species restoration, it is important not to lose sight of the potential benefits. Lynx, for example, play a key role in balancing ecosystems by controlling deer populations, which in turn can help restore woodlands. Across Europe, successful reintroductions have shown that lynx can coexist with people when managed correctly.
Closer to home, RZSS is the lead partners in the Saving Wildcats project, which has been restoring wildcats to Scotland. Following two years of releasing captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms, we saw the first litters of kittens born in the wild last summer which is incredible progress. The success of that project has only been possible, thanks to years of preparation and consultation, using a community-led approach, and with ongoing work by many representatives from organisations across Scotland.
I would argue that is the perfect template by which future reintroductions in Scotland should be done – i.e. legally, ethically and with broad stakeholder engagement. This means working closely with landowners, farmers, conservationists and local communities to build trust and ensure that concerns are addressed.
At RZSS, we remain committed to evidence-based conservation and will continue to play our part in these discussions. The recent events in the Cairngorms serve as a reminder that the rewilding debate is not going away. If we are to restore Scotland’s lost species in a responsible and sustainable way, we must approach this challenge with patience, collaboration, and respect for the natural world and each other.
Let’s work together to ensure that rewilding, done right, can be a success story for Scotland’s future.
Sensible reintroduction key to saving species
"The recent abandonment of four Northern lynx in the Cairngorms near our Highland Wildlife Park has sparked an intense and passionate debate about rewilding in Scotland. I was very proud of the response of RZSS staff in working with Police Scotland, Wildland Ltd and other partners to safely capture the lynx.
Sadly, one of the lynx died overnight, with the remaining three taken down to Edinburgh Zoo to go through the necessary biosecurity protocols. I’m glad to say that they have now completed their quarantine period and appear to be in good health. We know that they are all female and estimate them to be less than a year old. We are now carefully considering what the best outcome for them should be, which could include bringing them back to the wildlife park - close to where they were abandoned.
The incident has shone a spotlight on the wider discussion around species reintroductions, with the discovery last week of abandoned feral pigs in another part of the Cairngorms National Park adding further fuel to speculation that ‘rogue rewilders’ may be taking matters into their own hands. It’s been hypothesised that, frustrated by what they see as slow progress from government, some individuals may have decided to bypass the legal and scientific frameworks which are essential for responsible rewilding.
At RZSS, we understand the passion that drives these discussions. We know that restoring species to an area can bring significant ecological and cultural benefits when done properly. However, releasing animals into the wild without the necessary research, planning and consultation is reckless and risks harming both wildlife and local communities. Conservation must be guided by science, collaboration and long-term planning – not by impulsive actions, no matter how well-intentioned they may be.
The debate reached new heights when First Minister John Swinney took the unusual step of publicly stating that his government would not support the reintroduction of large carnivores to Scotland. This stance was met with disappointment from some quarters, including the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, who pointed to a recent poll which showed that 61 per cent of Scots support the reintroduction of lynx.
Clearly, this is an issue that the public cares about deeply, and one that demands thoughtful discussion. While we recognise the complexities of species restoration, it is important not to lose sight of the potential benefits. Lynx, for example, play a key role in balancing ecosystems by controlling deer populations, which in turn can help restore woodlands. Across Europe, successful reintroductions have shown that lynx can coexist with people when managed correctly.
Closer to home, RZSS is the lead partners in the Saving Wildcats project, which has been restoring wildcats to Scotland. Following two years of releasing captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms, we saw the first litters of kittens born in the wild last summer which is incredible progress. The success of that project has only been possible, thanks to years of preparation and consultation, using a community-led approach, and with ongoing work by many representatives from organisations across Scotland.
I would argue that is the perfect template by which future reintroductions in Scotland should be done – i.e. legally, ethically and with broad stakeholder engagement. This means working closely with landowners, farmers, conservationists and local communities to build trust and ensure that concerns are addressed.
At RZSS, we remain committed to evidence-based conservation and will continue to play our part in these discussions. The recent events in the Cairngorms serve as a reminder that the rewilding debate is not going away. If we are to restore Scotland’s lost species in a responsible and sustainable way, we must approach this challenge with patience, collaboration, and respect for the natural world and each other.
Let’s work together to ensure that rewilding, done right, can be a success story for Scotland’s future.
Sensible reintroduction key to saving species
Other 2024 News Not Mentioned:
On June 14th, the zoo announced that 2+ red deer were born which are on exhibit.
Highland Wildlife Park
On June 18th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (2.2) Scottish wildcats to Wildwood Kent.
9.3K views · 400 reactions | We have Wildcat kittens! | We have Wildcat kittens! With just 300 wildcats left in the wild in Britain, it's crucial that we push forward with our conservation work and captive... | By Wildwood Kent | Facebook
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On March 21st, the zoo announced they transferred their (0.1) Scottish wildcat named Staffa to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland while work is being done on the Wildcat Woods area. The zoo also announced once work is done, they will acquire (1.1) wildcats to be placed on exhibit.
Highland Wildlife Park
On April 16th, the zoo announced they acquired 3+ pond mud snails from the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland to act as an insurance population.
Highland Wildlife Park
On October 21st, the zoo officially announced they acquired 5 Cashmere goats which were later named Badger, Haggis, Marten, Midge, and Stoat.
Highland Wildlife Park
Highland Wildlife Park
Highland Wildlife Park
On October 21st, the zoo officially announced they acquired 5 Cashmere goats which were later named Badger, Haggis, Marten, Midge, and Stoat.
Highland Wildlife Park
Highland Wildlife Park
On June 14th, the zoo announced that 2+ red deer were born which are on exhibit.
Highland Wildlife Park
On June 18th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (2.2) Scottish wildcats to Wildwood Kent.
9.3K views · 400 reactions | We have Wildcat kittens! | We have Wildcat kittens! With just 300 wildcats left in the wild in Britain, it's crucial that we push forward with our conservation work and captive... | By Wildwood Kent | Facebook
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On March 21st, the zoo announced they transferred their (0.1) Scottish wildcat named Staffa to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland while work is being done on the Wildcat Woods area. The zoo also announced once work is done, they will acquire (1.1) wildcats to be placed on exhibit.
Highland Wildlife Park
Conservationists in Scotland have kicked off a unique four-month ‘Easter egg hunt’ involving one of the UK’s rarest and most beautiful moths.
A team led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) have released 400 eggs of the dark bordered beauty moth at a specially selected site in the Cairngorms National Park as part of a conservation programme. They will return to look for the adults in July:
Moth experts in Scotland kick off unique four-month ‘Easter egg hunt’
A team led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) have released 400 eggs of the dark bordered beauty moth at a specially selected site in the Cairngorms National Park as part of a conservation programme. They will return to look for the adults in July:
Moth experts in Scotland kick off unique four-month ‘Easter egg hunt’
The 2024 animal inventory is now available:
https://images.rzss.org.uk/media/RZ...8818.13667341.1745432475-699076569.1727541911
https://images.rzss.org.uk/media/RZ...8818.13667341.1745432475-699076569.1727541911
Looks like the Bukhara deer may be effectively finished there now, no females left, just 3 males. Unless they can get more females from Europe which might be very difficult now.
The park map has now been updated to the same style as the zoo map:
https://images.rzss.org.uk/media/Hi...Tc0NTUyMDgzNS4xNzYuMS4xNzQ1NTIxMDE3LjYwLjAuMA..
https://images.rzss.org.uk/media/Hi...Tc0NTUyMDgzNS4xNzYuMS4xNzQ1NTIxMDE3LjYwLjAuMA..
Typhlonectes
Well-Known Member
Does the zoo have any plans to display their invertebrates in any capacity?
According to the website Scottish Deer Centre hold Bukhara deer but not sure how updated it is.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Impossible currently, and into the immediate/mid future - as all imports are banned because of the Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreak in Europe.
0.1 Snow Leopard has now arrived, Pari, aged one year and nine months, has come from Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo.
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
Please correct me if I am wrong but as far as I am aware the invertebrates they do hold such as the Pine Hoverfly & Leeches are part of reintroduction programs. They are not the most exciting species to display as the hoverflies will be in their larval stage feeding on rotting tree stumps and the leeches won't be massively active.
Typhlonectes
Well-Known Member
I thought they might be moved into a semi-offshow area so the zoo can explain the project whilst still showing off the animals