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Scottish wildcat kittens offer hope for iconic species

Two rare Scottish wildcats born at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo in April emerged from their den recently and have been busy exploring their habitat. The kittens will join a conservation breeding programme which it is hoped will save the iconic species from extinction in the wild through future reintroductions. David Barclay, … Read more

Edinburgh celebrates first binturong cubs for Scotland

Staff at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo have been celebrating the arrival of the first binturong cubs to be born in Scotland. Native to rainforests in Southeast Asia, the binturong is incredibly difficult to breed and so keepers were especially delighted when they recently discovered three cubs in the den. A member of the civet family, binturongs … Read more

Tiny arrival makes Pancake Day special at Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo is celebrating Pancake Day with the arrival of a very special little tortoise. Born just in time for Shrove Tuesday, the pancake tortoise has been named Pamba and is an important addition to the zoo as the species is classed as ‘vulnerable’ in the wild. Gareth Bennett, Senior Presentation Keeper at RZSS … Read more

Festive treats for Edinburgh meerkats

Keepers at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo provided their Meerkat plaza residents with some giant Christmas themed enrichment as an extra festive treat this week. The meerkats enjoyed crawling inside and popping their heads out of a Christmas cracker filled with food, along with lots of miniature crackers also stuffed full of their favourite treats. Edinburgh Zoo’s … Read more

Critically endangered warty pig joins Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo welcomed a critically endangered male Visayan warty pig to its collection this week. Arriving from Touroparc Zoo in France, the boar named Jacques joins existing females, Evie and Mina. Warty pigs are the only species of wild pig to grow a mane and the new male can easily be distinguished from the rest … Read more

Tiny endangered tapir calf born at Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo welcomed an endangered female Malaysian tapir calf last week. The new arrival, born Monday 18 September to mother Sayang and father Mowgli, has been named Maya and is still finding her tiny feet. Native to the rainforests of Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra and Thailand, the Malaysian tapir is currently listed as an endangered … Read more

Celebrate World Rhino Day at Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo are celebrating World Rhino Day this Saturday 23 September with a number of rhino themed fundraising activities throughout the day. The event will raise awareness and highlight the plight of rhinos in the wild, while also focusing on the zoo’s conservation work in this field. Money raised from activities will help fund … Read more

Workshops to overcome your eight-legged fear

September marks the start of spider season and with it the worst nightmare for some people as spiders become more visible in their quest to find a mate.  However, RZSS Edinburgh Zoo are keen to help those affected by offering a series “Spiders: Fight Your Phobia” workshops, which run from September to November. Designed to help … Read more

Visit Edinburgh’s Wee Beasties on World Lizard Day

Monday 14th August is World Lizard Day so why not celebrate by visiting one of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo’s smallest inhabitants today. Part of the zoo’s Wee Beasties exhibit, the Natal dwarf chameleon is only 11 cm long when fully grown and is renowned for its camouflage abilities, being able to blend in with its surroundings. The … Read more

Breeding success at Penguin Rock this year

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo had a successful breeding season this year and welcomed 19 gentoo chicks and one northern rockhopper chick to its Penguin Rock enclosure. Penguin breeding season, which began in March, is now coming to a close and these once tiny chicks are now growing into adorably fluffy youngsters. The first gentoo chicks hatched … Read more

World Tiger Day at Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo treated their tigers to spectacular globe-shaped enrichment as part of the zoo’s World Tiger Day celebrations this week. World Tiger Day is held globally on the 29th July to help highlight the plight of tigers in the wild and raises awareness of the vital conservation work being carried out to save them. … Read more

Rare rockhopper penguin chick for Edinburgh Zoo

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo welcomed the arrival of their first rockhopper penguin chick in eight years last month – just in time for World Penguin Day on April 25th. The new arrival, which is the first northern rockhopper penguin to hatch in the UK this year, plays a vital role in the zoo’s captive breeding programme … Read more

Celebrating World Penguin Day

World Penguin Day is celebrated every year on 25th April and was created to promote the health and conservation of these amazing flightless birds. To celebrate we have created a round up of our favourite penguin species and where you can see them. Rockhopper penguins are one of the smallest penguins standing at just 20 … Read more

First eggs for nesting penguins at Edinburgh Zoo

Keepers at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo were delighted to discover that the first gentoo penguin eggs of the year had been laid last week. Penguin breeding season began in March when nest rings and pebbles were placed into the zoo’s Penguin Rock enclosure. The penguins then quickly set up nests using the pebbles provided to woo their … Read more

Penguin rings signal breeding season at Edinburgh Zoo

Spring is in the air and the team at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo have been busy preparing for the start of the annual gentoo penguin breeding season by placing nest rings and pebbles into the Penguin Rock enclosure. It’s a noisy and lively time for the zoo as the penguins woo their mates by selecting perfectly smooth … Read more

Penguins pick up presents for Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner and to help get into the festive spirit, the penguin keepers at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo have created a large fireplace, hung with stockings and surrounded by Christmas presents for the penguins. Dawn Nicoll, Senior Penguin Keeper at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We love making enrichment for the animals, especially … Read more

Tigers make tracks to new home with official Olympian launch

Conservation charity, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), is delighted to announce the official opening of Tiger Tracks – the new and improved home for the pair of critically endangered Sumatran tigers at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. The development is a key part of the Society’s Big Cat Strategy, launched back in 2014. Edinburgh resident … Read more

Pandas on ice at Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh’s most famous black and white duo, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, are celebrating their birthdays this month with Yang Guang turning 13 (on 14th August) and Tian Tian also turning 13 (on 24th August). To celebrate the pandas’ birthdays, their keepers have treated them to a selection of tasty ice lollies at RZSS Edinburgh … Read more