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Work on Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre starts

Work on Scotlands Wildlife Discovery Centre starts

Work has started on Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park. The wildlife conservation charity says the £8m project will inspire visitors and communities in the Cairngorms National Park to protect nature at a time when the world faces a biodiversity crisis. Ben Supple, RZSS director of … Read more

UK’s only polar bear cub celebrates first birthday

22 12 Brodie keeper Lauren 2

The UK’s only polar bear cub, Brodie, celebrated his first birthday at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park this month. Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity helped Brodie mark the milestone with a birthday ice-cake made of carrot, hot dogs, apples, cod liver oil and a peanut butter frosting. The cub … Read more

Saving Wildcats celebrates successful first breeding season

One of the wildcat kittens that are part of the Saving Wildcats programme

The Saving Wildcats conservation partnership project is celebrating a successful first breeding season, welcoming a total of 22 wildcat kittens who could be among the first of their species to be released into the wild in Britain. Led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Saving Wildcats is working with national and international experts … Read more

Highland Wildlife Park’s snow leopard gives birth

Animesh and her new snow leopard cubs at Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore, has welcomed the arrival of at least two snow leopard cubs. Staff at the wildlife conservation charity confirmed the birth on Saturday 28th May 2022 when high-pitched sounds were heard in the cubbing den and two tiny cub were spotted by keepers. Although … Read more

Wildcat kittens born in Scotland to help save species

Wildcat kittens, which will likely be among the first of their species to be released into the wild in Britain, have been born in the Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park. After 16 wildcats were paired up earlier this year, the European partnership project … Read more

UK’s youngest polar bear cub is a boy!

Expert vets and keepers at Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland have announced that the UK’s youngest polar bear cub, born in December 2021, is a boy. Mum Victoria previously gave birth to Hamish, the UK’s first polar bear cub in 25 years, in December 2017. The wildlife conservation charity confirmed the three-month-old cub is male … Read more

Tiny polar bear birth announced

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has announced the birth of a tiny polar bear cub at Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore. Staff at the wildlife conservation charity were delighted when they first heard the distinct high-pitched cub sounds coming from the den but say the coming months are crucial.

Watch endangered Amur tiger cubs playing at Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has shared new video of six-month-old endangered Amur tiger cubs, Nishka, Layla and Aleksander, playfighting at Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore, this month.  Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity say the trio’s personalities are developing as they grow bolder and more confident, often entertaining visitors with their playful antics.    Keith Gilchrist, animal collection manager at Highland Wildlife … Read more

First health checks for adorable tiger cub trio

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has revealed that three endangered Amur tiger cubs born at Highland Wildlife Park in May are two girls and a boy. The nine-week-old tiger cubs, who have just received their first health checks by staff at the wildlife conservation charity, are all doing well and will be named in the coming weeks. Although … Read more

Highland Wildlife Park welcome adorable new calf

RZSS Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland is celebrating the birth of a Mishmi takin calf. Born to mum Chimi and dad Jorge on March 22nd, a name will be chosen for the charming new arrival in the coming weeks. In a tradition started by keepers seven years ago, the male calf will be named after … Read more

First wildcat arrives at breeding centre ahead of release

A major step has been taken toward saving the Scottish wildcat from the brink of extinction as the first cat is introduced to a conservation ‘breeding for release centre’ at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park.  Nell, a young female, arrived from Alladale Wilderness Reserve earlier this month as part of the Saving Wildcats project which aims … Read more

Tiger love at Highland Wildlife Park

Love is in the air at Highland Wildlife Park for endangered Amur tigers, Botzman and Dominika, after they were caught bonding together on camera for the first time recently. Staff at the wildlife charity began carefully introducing the pair in November, following Botman’s arrival from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in October, and encouraged by how well the new couple were getting on, decided to let them meet … Read more

Critically endangered wildcat kittens born at Edinburgh Zoo

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is celebrating the birth of two critically endangered wildcat kittens at Edinburgh Zoo. Born to mum Caol Ila and dad Talisker in September, the boy and girl are both doing well and staff at the wildlife conservation charity will be asking for the public’s help to name the new kittens in the … Read more

Endangered tiger heads north to Highland Wildlife Park

A nine-year-old Amur tiger named Botzman has been welcomed by Highland Wildlife Park after moving to Scotland last month from his former home at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Wildlife conservation charity The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland hope the park’s current female Dominika and the new arrival will breed in the future. Amur tigers are endangered … Read more

More wildlife parks announce dates to reopen

Wildlife parks and zoos around the country reopened their gates for the first time in months last week as the government eased its lockdown restrictions. This move was greeted with much excitement by the venues who could at last welcome back visitors to enjoy a great day out while raising vital funds to cover essential … Read more

Baby boom for Highland Wildlife Park

Last month proved a busy one for RZSS Highland Wildlife Park as staff welcomed 14 new arrivals to the wildlife conservation charity in Scotland while on lockdown. Births included two forest reindeer calves, seven Turkmenian markhor kids, one Bukhara deer calf, three Japanese macaque babies, and one Przewalski’s horse foal – with more expected soon! … Read more

Snow fun for Hamish in the Highlands ❄️

Hamish the polar bear enjoyed the recent snowfall at his Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park home this week.  The wildlife conservation charity looks after a number of cold-weather adapted and native animals within 105 hectares at the Cairngorms National Park, including snow leopard, Amur tiger, Japanese macaque, European bison, and Scottish … Read more

Litter of snow leopard cubs for Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park has welcomed a littler of threatened snow leopard cubs. At just seven-weeks olds, the cubs are still being nursed by mum Animesh but have started to leave their den and explore outside. The cubs will stay by their mothers side for at least two years, until … Read more

Game of Thrones naming competition for Highland newborns

Keepers at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park have been naming their new Mishimi takin calves after characters from Game of Thrones for the past five years. However, two new arrivals are yet to be named and so a competition has been launched. It is now down to the public to choose their favourites from four names … Read more

First birthday for UK’s only polar bear cub

The first polar bear cub to be born in the UK for 25 years celebrated his first birthday at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park yesterday. Born on 18 December 2017, Hamish took his first steps outside in March and has since attracted over 200,000 visitors to the Park, almost doubling previous … Read more

Arctic foxes arrive at Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park has welcomed a pair of arctic foxes. The new arrivals, May and Bard, have been busy exploring their new home since arriving at the wildlife park at beginning of  November. Arctic foxes were found in Scotland up until the last ice age, but now live  throughout the Arctic … Read more

First footage of rare leopard cubs born in Scotland

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has announced that two rare Amur leopard cubs have been born at Highland Wildlife Park, offering hope for the first ever reintroduction of the big cats into the wild. The park’s Amur leopard habitat is not on view to the public, with little human presence helping retain the leopards’ wild … Read more

Rare Amur leopard cub born at Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park has welcomed the birth of a critically-endangered Amur leopard. Born within the zoo world’s only purpose-built Amur leopard habitat, keepers are yet to establish if there is more than one cub, due to limited human contact. The complex has been designed solely to breed Amur leopards … Read more

First UK polar bear birth for 25 years

The first polar bear to be born in the UK for 25 years has been announced by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). The birth was confirmed by staff at Highland Wildlife Park after distinct high-pitched sounds were heard coming from female polar bear Victoria’s maternity den. Polar bear cubs enter the world blind, … Read more