Scotland’s work in progress – Conservation

Scotland’s work in progress – Conservation

The Scottish Highland Wildlife Park is home  to some very special animals. They remain endangered however they were once extinct in the wild, the very last few were placed in zoos around the world. The Przewalski horse were very thoroughly managed to ensure that these last remaining ones were healthy and the programme to raise numbers again began. The return of this rare species is truly remarkable however remains under threat from breeding with domestic horses. 
The Highland Wildlife Park has taken part in a breeding programme to try and ensure the continuation of this species for many generations to come. There is a small herd that live here and they had a foal in 2020 named Bonny. You can see them as you drive in the main reserve. The horses themselves spend most of their time foraging for grass and other plants. These tend to have a low nutritional value and therefore they spend a lot of time eating to ensure they have an adequate dietary intake. 
 

Scotland is home to the only Zoo based conservation genetics lab. Here they work with genetic technologies to ensure the continuation of many species native to Scotland. They also help to monitor animals in the wild and in captivity, reintroductions and translocation efforts and also look at the illegal wildlife trade. 

The Scottish Wildcat conservation has been ongoing for the past 10 years. The wildcat is one of the last native predators left and this makes them a huge part of the natural ecosystem in Scotland. The team over at RZSS have worked extensively  to secure the wildcat from extinction and try and prevent hybridisation. However it is important to continue this work as many of the appeared wildcats do not genetically meet the criteria and this shows the drastic change in the population. 
 
Beavers are now officially back in Scotland thanks to he hard work of the conservation team. The project begun in 2009 and reintroduced beavers to an environment they had not been seen in for over 400 years. This is truly remarkable and a feat that should be recognised. Beavers now have protected legal status in Europe. Between 2017 and 2020 the beavers that were released in Tayside have a different genetic stock. Why you may ask did we reintroduce beavers? They are engineers of nature, the impact on the resilience of waterways and woodlands and also boost biodiversity through making habitats for many other species. 
 

Less known are the Pine Hoverflies. Over the years invertebrates have experienced a decline in numbers all over the world, however the Scottish conservationists are here to stand up for them. These little ones have not been seen in their adult form in the wild for over 8 years on record. There is currently one very small area of the Cairngorms in Scotland that is a home for these little creatures and the staff at the Scottish Highland Park have been activists in promoting breeding. Currently the habitats on the Cairngorms are being worked upon in the hope that the captive bred flies can then be released into the wild successfully reinstating their place in our country. 
 

Scotland may be known for its landscapes and its views, friendly people and food. However animals are a huge part of our country heritage and thus making it even more important for everyone who visits and delves into these creatures habitats that they care for them and ensure that the hard work is not damaged. For more information please head over to Pine hoverfly conservation breeding programme | RZSS Conservation where you can search lots of current conservation interests and also support this cause by subscribing and ensuring this work continues. 

The Scottish Wildlife Park is a wonderful day out and they really work hard behind the scenes to improve Scotland for us all.