Big Five of our animal kingdom

Wildlife tourism is worth nearly £300million a year to the Scottish economy. We take a look at the Big Five, who form one of the main attractions

RED DEER

Scotland’s red deer population has been on the increase since the 80s and the species forms an important part of the rural economy.

Red deer are spread throughout the country and are found in woodland and on moorland right up to mountain tops.

The population is managed and deer stalking is thought to be worth more than £100million annually to our economy.

HARBOUR SEAL

There are about 24,000 harbour, or common, seals in Scottish waters. They are found throughout the northern islands, the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the west coast.

But there has been a serious decline in the population over the last 25 years. The main threat comes from pollution and the impact of climate change.

RED SQUIRREL

The red squirrel is classified as needing urgent action as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority terrestrial mammal species.

It is under threat from squirrelpox carried by grey squirrels. Greys are also bigger and more dominant, affecting the red population.

Red squirrels are found mainly in woodlands across Perthshire and the Highlands, but also in the southern forests – 75 per cent of the UK’s 121,000 red squirrel population is in Scotland.

OTTER

This mammal has flourished in clean Scottish waters and the population is estimated at about 8000.

The semi-aquatic animals feed on fish such as trout, salmon and eels.

Being struck by cars is the most common killer for otters outside of natural causes. Other threats include commercial fishing and creels.

GOLDEN EAGLE

These mighty birds of prey have suffered persecution for decades. A 2015 study found there were 508 breeding pairs left in Scotland – surpassing the 500 target of the species’ conservation status. But the population is still to recover fully due to ongoing issues of illegal persecution in the eastern Highlands, insufficient prey and poor nesting habitats.