Scots wildlife charity pledges to reverse the decline of 50 species
A SCOTTISH wildlife conservation charity which is at the forefront of the fight to save the Scottish wildcat from extinction has pledged to reverse the decline of at least 50 different species by 2030.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which operates Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, also promised to significantly increase the number of people and communities protecting nature.
The charity, which will be instrumental in the release of the first captive-bred Scottish wildcats in 2023, plays an important role in the conservation of numerous creatures in Scotland and around the world, from tiny pine hoverflies and pond mud snails to the world’s tallest animal, the giraffe.
RZSS chief executive David Field said: “With more than a million species at risk of extinction, our planet’s life support system is in crisis and the time to act is now.
“The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has an important role to play because our teams have incredible expertise in conservation science and animal care.”
Mr Field said a perfect example was the ground-breaking Saving Wildcats project RZSS is leading at Highland Wildlife Park. The society is working with national and international partners to restore Scotland’s critically endangered wildcat population by breeding and releasing wildcats into carefully selected locations in the Cairngorms National Park.
“Our pledge is to reverse the decline of at least 50 species by 2030, including wildcats, pine hoverflies and pond mud snails in Scotland. We will also develop plans to protect other native Scottish species,” said Mr Field.
“Internationally, the species we are working with partners to protect include chimpanzees in Uganda, giant anteaters and giant armadillos in Brazil and Pallas’s cats in Central Asia.”
Other species RZSS works to protect around the world include partula snails in Tahiti and Northern rockhopper penguins in the South Atlantic. At home, its specialist teams led the reintroduction of beavers 400 years after they were hunted to extinction in Scotland.
Following a record-breaking season at the Highland Wildlife Park in 2021, RZSS and the rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms project carried out the biggest ever release of critically endangered pine hoverflies into the wild. One of the UK’S rarest native species, the pine hoverfly is only known at one site and it hasn’t been spotted in its adult form for over nine years.
The charity’s 2030 strategy also aims to create deeper connections with nature for more than a million people.
Mr Field said: “People protect and value what they love and understand, so experiencing nature in person is incredibly important.
“I have worked in zoos and in conservation for more than 30 years and seeing animals up close still has an amazing ability to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in excitement.
“Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are our gateways to the natural world which enable millions of people to experience wildlife in person. This is very important because few people will ever have the hugely expensive luxury of seeing animals like giraffes, sloths and polar bears in the wild.
“Through our zoos and our outreach programmes, we are going to create deeper connections with nature for more than a million people, which we will be able to measure to demonstrate our impact.”
Mr Field said RZSS believed zoos had a role to play in strengthening communities, adding: “Nature needs us all more than ever and stronger communities have a greater capacity to care for wildlife. Zoos are in a unique position to help people realise the mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits of being close to wildlife.
“This is why we are pledging to enable more than 100 communities to better protect nature. Together, we can help create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.”