Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
@rzss
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RZSS is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world where nature is protected, valued & loved 💚 Visit our zoos ➡️ @EdinburghZoo @HighlandWPark
Scotland
Joined October 2014
It was wonderful to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to @EdinburghZoo last week to celebrate giraffe conservation AND over a decade of ground-breaking genetic research 🦒🧬🎉. Our Royal Patron learned about our vital partnership with @TheGlenmorangie and @Save_Giraffe. (1/2)
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Ever wondered which bee-moji is the most anatomically correct?. US TOO. Luckily, our conservation programme manager and invertebrate expert(ebrate) Dr Helen Taylor was on hand to tell us which one is the bees knees 🐝
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Exciting news from our Highland Wildlife Park… Seven rare wildcat kittens have been born in our off-show breeding enclosures! . The kittens were born to two mothers, Lossie and Katrine, giving a fantastic boost to species recovery plans. Find out more:
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🐺Meet the Himalayan wolf🐺. -Distinct from African or grey wolves.-Specially adapted to high altitude low oxygen conditions.-Usually in packs of 2 adults 3 pups. Our work w/Dr Geraldine Werhahn, founder of the @HimalayanWolves Project, uncovers secrets about this elusive species
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1/3 Wildcats in Scotland have been handed a vital lifeline, with European funding secured to deliver a Saving Wildcats (#SWAforLIFE) recovery project that includes the UK’s first #wildcat reintroduction centre, situated at @HighlandWPark. ➡️
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🐱 Did you catch tonight's @BBCTwo #Winterwatch episode featuring our work with partners to save wildcats in Scotland?. You can support ongoing plans to save the Highland tiger here ➡️ #SWAforLIFE #LIFEprojects @ChrisGPackham @IoloWilliams2
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WATCH: Rare footage of #Pallas’s #cat cubs caught by remote-sensor #cameratraps in Mongolia by the ‘PICA’ project
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We're delighted to announce the birth of five Scottish wildcat kittens at @HighlandWPark 😻. This is an exciting time for the species in Scotland and we hope our adorable arrivals will inspire people to protect, value and love nature 🐾. Find out more 👉
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RZSSmas day six 🐈. You can win a WILD(cat) bundle in honour of our partnership project @SaveOurWildcats - together we're working to restore wildcats in Scotland. Wildcats are often referred to as:.a) Lowland lion.b) Highland tiger. Let us know to be in with a chance of winning.
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🚨Record numbers of wildcat kittens born🚨 . By working with zoos, wildlife parks and private collections around the UK, the conservation breeding programme managed by our charity welcomed 57 kittens in 2020!. Every adorable arrival is a potential lifeline for this species 💚
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Happy birthday to Sir David Attenborough! We were honoured to present him with a Centenary Medal for his contribution to wildlife conservation and education during our 100 year anniversary. Thank you for all of your inspiring work
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It's the third day of RZSSmas and you know what that means: a red panda cuddly toy 🎁. Red pandas are like onions. they both have layers. But how many layers of fur does Bruce here have to keep him warm in the snow?. A) One.B) Two.C) Six. Comment, like and share to enter!
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Very welcome news that #beavers will become a protected species from May this year. This follows many years of hard work with our partners @ScotWildlife. A vital step in welcoming beavers back to #Scotland as a natural part of our ecosystem. #RZSS
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The Pallas's cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) lead conservation efforts for this small cat species. 😻 The team raise awareness of Pallas's cats.🏔️ support local stakeholders.📣 promote the Global Strategy w/ experts + policy makers. See this feisty cat's factfile⤵️
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For day eight of RZSSmas we're giving you the chance to WIN a bronze adoption of any of the amazing animals at @EdinburghZoo or @HighlandWPark 🎁🐾. Just tell us which species you would pick to be in with a chance 👇. Entry is open to UK residents following @rzss.
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We did it! 🦒🥳🏆. After a generous contribution from @TheGlenmorangie we are thrilled to announce that we’ve smashed our target, and raised an incredible £131,198 to bring giraffes back to @EdinburghZoo and help protect them in the wild!. Thank you to everyone who donated!
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Can you help the #ScottishWildcat? A short film by @ScotlandTBP illustrates why this species has been left clinging by a claw and reveals the dramatic plan to secure its future. Watch the full film: #RZSS #WinterWatch @ChrisGPackham @BBCSpringwatch
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✨This week we are BUZZING as we release THOUSANDS of pine hoverflies into the Cairngorms to boost Britain's critically endangered pine hoverfly population✨. Our vital work with @RSPBScotland led @RareInverts6 gives hope for this important pollinator➡️
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#BeaversareBack! Watch @HelenTaylorCG explain how releasing animals like this formidable female helps our #ScottishBeavers project with @ScotWildlife. Thanks to @forestryls, @nature_scot, @fivesisterszoo, and @Barrandaimh for help this season, and players of @PostcodeLottery.
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We're delighted the @SaveOurWildcats partnership led by RZSS has been granted a licence by @nature_scot to release wildcats in the Cairngorms National Park 🎉. This is an exciting step towards restoring the Scottish wildcat population 👉
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The countdown is on to celebrate the ORIGINAL grumpy cat on International Pallas's Cat Day this Saturday 😻. Follow Pallas's cat International Conservation Alliance to see how we work with @NordensArk and @snowleopards to protect this species in the wild ➡️
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"We are deeply disappointed to see the figures confirming 87 beavers were culled under licence in 2019. With lethal control at this scale, it is clear that the conservation status of beavers in Scotland comes under question. (1/3)
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Have you seen today’s news? An international report launched by @SaveOurWildcats & @strathearnrose sets out how the critically endangered Scottish wildcat can be saved from extinction. You can help secure a future for the iconic species: #hopeforwildcats
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. and had a tour of our charity's WildGenes lab where incredible science translates genetic data into practical conservation action thanks to players of @PostcodeLottery, alongside many other partners and supporters💛. Learn more about both projects ➡️
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THOUSANDS more pine hoverfly larvae have been released into the Cairngorms as part of our work with @RareInverts6 to restore this vital little pollinator 🪰. We hope these releases will reinforce and ensure the new wild populations are stable beyond this season’s success 💚
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What next for the #ScottishWildcat? Following the recent @IUCN Cat Specialist Group report, Helen Senn, #RZSS Head of Conservation and Science Programmes, discusses the next steps in the #conservation of Scotland’s critically endangered native wildcat:
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Great news @EdinburghZoo as we say hello to this giant anteater pup! The species is vulnerable to extinction in the wild, making every birth a potential lifeline. We’re proud to support #AnteatersAndHighwaysProject to protect these incredible animals.Thanks @PostcodeLottery
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On the fifth day of RZSSmas our pygmy marmosets got. a forest of pine cone Christmas trees 🎄. For your chance to win some @EdinburghZoo goodies, tell us - what are the names of our two pygmy marmosets:.a) Terminator and Hefty.b) Rocky and Large.c) Rambo and Biggie
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When you put on this week's episode of #InsideTheZoo and someone starts talking! 🤫 . Tune in now on @BBCScotland 📺
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Another step forward for the @SaveOurWildcats partnership!. The wildcats which will be released this summer are preparing for life in the wild in specially designed pre-release enclosures based at @HighlandWPark 🐱. Find out more 👉
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Make sure you keep an eye out for a rare sighting of the #Scottishwildcat on BBC #WinterWatch tonight - BBC2 @9PM!. @BBCSpringwatch @ScotlandTBP @saveourwildcats #RZSS
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Thank you to our fantastic team of keepers at both @EdinburghZoo and @HighlandWPark. Their dedication to our animals, even in these trying times, is truly incredible 🐧🐯🐴🐼🐫 #EveryDayHeros.
As many people are now working from home, which is important during these challenging times, we are incredibly grateful to the diligent animal care personnel who continue to go to work. They are committed to looking after the animals in their care. (1/3)
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We’re so excited to have been shortlisted for three categories in @CIPR_AWARDS #PRideSCO! Our work with #WeeHamish is up for Best Use of Media Relations, Best Use of Photography or Design & Travel Leisure or Tourism campaign! #PRideAwards
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As a Royal Chartered organisation and out of respect for our Royal Patron and her family, we will be closing our parks, @EdinburghZoo and @HighlandWPark, tomorrow. All prebooked visitors and keeper experiences will be contacted as soon as possible.
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🌱GREAT NEWS FOR SCOTLAND'S BEAVERS🌱. We're thrilled to hear our calls for more flexible translocations to spread beaver populations into suitable new areas where they can help restore our natural ecosystems have been answered today 🦫💚. Learn more➡️
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We're proud to lead PICA, the Pallas's cat International Conservation Alliance, w/@NordensArk & @snowleopards 🏔️. By raising awareness & supporting research of this mysterious cat we're better able to protect them. Follow the PICA Facebook page for more ➡️
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Merry Christmas from everyone here at RZSS 🎄. Even though our zoos are closed to visitors today, our amazing keeper teams are spreading the festive cheer while caring for our amazing animals 💚
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💥Baby boom💥 . We’re celebrating the hatching of 80 critically endangered pine hoverfly larvae in our most successful breeding season ever!. The hard work & dedication of our amazing keepers at the @HighlandWPark is paying off with a bumper year for this important pollinator💚
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Caption this 🚨. We reckon this is the face you make when, despite the seemingly never-ending challenges of 2020, brussels sprouts are still on the Christmas menu! 🤮. This animated cat is a Pallas's cat - find out more about them in the thread below ⬇️
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Might just be our favourite #Winterwatch moment too! 😉.
What a winter! What a watch! We asked our presenters what their favourite Winterwatch moments were. For @IoloWilliams2 the wildcat kittens at the Highland Wildlife Park were stunning!
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It's the 11th and penultimate day of RZSSmas and we're giving you another chance to WIN a bronze adoption of any of the animals at @EdinburghZoo or @HighlandWPark 🎁. Tell us which species you would pick to be in with a chance 👇. Entry is open to UK residents following @rzss
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Pallas's cats are unique! Found in harsh conditions, they are naturally rare + historically understudied. We formed Palla's cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) w/@NordensArk + @snowleopards to protect, research + raise awareness of these cats. 📽️
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MAJOR pine hoverfly news 📢💥. An adult pine hoverfly has been seen in the wild for the first time in nearly a DECADE, thanks to our collaborative conservation efforts with @RareInverts6!. This discovery is a huge step for pine hoverfly conservation 👉 💚
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Exciting #beaver update! We’re working to bolster the Knapdale beaver population alongside @ScotWildlife #cameratrap
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We can’t be in Knapdale monitoring the #ScottishBeavers right now, but our camera trap footage shows us what they’ve been up to. Apparently Eoghann was panic buying mud way back in Sept 2019. #beaversareback @ScotWildlife @nature_scot @forestryls @Barrandaimh @PostcodeLottery
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Are you visiting @EdinburghZoo this Easter holiday? Make sure to keep an eye out for #PedroThePlasticPenguin & #VickyTheVegWarePenguin our new penguin sculptures here to highlight the impact of plastic waste on the environment as part of our #GreenPawPrints campaign
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What a start to April at both our charity's zoos!. From Dinosaurs! @EdinburghZoo to Brodie bear exploring his enclosure @HighlandWPark 🐾. Don't forget, RZSS members don't have to pre-book when visiting either park & get LOTS of other great discounts too 👉
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#BeaversAreBack - The Eurasian #beaver is now a protected species in Scotland! An historic day and a huge milestone following a decade of work with our partners @ScottishBeavers: #RZSS
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On the 12th day of RZSSmas my keepers brought to me. a Magic Moment with our polar bears at @HighlandWPark, or our penguins at @EdinburghZoo 🐻❄️🐧. Tell us which species you would pick to be in with a chance 👇. Entry is open to UK residents following @rzss
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In the ✨MOST EXCITING✨@SaveOurWildcats news yet, the FIRST wildcat kittens have been born at the conservation breeding for release centre @HighlandWPark 😻. Find out why they are so important (and why visitors to the park WON'T be able to see them!)➡️
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Welcome to the world Strom, Eilein, Druim + Vaara!. @HighlandWPark visitors now have a good chance of seeing the adorable kittens as wildcat viewing areas re-open. See for kitten news + read how we're working with partners to secure a future for wildcats🐾
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We’re excited to launch of the new PICA website with @NordensArk, Fondation Segré & @snowleopards #WorldAnimalDay
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It's International Pallas's Cat Day!. Like we'd ever need a reason to celebrate the original grumpy cat. 😻. We work with @NordensArk and @snowleopards to protect these feisty felines in the wild. Find out more ⬇️.
The Pallas's cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) lead conservation efforts for this small cat species. 😻 The team raise awareness of Pallas's cats.🏔️ support local stakeholders.📣 promote the Global Strategy w/ experts + policy makers. See this feisty cat's factfile⤵️
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HRH Prince Philip was a pioneer for nature conservation and an immense supporter of wildlife and the environment throughout his life. We offer our sincere condolences to his friends and family and our thoughts are with our Royal Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, at this sad time.
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We're buzzing🐝. The 156 pine hoverfly larvae that hatched last year are becoming pupae!. Our conservation breeding programme cares for the known UK majority of this Critically Endangered hoverfly + it is set to be a record breaking season. Find out more➡️
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WE WON 🏆. A HUGE THANKS to everyone who voted for our wildlife conservation charity as the @scvotweet People’s Choice Award in the #ScotCharityAwards 🎉. Every vote, visit and donation helps get one step further to a world where nature is protected, valued and loved 💚
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First look at our TWO endangered Queensland koala joeys at @EdinburghZoo 🐨. With their species facing many threats in the wild, these youngsters give us an exciting opportunity to engage and inspire even more people to help protect, value and love wildlife around the world 🌍💚
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Can you help the #ScottishWildcat? With numbers in the wild likely to be less than three figures, the wildcat’s survival hangs on a dramatic plan to create a Wildlife Reintroductions Centre in the #Cairngorms. Learn more: #RZSS #WinterWatch @BBCSpringWatch
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Remember to check under #bonfires for #hedgehogs & other #wildlife before lighting them on #bonfirenight & you could save a life.
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Find out how we are helping secure a future for Pallas's cats as part of PICA, a partnership project with @NordensArk, @snowleopards and Fondation Segré ➡️
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11 years and 2 successful projects later the Scottish Beavers partnership is ending on a high 🦫. 2017-2020 reinforcement efforts with @ScotWildlife showed beavers are now more widespread and breeding throughout the area.
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Happy Pride!. Nature needs us all more than ever. We're celebrating our LGBTQ+ colleagues, members and supporters and committing to building a nature community where everyone is safe and welcome 🏳️🌈. Together, we can create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.
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HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated so far to help @EdinburghZoo & @echcharity make time spent in hospital better for seriously ill children with a resident mob of meerkats 💚. Not entered yet? We'll let @martin_compston tell you why you should 👉
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Congratulations to RZSS Photographer @Sian327 who won in the Behind The Scenes photography category for her photo of @EdinburghZoo’s Toori ‘Weighing in’ at this years @BIAZA Awards, as well as receiving the runner-up prize in two additional categories!
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We'd like to say a HUGE congratulations to Jack Baker, one of our charity's discovery and learning associates 🌟. Jack was this year's winner of the @BIAZA Rising Star award, recognising his outstanding contributions to RZSS and the wider BIAZA community 💚
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Our @BIAZA #LoveYourZoo week celebrations could never be complete without mentioning #WeeHamish! We are proud to have some of the world’s best and most naturalistic polar bear facilities @HighlandWPark
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MARVELOUS news!. Our partners @marvelous_games have donated £20,000 to part-fund new #PineHoverfly facilities @HighlandWPark as part of the #SOSPOOT (Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town) campaign 🎮. This means our charity can expand vital conservation breeding efforts💚
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We were thrilled to welcome our first binturong cubs at @EdinburghZoo earlier this year!.@BIAZA #LoveYourZoo
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🐧 Happy #PenguinAwarenessDay 🐧. Adorably grumpy + rocking the coolest head gear, Northern rockhoppers are one of the smallest penguin species with some of the biggest personalities 👑. Watch how we've been working to save this species for over a decade:
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Earlier this year #RZSS, @snowleopards & @NordensArk signed a 3 year agreement to aid snow #leopard #conservation:
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As our planet’s rich biodiversity declines at an alarming rate, modern zoos & conservation charities are more relevant than ever. We're in a unique position to provide a haven for threatened species, protect animals in the wild & inspire the conservationists of the future.
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Look out for the first ever International Pallas' Cat Day on 23 April 2019! .#RZSS is a partner in the Pallas’s cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) & we are delighted to help increase global awareness for this beautiful but threatened species.
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The original grumpy cat!.Cute✅.Fluffy✅.Pointy teeth✅. Pallas's cats have all the features to make them a popular species… but few people have heard of them🤯. Raising awareness of this endangered small cat is vital for conservation efforts - so please help spread the word!
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📢 Amazing news 📢. We're proud to be leading @SaveOurWildcats - who has successfully completed the first round of wildcat releases into the Scottish Highlands. Find out more 👇.
The first year of wildcat releases is complete 🙌. 19 wildcats have now been released into the @CNPnature/@CairngormsCo landscape, with most doing well. This is HUGE step forward in our partnership efforts to restore this iconic species 🐱. Read more 📰
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#DYK European bison went extinct in the wild 100 years ago? 🦬. Thanks to zoos and conservationists around the world, the species has been successfully reintroduced across Europe. We're proud our @HighlandWPark herd have been part of these reintroductions💙
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Scottish #wildcat #conservation breeding for release- a lifeline for the species? Read the new Cat Conservation blog
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Check out this incredible first footage of the Amur leopard cubs at our @HighlandWPark! Video from motion sensitive cameras has revealed that we have not one, but two of the rare cats in our off-show habitat
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Day nine of the RZSS Advent and we’re still celebrating the birth of seven rare wildcat kittens in our off-show breeding enclosures at @HighlandWPark!. Read all about them here: #chRZSSmas🎄
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It’s a very special day 18 on the #RZSSAdvent as we look back to meeting the first polar bear born in the UK for 25 years @HighlandWPark! Happy Birthday #WeeHamish! 😃 Photo ©Channel 4/STV Productions.
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More great #cameratrap images by the #RZSS Giant Armadillo Project of other animals using old #armadillo burrows:
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Check out this camera trap photo of Pallas’s cat by SLCF/SLT. Watch out for an update on the PICA project next week!
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🎄Festive opening times🎄 . After a very challenging 18 months, this year @EdinburghZoo and @HighlandWPark will be closed on Christmas Day AND Boxing Day, to give more of our charity's teams some extra time with their loved ones, while still giving our animals the best of care💚
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It's #SnowLeopardDay - join us in raising awareness of this endangered cat, under threat from shrinking habitat & prey as well as poaching.
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🌲 The cubs at both @HighlandWPark and @EdinburghZoo have been BRANCHing out, we can't beLEAF how similar they are. Who WOOD you say STICKS out the most? 😸
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Some BIG news about a SMALL bee 🐝. As part of our work with @RareInverts6, we completed our first small scabious mining bee survey @HighlandWPark and found 70 bees and discovered important nest sites. Find out more 👉
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Double trouble 🐅🎂. We’re celebrating two tiger birthdays across our sites @EdinburghZoo + @HighlandWPark today. Our Sumatran, Dharma is four + our Amur, Botzman is turning 10! . Find out how RZSS WildGenes is helping wild tigers ➡️
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First our work with wildcats here in Scotland & now the PICA Project small cat conservation is a key focus for RZSS
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We’ve were delighted by the arrival of rare Scottish Wildcat kittens at both @EdinburghZoo & @HighlandWPark earlier this year! The youngsters are important additions to the breeding programme aiming to protect this iconic Scottish species from extinction. #WildlifeWednesday
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Earlier this year David Barclay, RZSS Cat Conservation Project Officer travelled to the remote Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan on an expedition to improve camera trapping success of native Pallas’s cats. Find out more in this exclusive blog:
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Want to work on the wild side?! We’re recruiting for a whole host of opportunities @EdinburghZoo and @HighlandWPark. From Animal Keeper to Marketing Executive, make your next career move with RZSS: #charityjobs
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⚠️THIS IS NO ORDINARY JAR⚠️. It contains 2 pine hoverfly larvae - and with their arrival we’re celebrating taking this #criticallyendangered species through a complete breeding cycle for the 2nd year in a row!. Amazing work @HighlandWPark keepers 👏
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Our short film 'Standing up for the little guys' has been selected for this year's @EdiConsFilmFest 🥳. Nature matters, from tiny invertebrates to huge granny pines 🌲 We're thrilled that the story and success of our pine hoverfly conservation breeding programme shows just that!
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The next generation of pine hoverfly 🪰. Thanks to our releases with @RareInverts6 new populations of pine hoverflies have been established across previously unoccupied areas of Cairngorms National Park. Read more 👉
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