A WORLDWI-IE&E NATURE IS PR<>tECTED, VALUEDANDLOVED
In 2024, RZSS continued to progress towards our three strategic goals, with strides forward in conservation, engagement and community.
At the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS),our mission is to save wildlife and empower people in Scotland and around the world to protect, value and love nature. Everything we achieve is thanks to the unique strength of the RZSS family, from staff to volunteers, supporters and partners.
Working in Scotland and across the world, we have pledged to reverse the decline of at least 50 species by 2030. Together, we're already making an impact on 31 species, with a long-term commitment to the process of recovery, using science and conservation planning.
By working collaboratively with local communities and expert partners, RZSSprovides long-term conservation management. Through expertise in science at the RZSSWildGenes laboratory at Edinburgh Zoo, genetic data is used to generate conservation action for threatened species across the globe.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world. People protect and value what they love and understand, and visiting our zoos helps people to fall in love with animals and learn how they can support us in
saving species from extinction. We're delighted that a record number of visitors committed to our charity by joining as RZSS members in 2024.
Opened in June 2024, Scotland's Wildlife Discovery Centre at Highland Wildlife Park is providing rich opportunities for visitors to learn more about nature and discover what action they can take to support the natural world.
We know that stronger communities have a greater capacity to care for wildlife and nature. Through our community programmes, RZSSis now reaching 41 diverse communities against a target of 100 by 2030, reducing barriers to help an even wider audience better connect to our message and to nature.
Thank you for supporting our charity in this crucial mission.
work extends from Scotland across the world. We use science and conservation planning to help reverse the number of species in decline, working in partnership with ,, r local communities. 'r
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As we work towards the goal of reversing the decline of at least 50 species worldwide by 2030, we've been working with:
ti: Addax
ti: Asian elephant
* Eurasian capercaillie
ti: Chimpanzee
ti: Dama gazelle
* Dark bordered beauty moth
•~ Giant armadillo
•~ Medicinal leech
•~ Nahan's partridge
•~ Northern rockhopper penguin
ti: Nubian giraffe
ti: Pallas's cat
ti: Pine hoverfly
* Pond mud snail
* Siamese crocodile
ti: Rote Island snake-necked turtle
•wildcat
•~ Partula snail
•~ Bengal florican
ti: Blood red longhorn beetle
ti: Christy's tree frog
ti: Eurasian beaver
ti: Flapper skate
ti: Giant anteater
ti: Himalayan wolf
ti: Nubian ibex
ti: Red squirrel
* Scimitar-horned oryx
* Small scabious mining bee
•~ Hyacinth macaw
•~ Caracal
Information on the species we work with can also be found on our website at rzss.org.uk/conservation/ conservation-projects
USINGGENETICSTo INFORMCONSERVATION
The RZSS WildGenes team conducts cutting-edge conservation research on a range of threatened species, as well as preserving genetic material for conservation research and population management in the RZSS WildGenes Biobank.
new species were added to the RZSS Biobank in 2024, including 36 reptile species, 18 fish species and 16 amphibian
849
Biobank samples came in from a large legacy collection submitted byZSL
The RZSSWildGenes Biobank facility at Edinburgh Zoo houses biological samples for the European Zoo and Aquaria (EAZA) community. It is one of four European Biobank hubs.
The RZSSBiobank supports conservation research
With more than 1,000 submissions of samples from 527 species, 2024 was a busy year for the RZSSBiobank. New native British species received include pine marten, adder and two invertebrate species from Highland Wildlife Park -the dark bordered beauty moth and the blood red longhorn beetle. and the long-term preservation of biodiversity. Samples are stored at -80°C and RZSSalso manages a searchable database.
loan samples were released for 14 conservation research projects
Among the other new species added in 2024 were the critically endangered Baker's spiny-tailed lizard and the approved byEAZA Lake Oku clawed frog.
Invertebrate-...._
Reptile 17
Species ID-. (including Cairngorms
Carnivore project)
296
LABORATORYSAMPLES
There was a 156% increase in sample submissions to the RZSSWildGenes laboratory in 2024 compared to 2022. This chart shows samples received by species, the largest number of which were from mammals in 2024.
soosTINGSCOTLAND'SLEECI-IES
A pioneering new conservation breeding programme for medicinal leeches, based at Highland Wildlife Park, produced its first clutch of youngsters in 2024. This marks the first step towards rearing enough leeches to start new populations in suitable lochs around Scotland.
Though leeches are not the most charismatic of creatures, they are an integral part -and a good indicator -of a balanced freshwater ecosystem. The medicinal leech is the largest of the UK's 17 freshwater species.
Once prevalent, its numbers have plummeted due to historical overharvesting for medical purposes, combined with habitat loss and freshwater pollution. The medicinal leech is now classed as near threatened globally, and in Scotland clings on in just three lochs.
Two years ago, RZSSteamed up with Buglife to start a leech conservation breeding programme as part of the Species on the Edge Initiative, led by NatureScot. This saw RZSSand Buglife staff wade into one of the lochs to collect inhabitants for our new leech breeding facility at Highland Wildlife Park.
In summer 2024, eight adult leeches produced six egg cocoons, four of which hatched. Of the initial 29 hatchlings, nine have survived. This was our first breeding season, so we had no idea whether the animals would mate or lay eggs, let alone produce young. Every baby represents a big success, and the losses are all part of the learning curve for rearing this species. Any eventual releases will involve our partners Buglife and Species on the Edge, and consultation with local communities close to release sites.
CARACALS 0 N CAMERA
In mid-2024, RZSSpartnered with a local conservation body in Turkmenistan to support the monitoring of small cats in this Central Asian country. The work has already yielded some exceptional insights into the presence of caracal at the poorly understood north-easterly end of the species' range.
The caracal, a feline of semi-deserts, steppes and savannahs, has a massive geographical range across Africa to Central and Southwest Asia. However, it is considered rare in Central Asia and its status there is largely unknown.
A mid-sized wild cat with a slender body, long legs and distinctive ear tufts, this generalist predator hunts a range of small mammals and birds, making it an important indicator species of ecosystem health. Threats to caracal and other wild cats in Asia include habitat loss and conflict with humans and dogs.
RZSShas partnered with local conservation organisation Team Bars Turkmenistan of Conservation X Labs, providing support for stepping up
its monitoring of small wild cats in Turkmenistan. This includes areas where caracal have historically been reported, such as the Kaplankyr Reserve bordering Uzbekistan, and the chinks (cliffs) around the Garabogazgol Basin on the Ustyurt Plateau, now earmarked to become a wildlife sanctuary.
In 2024, camera traps in both areas yielded results, with a caracal caught on camera in Kaplankyr and three recorded around Garabogazgol: an individual near the southern shore, a female with a kitten on the eastern shore and another individual near the northern shore. "The Garabogazgol records are exceptional," said Tanya Rosen, lead of Team Bars Turkmenistan. 'They're the most northerly in the country to date and reinforce the decision to set this landscape aside as protected."
is home to several small cat species, including caracal (pictured below left), Asiatic wildcat, Eurasian lynx, jungle cat, sand cat and Pallas's cat
DEEPWATER GIANTS
The secret life of the enormous flapper skate is gradually being brought to the surface thanks to the ongoing work of RZSSvet Dr Georgina Cole alongside project partners.
The flapper skate is the world's largest skate species. Vulnerable to fishing practices such as trawling and dredging, and with slow growth and reproduction, the species is critically endangered globally. The west coast of Scotland harbours a stronghold population, with two Marine Protected Areas created specifically to conserve it.
Relatively little is known about the movement, behaviour, habitat use and breeding of this mysterious deep water inhabitant. In a bid to change that, RZSSvet Dr Georgina Cole and colleagues have been working alongside project partners for several years capturing, tagging and tracking skates and collecting skin swab samples and ultrasound data to monitor health. Notably, our vets have helped refine a way of safely handling the giant fish to reduce stress.
Dr Georgina Cole spent 22 days on recreational angling boats, sampling 72 flapper skates
To date, the work of Georgina and other RZSSvets alongside project partners from Edinburgh Napier University, the Scottish Association for Marine Science, Eawag and NatureScot has produced three peer-reviewed scientific papers and one report published in late 2024.
individuals have been sampled since the start of the project
T~E STEPS
TOSPECIES RECOVERY
RZSS is measuring species recovery using the model outlined below, which recognises the full cycle of recovery and aligns with similar tools used across the wider conservation community.
Monitoring and diagnosis
Steps of species recovery involving monitoring and research. These are steps that allow us to diagnose species decline.
Planning and testing the solution
Steps of species recovery involved in identifying the appropriate management action, which allows us to reverse species decline. The steps include constructing a multi-stakeholder action plan, establishing ex-situ insurance and conservation breeding for release populations (if appropriate). and trialling management action in the wild (in-situ action). These steps form an important part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature 'One Plan' species recovery approach.
Full deployment of the solution
Steps of species recovery involved in replicating actions across the initial wild trial site, measuring success against population, range and, where appropriate, genetic diversity targets.
Sustainable management
Steps of recovery involving increasingly minimal intervention until a species is fully recovered.
rainy day guarantee had made them more confident about planning their visit
MAKING NATUREMORE ACCESSIBLE
In 2024, RZSSlaunched discounts to both Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for people in receipt of Universal Credit and other benefits, including Housing Benefit and Income Support. A total of 13,212 adults and 11,090 children visited with discounted tickets. The offer has now been rolled out permanently.
..-MEMBERSI-IIP REWARDS
By becoming an RZSS member, visitors can enjoy great days out at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park as often as they like.
Through their support, members also help RZSSteams to care for the animals at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park and to protect vulnerable wildlife here in Scotland and around the world.
We are delighted this year to have reached an all-time record number of RZSSmembers, a total of 48,274!
UNF 0 RGETTABLEI
SUPPORTFOR FIREWOR\(SBAN
An appeal by RZSS,asking residents near Edinburgh Zoo not to set off fireworks at Hogmanay, reached more than seven and a half billion people.
It followed the death of Roxie, a baby red panda who choked on her own vomit on Bonfire Night. Tragically, Roxie's mother Ginger had died unexpectedly five days earlier, also possibly linked to fireworks.
Posts on
social media
sharing Roxie's story reached around three million people on X, 650,000+ on Facebook, 550,000+ on lnstagram and more than 160,000 on Linkedln
RZSSis engaging politically to tighten the laws around the use and sale of fireworks and to establish a firework control zone around the zoo to help protect the animals in the charity's care.
Our call for tighter restrictions received enormous support from members of the public who were shocked by the sad news of Roxie's death.
Simpson Builders of Beauly's £15,000 bursary covered travel costs for students and teachers across 34 Highland-based schools
G0 LDSTARLEARNINGPR 0 JECTS
Oodles of ZOOdle users
The RZSSdigital learning environment, ZOOdle, proved popular in 2024. Offering free online resources to help learners, families and schools discover more about conservation, the platform saw a yearly 9.7% and 49% increase in visitor interactions and page views respectively, attracting 18 interactions per visit and 2,198,292 views.
2024 saw ZOOdle used in more countries than ever, with people from 25 of the 44 countries on the UN's list of least developed countries enjoying it. Since launching nearly five years ago, ZOOdle has helped people from 31 of those countries establish connections to nature.
Science Skills Academy success
Designed to spark interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM),the RZSS partnership with the Science Skills Academy connected with 215 learners across the Kingussie area's five schools, resulting in over 975 engagement hours.
Thirteen groups enjoyed free bus transport to a Highland-based touring pop-up Newton Room. In these
state-of-the-art spaces, pupils are taught by STEM experts to participate in activities focused on robotics, mathematics and space. Surveys revealed 77% of pupils found the visits exciting and interesting, while 100% of teachers said the trips raised STEM career awareness.
Widening access
Six teachers attended a Kingussie High School continuing professional development day, which inspired engagement sessions with S1-S3 students with additional support needs.
Developed by the RZSSlearning team and the school's teachers, 14 students learned about polar bears and wildcats and got to explore Scotland's Wildlife Discovery Centre during one-hour sessions that ran over six weeks.
Inspirational speakers
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park colleagues delivered an online animal welfare day to 100 attendees. This was part of a three-day animal management virtual work experience programme from Speakers for Schools, a charity providing work experience and talks to school pupils nationwide.
EVERYB 0 DY's WELCOME
We are broadening access to nature by making RZSS and our parks more inclusive.
By sharing our experiences with other organisations, we can all make a difference. The RZSSteam is helping improve access and inclusion across Scotland through the Scottish Environment LINK Nature for All programme and as part of the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Working Group for BIAZA (the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
community-focused sessions and group activities were delivered in 2024
The Nature Connections programme at Highland Wildlife Park launched in 2023 as an offshoot of Wildlife Wombles, a programme for volunteers with additional support needs that has run for over a decade.
Nature Connections volunteers have complex support needs and attend with their support workers. They participate in citizen science activities such as bumblebee transects, where they regularly monitor the same sample area, benefiting the park's Biodiversity Action Plan.
The volunteers have become a tightly bonded group and carers report that even
those who are nearly non-verbal often communicate more when they are taking part. To date, 35 volunteers with additional support needs have benefited from the programme.
Working closely with staff, the Nature Connection volunteers also help RZSS to test initiatives to improve the park's accessibility services, including ramps, off-road wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
This has been of great benefit to other participants with support needs, including a group of youngsters who now visit regularly from Kingussie High School.
SCOTLAND'S WILDLIFE DISCOVERY CENTRE
RZSSwas hugely proud to open Scotland's Wildlife Discovery Centre at Highland Wildlife Park in 2024. Alongside three new buildings -the Gateway, Conservation Den and Learning Hive -the project includes an ambitious Biodiversity Action Plan and the appointment of specialist staff working on education programmes and helping to broaden inclusion and access to nature.
100% of visitors say they learned about Scottish nature
of surveyed visitors believe they can support nature after visiting Scotland's Wildlife Discovery Centre
UR AMAZINGV
RZSSvolunteers contribute to the biodiversity of our parks, prepare food for the animals and, vitally, help visitors to connect with nature.
volunteers: 20 Volunteer hour
•1'Volunteer visit interactions: 8
1A SMALLTEAMTHAT MA\(ESA BIGDIFFERENCE"
Student James Cubey, whose sights are set on a zoo career, received the RZSS Young Conservationist of the Year Award for his voluntary work.
"I enjoyed being part of CAT, the Conservation Action Team, as a member and then as a youth leader. I wanted to continue this learning experience, so I stayed on as a volunteer.
"My long-term goal is to work in a zoo environment. I enjoy interacting with visitors and members of CAT, learning more about the conservation and research work of the zoo, and being part of a small team that makes a difference.
"Thanks to my experiences as a volunteer, I successfully applied for the discovery ambassador seasonal post at Highland Wildlife Park. It's an enjoyable role in the company of like-minded people.
"Volunteering has helped improve my knowledge of animals and the contribution of zoos to conservation
and animal welfare. It's also helped me improve my communication skills, especially public speaking!"
CAT is all about young people (aged five-15) having fun while learning about conservation. One of our young members was recently inspired by their experiences volunteering with CAT to write to their local MSP.
NEW COMMUNITIES
RZSS is reaching a wider range of people than ever before through strategic partnerships and innovative programmes at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Widllife Park.
$ In 2024, RZSSlaunched a programme of library visits in Edinburgh to connect more children with nature in an accessible setting.
t~ An initial pilot at Corstorphine has now extended to in-demand sessions across five Edinburgh libraries.
t~ Highland Wildlife Park's team run popular sessions at Aviemore Library, with activities focused on the park's animals and Cairngorms wildlife.
$ Working with the Broomhouse Hub, RZSSran a six-week Into the Zoo programme to help young people acquire professional skills, as well as supporting English as a Second Language learners.
The Joeys and Roos programme at Edinburgh Zoo is very popular with parents and toddlers. RZSS have now rolled out New Parent Social Groups for parents with newborns, so they can enjoy nature alongside their babies.
UT ANDABO
Important work to bring more people close to nature takes place out in the community as well as at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park.
After-school sessions at Carrbridge Primary School in the Highlands attracted 20 students per session. At the end of the year, the pupils visited the animals at Highland Wildlife Park.
Children living with family members who have cancer were given the opportunity to take a break and learn about nature through special RZSSsessions at the Maggie's Centre in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital. The family days at the hospital can be hard-going for youngsters, but RZSSbrings the fun, with activities including memory games and painting pebbles for penguins to pick out for their nests.
ALLP0 WEREDUP
Edinburgh Zoo's impressive new solar meadow was switched on in mid-June 2024, making it the leading zoo in the UK for green energy generation.
Located at the top of the hill, beyond the giraffe habitat, the array of 1,500 bifacial solar photovoltaic panels was constructed by E.ON. It has the potential to generate up to 880,000 kWh of power a year -around 25% of the zoo's electricity consumption, potentially saving the equivalent of 194 tonnes of carbon a year.
Completing the solar meadow was the first major step in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint by 60% by 2030 and be net zero by 2040. So far, the meadow's generation performance has met
expectations, delivering 393,926 kWh in the first six months.
Once we have a year's worth of performance data, we can decide how to make the most of the electricity it generates. Options include connecting more areas of the zoo to the solar meadow, so it can supply a larger proportion of the site. We could add battery storage to make the power available at night too.
These are big investments that require informed decision-making. The RZSS sustainability and compliance team is tracking and monitoring progress against our targets very closely with the help of our Greenhouse Gases Emissions Trajectories and Targets Toolkit, developed in partnership with GEP Environmental.
FULLMAR\(SFOR OURECOAUDIT
RZSS is thrilled that both Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park scored full marks for their annual environmental audit in 2024 -not a single issue was flagged as needing attention.
ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems, providing a framework to ensure we minimise our environmental impact, comply with regulations and continue to improve. It covers everything from utilities usage and waste management to compliance with environmental legislation, encouraging sustainable behaviours and improving sustainable procurement practices.
The sustainability and compliance team were proud of getting a completely clean bill of health, with the auditor also giving special recognition for our sustainable procurement processes. It's hoped that, with the help of our Green Team, RZSSwill achieve the same result for years to come.
