Today Edinburgh Zoo celebrates its centenary birthday; it is 100 years ago that the doors of the great attraction opened to visitors for the first time.
It was probably not on many people's radar at the time that many of the animals they came to see would in a very short period of time become threatened, primarily due to habitat destruction and fragile ecosystems both at home and abroad were becoming irrevocably changed.
As chief executive officer of the conservation charity, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) which owns and manages both Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park, I can say we believe there is a moral obligation to find ways of rebalancing the situations we have created.
We can't turn back the clock to what existed 100 years ago, but we can move forward to a new ecological balance that preserves what we have in a realistic way.
If we believe that nature begins on your doorstep and charity begins at home, then our newly integrated species programme Caledonian Ark – which encompasses our conservation activities within Scotland spanning fieldwork, science, education and zoo-based conservation breeding – makes it very clear to all that we are actually walking the talk. It is very much our contribution to the rewilding debate, where we are aiming to restore habitats to a natural state.
An example is our involvement in the national initiative to save the Scottish wildcat, we are implementing a series of projects that combine our potential for public education with our unique set of skills and expertise in breeding, reintroduction and research.
RZSS is a key partner in the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan. A captive breeding programme that will use genetically screened wildcats to create and maintain a long-term sustainable population along with the work that our pioneering scientists specialising in molecular genetics and DNA testing are doing will help to identify what is a pure wildcat and what is a hybrid.
In addition, our public-engagement programmes and very large audience will be harnessed to the cause.
RZSS is also a lead partner on the Scottish Beaver Trial, spending the past four years managing the successful transfer, release and monitoring of beavers in Knapdale, Argyll. Although not part of the official trial, members of RZSS are also utilising their experience to assist in the monitoring of the population of beavers on the Tay.
The trial has experimented with innovative ways to study beavers and their effects and we see it as an important and pioneering step towards further understanding species reintroduction and how it may play a role in ecosystem restoration.
As an organisation that saw almost one million visitors through its doors last year, we have the ability to tell the story of Scottish wildlife. As an organisation and with both our parks, we remain a central part of Scottish society and we care very much that the story of Scottish nature is told to everybody and that native species are part of our children's heritage as much as storybooks with lions and tigers are. We are committed to enabling every person to discover, meet and learn about and cherish our Scottish nature.
Chris West is chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
Agenda: The next 100 years is vital as we attempt to reverse damage to nature
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