Who is RZSS?

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.

Our mission is to save wildlife and empower people in Scotland and around the world to protect, value and love nature. But we cannot achieve this alone, our vision needs an inspired and empowered worldwide community to join together and help us to achieve our pledges.

For RZSS both Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are our gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature. They can learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we use our expertise in conservation science and animal care to save species from extinction.

Our zoos will be the cornerstones of this pledge, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting both the zoo and the wildlife park. Each visit is an opportunity to create stronger bonds between people and nature.

It is crucial to make nature more accessible because people protect and value what they love and understand. Through our zoos, they can learn about the challenges facing wildlife and how they can support us in saving species from extinction.

Reverse the decline of at least 50 species 

What can RZSS do?

By 2030, RZSS wants to reverse the decline of at least 50 species – from pine hoverflies and wildcats in the Scottish Cairngorms National Park to chimpanzees in Uganda, giant anteaters in Brazil and many more.

Our work with beavers, pine hoverflies and wildcats is just the beginning for native wildlife, and our longstanding collaboration with the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda is a prime example of our global conservation work.

In our conservation genetics lab, RZSS WildGenes, our team of experts use genetic data to generate conservation action for threatened species across the globe. By working collaboratively and sharing valuable genetic tools and data, we aim to provide long-term conservation management.