Wildlife & Conservation
Scotland’s whales: Two orcas spotted off coast of Ardnamurchan
A rare sighting of two killer whales off the coast of Ardnamurchan has been captured on video. The orcas John Coe and Aquarius belong to Scotland’s only known resident pod of killer whales. The duo was spotted by Rob Barlow, Owner of Hebrides Cruises who was skippering one of the company’s three vessels, Elizabeth G…
Read MoreThe great egg caper that could save the rare capercaillie from dying out
Researchers made fake nests and filled them with chicken eggs as part of a trial designed to help save the capercaillie, one of the UK’s rarest birds. The capercaillie is a ground-nesting bird that, with just over 500 left in the wild, is in danger of extinction in the UK. One contributor to its decline…
Read MoreFour wildcat kittens born outside captivity in Cairngorms National Park marks major milestone
Four wildcat kittens have been born in the Cairngorms National Park and are thought to be the first to be born outside captivity in Scotland for more than five years Following the release of 19 wildcats last summer, at least two females have given birth in the wild. The species was determined to be on…
Read MoreIsle of May: Numbers of puffins at one of UK’s largest colonies increase by a third
Numbers of puffins at one of the UK’s largest colonies on the Isle of May have increased by around a third since 2017, experts have revealed. Scientists estimate there are around 52,000 occupied puffin burrows on the Isle of May nature reserve, compared to 39,000 in the last survey in 2017 – a 33% increase.…
Read MoreCorrimony Nature Reserve: Signs of recovery at wildfire hit nature reserve a year on
It was destroyed by a devastating wildfire last year, but now there are signs of recovery at Corrimony Nature Reserve. Flames burned in woodland and moor near Cannich, south of Inverness, for two weeks decimating important moorland and woodland habitat, home to species including Black Grouse and Scottish Crossbill. An exceptional dry spell with hot…
Read MoreRed squirrel: bid to increase west Scotland’s population numbers
There are around 120,000 of them in Scotland, but habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to the survival of red squirrels. In a bid to boost the species’ population on the West Coast of the country, six red squirrels have been released in Morvern peninsula. Rewilding charity Trees for Life introduced the squirrels…
Read MoreOsprey YouTube star Laddie found dead
He became Scotland’s most famous bird of prey after delighting birdwatchers on YouTube. But now conservationists have revealed osprey Laddie has been found dead in Perthshire. Police Scotland said the remains of an osprey were found near Dunkeld on Friday. The protected species is believed to have been nesting at Loch of the Lowes nature…
Read MoreLife With NatureScot: ‘The only way we are going to counter climate change is by working together’
Operations Officers Jane Dodd on the marine life around Arygll, her work with the flapper skates and the impact of climate change on our seas. When I was a child, my dad and my grandad would take me crabbing in rockpools during beach holidays and I’ve been fascinated by marine life ever since. My…
Read MoreRewilding campaign backed by Leonardo DiCaprio raises £200,000
A campaign for Scotland to become the first Rewilding Nation in the world which was backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio raised £200,000 in just six days. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, a coalition of more than 20 organisations, is calling on the Scottish Government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of the country. Alliance member…
Read More‘Lord of the Rings’ wych elm plays a role in saving its species
An ancient elm tree that has stood alone in the far reaches of Glen Affric for hundreds of years is now the guardian over a new generation of its species. The wych elm – known as the Last Ent of Affric in homage to the tree-shepherds from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings story – has…
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