Wildlife & Conservation
Clydesdale horse Seamus returned to Scotland after being saved
When Clydesdale horse Seamus was found starving in a field with no grass, it was touch and go as to whether he would survive. The rare Scottish breed are usually associated with pulling heavy farm machinery, but Seamus was so weak he could barely carry himself. With bare patches of flesh where there should have…
Read MoreTagged hen harrier disappears ‘in suspicious circumstances’ in Angus
RSPB Scotland is investigating the ‘suspicious’ disappearance of a tagged hen harrier – the fourth tagged bird to have disappeared in the area since 2017. Data from the young female bird, which was fledged at the Mar Lodge Estate in Aberdeenshire, stopped being transmitted on 15 February. A search of the hen harrier, named Shalimar,…
Read MoreRuined township on Isle of Skye discovered under 1977 tree plantation
The ruins of a township dating from the 17th or 18th centuries have been revealed on the Isle of Skye. Remains of houses, byres, barns and corn-drying kilns were discovered during forestry operations in Glen Brittle. Archaeologists from AOC Archaeology had been surveying the site before the trees were harvested on behalf of Forestry and…
Read MoreSearch for Scotland’s lost ice age pinewoods begins
They are home to wild Scots pines with an ancestry that can be traced back to the end of the last ice age. But now a project to find Scotland’s ‘lost’ native pinewood has been launched so they can be saved and restored before it’s too late. Caledonian pinewoods are globally unique and support rare…
Read MoreScotland’s chough population could be lost forever experts warn
The red-billed chough is clinging on in its last Scottish stronghold on the islands of Islay and Colonsay, with barely 50 pairs remaining. And now experts have warned Scotland’s critically endangered population of chough could become extinct within decades. Chough are doing relatively well in the UK and Ireland, although it noted some concerns about…
Read MoreWatch: Crown actors Dominic West and Jim Murray explore salmon fishing on the River Deveron
Watch as The Crown actors Dominic West and Jim Murray discover what is being done to help wild Atlantic salmon numbers in the River Deveron. They are an indicator for the health of our rivers, coastal environment and seas. But iconic wild Atlantic salmon numbers are in crisis having suffered a decline of 70% across…
Read MoreBear that survived war in Ukraine arrives in Scotland to start new life
He survived the war and was saved from an abandoned zoo in Ukraine, and now Yampil – an Asiatic Black Bear – has arrived at his new home in Scotland. When Ukrainian soldiers entered the village of Yampil, after five months of Russian occupation, they discovered an abandoned zoo on the outskirts. Out of nearly…
Read MoreRum welcomes two rare Highland pony foals
Rum National Nature Reserve has welcomed some new residents with the arrival of two rare Highland pony foals. The foals, named Fhuarain and Shellesder, are settling in well to their island home where NatureScot maintains a herd of around 20 ponies. The translation of the Gaelic Fhuarain means spring or burn, while Shellesder means Iris.…
Read MoreVisitors to Balmoral Estate now able to see rare Capercaillie mating ritual
The elusive mating ritual of one of our most endangered birds can now be seen without any risk of disturbance thanks to a new visitor attraction on Balmoral Estate. The capercaillie lek is one of nature’s wonders, where the turkey-sized males square up to each other to prove to a hen that they are a…
Read MoreExtremely rare moss rediscovered near Edinburgh
An extremely rare moss has been rediscovered near Edinburgh, having not been found anywhere else in the UK since 1987. Round-leaved bryum has been found at Threipmuir Reservoir near Balerno, Edinburgh, thanks to a collaboration between NatureScot and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Scientists have been rewarded after a 13-year wait to see one of Scotland’s…
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