Wildlife & Conservation
Beavers could return to Cairngorms in efforts to boost numbers
Beavers could return to the Cairngorms as part of efforts to boost their population. The animals died out in Scotland around 400 years ago but were reintroduced in 2009. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is now set to speak to the public about a number of possible release sites. As part of the plans…
Read MoreNumber of critically-endangered capercaillie increases
Numbers of critically-endangered capercaillie have increased for the first time in eight years. The birds are on the verge of extinction in Scotland with numbers having decreased by more than 50% in the last five years. The latest national survey (2021/2022) estimated there are only 542 capercaillie left in Scotland. But the latest lek count…
Read MoreCheeky barn owl spotted retreating to rabbit hole to escape noisy brood
Sometimes we all need a bit of peace and quiet. But gamekeepers in the Lammermuirs were astonished when this male barn owl was spotted retreating to a disused rabbit hole everyday for some downtime away from his chicks. The owl is father to a brood of chicks nesting 200 yards down the valley in a…
Read MoreScots adventurer to attempt record-breaking kayaking voyage in Arctic
The Arctic’s Northwest Passage is steeped in mystery and tragedy. The beguiling sea route, which connects Europe to Asia, has claimed the lives of many of those brave enough to have attempted it. Weaving amongst the hostile Canadian arctic archipelagos over the top of the world, it has captured the imagination of Europe’s foremost explorers…
Read MoreWhich birds are missing from your area?
THERE are 73 million fewer birds in the UK than there were back in 1970, according to figures released by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to mark today’s International Dawn Chorus Day. Almost 30 million house sparrows, 20 million starlings, four million skylarks, two million blackbirds, and one million chaffinches have vanished from the…
Read More‘National effort’ needed to save Scottish wildcat
A MAMMALS expert has warned that a “national effort” is needed in order to save the Scottish wildcat from extinction. Roo Campbell, the mammal adviser to government agency NatureScot, used the publication of a report to highlight the threat to the wildcat, which is critically endangered. The report draws together the findings from the Scottish…
Read MoreReturn of the lynx discussed in parliament
REINTRODUCING lynx to Scotland is being discussed at the Scottish Parliament today. Ariane Burgess, a Green MSP for the Highlands and islands, has sponsored a reception that was organised by conservation charities Scotland: The Big Picture, Trees for Life, and The Lifescape Project. Today’s reception follows a debate last Thursday, during which a motion by…
Read MoreCall for action after final Wild Isles episode
THE Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is calling on viewers to take action following tonight’s final episode of the BBC’s Wild Isles programme. The five-part documentary series, which was presented by Sir David Attenborough, has featured wildlife from throughout the UK and Ireland. Tonight’s final show profiled creatures living in the seas surrounding Scotland and the…
Read MoreScots want ‘wilder’ national parks
A MAJORITY of Scots want our national parks to be “wilder”, according to a survey by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. An opinion poll conducted by market research agency Survation found that 74% of Scots agreed with a call to make national parks wilder, while 6% were opposed to the idea. In February, NatureScot – the…
Read MoreBluebell wood freed from Rhododendron bushes
VOLUNTEERS from the Kinclaven Woodland Working Group are celebrating the eradication of the final Rhododendron ponticum bush at Kinclaven Bluebell Wood in Perthshire. Over the last four years, the team of 50 has worked to reduce a thick mass of the plant, spending nearly 2,000 hours on the task. The plant had claimed more than…
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