Here's Looking at You

One of the benefits of travelling to the other end of the country is that you can visit places of interest along the way, that would otherwise be too far to justify the travel.

Last week Liz and I visited the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, between Aviemore and Kingussie. It was several years since our previous visit and there have been quite a few changes in the park and the collection of animals.

Two of the new residents are Mercedes the Polar Bear, and a family of Amur Tigers. This sub-species of Tiger was formerly known as Siberian Tigers, but the name became a misnomer when the sub-species became extinct in Siberia. It was re-named in the 1990s.

There is a breeding pair, the male of which came from the wild, and is a significant addition to the gene pool of the captive breeding programme. There are three yearling cubs, one male, and two females.

Above you can see one of the cubs looking through the viewing window, and below, two watchers, watching each other!



We also saw a pair of Bactrian Camels, with their twin humps and shaggy coats, well adapted for the cold Siberian winters when food is hard to find. No doubt they are happier with their larger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park, than in the suburban setting of Edinburgh Zoo. Indeed, the Tigers and Polar Bear also have come to this Park from Edinburgh Zoo during the last couple of years.



I was very amused and impressed by the crowd of Yaks, who looked very like they were yakking away to each other, although we couldn't hear anything through the car windows. They too are well adapted to cold climates, and while the rest of us were struggling with this year's snowy Scottish winter, I am sure the Yaks must have been very comfortable!



It is great to be able to see these animals in the surroundings of the Scottish Highlands. Although they cannot be released into the wild, they enable us to appreciate those animals that still remain in the wild, and encourage us to do our best to ensure that the wild populations are supported and preserved into the future.