The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was founded in 1909 by lawyer Thomas Hailing Gillespie. It was incorporated and given a Royal charter in 1913, which also saw the opening of the Edinburgh Zoo. The Society owns both the Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park. The mission of the Royal Zoological Society is "to inspire and excite our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitat." The Society supports various conservation projects in the wild, it educates about and tries to raise awareness and understanding of all life on earth, and it researches animal behavior in order to better learn how to preserve those species. Princess Anne became the royal patron of the society during its centenerary year.
The Edinburgh Zoo began operating in 1913 and is the second most visited tourist attraction in Scotland; second only to Edinburgh Castle. It is 3 miles from Edinburgh city center and lies on 82 acres of land. It is open every day of the year. The Zoo features almost one thousand animals, mostly rare and endangered. According to their website, the Zoo has the largest penguin pool in the world. The Zoo sponsors many educational events such as hands-on animal encounters and also promotes and funds conservation projects throughout the world.
Highland Wildlife Park is located in Kincraig, Inverness-shire; it is a part of the Cairngorms National Park. The Park opened in 1972 and was bought by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland in 1986. It originally contained only native animal species of Scotland such as wolves and wildcats, but now has many endangered species such as tigers. The Park consists of a safari park, where people can drive around and see the animals up close, and enclosed areas that people can walk around. The Park also offers guided walks and photography tours. There is also a program in that anyone over 18 can be a "warden for a day" for £100. Highland Wildlife Park is open daily.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was founded at a time when conservation of animals was certainly not in the forefront of world consciousness. The work they do has raised much awareness for the cause and has helped in preserving and protecting numerous wildlife species. The Society, and many societies like it around the world, is helping to insure that future generations will know about all and be able to experience the marvellous animal life that this world has to offer.
