Plan Your Visit to Edinburgh Zoo
We are open every day of the year, including Christmas Day, from 9am until:
| 6.00pm | April - Sept. |
| 5.00pm | Oct. & March |
| 4.30pm | Nov. - Feb. |
How you can help
The natural world needs our help...and we need yours! Please consider making a donation to support our conservation, education and research work, both within our parks and across the world.
What Will Happen to Beavers Who Stray out of the Trail Area?
How will you monitor released animals?
Direct methods, such as observing the animals and their tracks and signs, and indirect methods, such as radio tagging.
What will you do with beavers that stray out of the trial area?
Knapdale has relatively good natural containment. It is bordered to the north by a ridge, with water flowing in a general southerly direction towards the coastline. The west and east sides are bordered by high-density conifer plantation and are not suitable beaver habitat. Since beavers have a strong tendency to restrict their movements to riparian areas, it is expected that they will stay within the Knapdale catchment while the carrying capacity of the site allows; much research from Europe indicates that this would be the normal pattern. Considerable research was carried out by SNH into the suitability of the Knapdale site.
Once introduced, the beavers will be observed using direct methods, such as monitoring their tracks and dams, as well as indirect methods, such as the use of radio tagging (including kits). Should any animals leave the trial site, they would be captured and returned. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has particular expertise in this field. We will work with the community to identify and mitigate against potential issues