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.
Beavers
In May 2008, the Scottish Government approved an application for a trial reintroduction of the European beaver to the Knapdale Forest in Mid-Argyll. This was a joint application submitted by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT).
If the trial is successful then the European beaver will be the first mammal to be reintroduced to the UK. Beavers have been extinct in Scotland since the 16th century, when they were hunted for their pelt, meat and medicinal properties.
The reintroduction of the European beaver forms part of Scottish Natural Heritage’s ‘Species Action Framework’. This plan highlights 32 species requiring management and action including reintroductions, the European beaver is one of these species.
The trial will be for a five-year period in total and will see 15-20 beavers introduced and monitored in Knapdale. It is hoped that the beavers will be introduced in spring 2009. Beavers bring many benefits to other native species and habitats and have already been successfully reintroduced in 24 other European countries.
How you can help
The project partners have to raise a minimum of £750,000 to support the beaver trial over the next five years. Without core government funding we will rely on donations from our members and supporters to make this project a success. Every gift makes a vital contribution to realising the different elements required for this project. For example:
£60 would allow us to purchase a head torch for the Beaver Field Officer to monitor the beaver’s activity at night
£120 would pay for an interpretation panel at the beaver site in the Knapdale Forest to inform visitors about the project
£600 will purchase two beaver radio tags which will monitor the beaver’s movements throughout the project and help assess the results of the trial
If you would like to play a part in bringing back the beaver to Scotland you can donate online, call the development team on 0131 314 0374 or send a cheque (made payable to RZSS) to:
Scottish Beaver Trial
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
Edinburgh Zoo
EH12 6TS
Frequently Asked Questions about Beavers
To find out more about beavers and the Scottish Beaver Trial please visit our 'Beavers Back in Scotland?' page and the Scottish Beaver Trial page in our Conservation and Research section..
Links
The Scottish Beaver Trial is a collaborative project with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the following organisations:
People's Trust for Endangered Species