Help feed the animals this Christmas

First and foremost, I want to say a huge thank you to every one of you who has supported RZSS, Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo over the last few months. Your fundraising and donations have been just incredible and above all, you have been coming back to visit us!

It has been wonderful to see you all at the park and the zoo, experiencing the joys of these beautiful places and glorious animals. With our new covid-secure measures, you have told us where you feel safe and where we can improve. These new measures only work so well because our visitors are following the guidance and looking out for others.

However, we are not out of the proverbial woods. As I write, infections are rising and there is talk of further restrictions and lockdowns. If we have to close again, all of the good and hard work over the summer will be lost and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland will lose some £350,000 each week.

Nevertheless, our care for our animals continues and moves to bring new animals, such as a male snow leopard to pair with Animesh, and giraffes to Edinburgh Zoo continue.

Thanks to you, one thing hasn’t changed in this extraordinary year - the animals at Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo have continued to receive the best of care. Despite the challenges we’ve all faced, you’ve helped to keep them well-fed and happy.

Every day, I watch our keepers and vets working hard to feed and care for thousands of amazing animals. I’m so grateful for the support of animal lovers like you – because every donation, every membership, every visit to our parks, every patron and every gift in a Will makes their work possible.

But I also worry about the lasting damage to RZSS from COVID-19, especially as we receive no government funding. After losing so much of our visitor income this year, the survival of your wildlife charity is now at risk.

If you can, please give a donation to help the animals this Christmas. £5 will feed one of our red pandas for a day, £15 will feed one of our polar bears for a day and £50 will feed one of our tigers for a week.

I hope you’ll be able to visit and see the keepers putting your gift into action or go online to watch the animals being cared for on our live web cameras.

Thank you for everything you do for your wildlife charity. Your continuing kindness means the world to our keepers and vets – and the animals you love.

With your help and support, RZSS will emerge stronger and better in the years to come.

You can help feed the animals at the park (highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/help) and the zoo (edinburghzoo.org.uk/help) this Christmas with your gift.

If you’d like to help out in another way please get in touch via supportus@rzss.org.uk or 0131 314 0380