Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo is owned by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). The Society was founded in March 1909, and the Zoo opened in July 1913. Set in 82 acres of sloping parkland, the Zoo is situated three miles to the west of Edinburgh city centre and has over 1,000 rare and endangered animals. Visitors can experience a busy programme of educational events and activities - ranging from keeper talks through to hands-on animal encounters - and a wide-range of eating experiences, several play areas, a fantastic gift shop and free hilltop safari rides. Edinburgh Zoo’s mission is 'to inspire and excite our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats.'

It is also one of Europe's leading centres of conservation, education and research. The Zoo works collectively with many other zoos and conservation agencies in the UK, Europe and around the world in co-ordinate conservation programmes, to help ensure the survival of many threatened animal species.

It supports various conservation projects in the wild through funding and expertise. The Zoo’s extensive education programme aims to raise awareness and understanding of the fragility of life on this planet, and our responsibility to help care for it. Edinburgh Zoo also supports a range of targeted research projects which are designed to enhance our understanding of animals' behavioural and physiological needs, with many useful consequences for conservation in the wild.

For more information on Edinburgh Zoo please visit their website- www.edinburghzoo.org.uk