Dream job for any animal lover: Edinburgh Zoo seek Wildcat conservation manager

The Saving Wildcats project is looking for a conservation manager.

Edinburgh Zoo and The Highland Wildlife Park are looking for a conservation manager to work in-situ in Kingussie. The ideal candidate will have an academic qualification in science, conservation or equivalent and will “plan, organise, develop and manage In-Situ aspects of the Saving Wildcats (#SWAfroLIFE) reinforcement project in line with the project plan.”

Posting on the Edinburgh Zoo careers site, the team are looking for someone who will: “work with the Saving Wildcat Project Manager, Saving Wildcat Ex-situ Manager, the Saving Wildcat project team, the veterinary team and other relevant stakeholders and contractors to achieve the project objectives.”

The ideal person will also provide specialist field monitoring, post-release monitoring and data analysis to support the project team whilst contributing to the delivery of the Society’s mission and aims – all in support of Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) vision and mission.

The job has a closing date of the 22 March and more information plus how to apply can be found here.

In November last year it was announced that Wildcats were to be reintroduced in Scotland after experts declared the native species “functionally extinct” in the wild earlier in 2019.

The new Wildcat population will come from animals bred in captivity from Scottish-caught specimens and pure-bred cats from the continent.

Helen Senn, head of conservation and science programmes at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) charity, which runs the wildlife park, said: “Wildcats are on the brink of extinction in Scotland but it’s not too late.

“With funding in place, it is tremendously exciting to begin the UK’s first wildcat release project and bring together all the necessary resources and expertise to make it happen.”