Six species native to or frequently spotted in Scotland have been highlighted in a list of the UK’s top 10 rarest and most endangered animals.
Scottish wildcats, capercaillies, arctic skuas, beavers, pine martens and humpback whales featured in research by Parkdean Resorts to mark World Wildlife Day on Friday.
Fourth on the list is the rapidly dwindling wildcat, known as the “Highland Tiger” - but considered critically endangered with fewer than 300 left, making the species Scotland’s most under-threat mammal.
The Capercaillie bird, native to pinewoods in the north of Scotland such as in the Cairngorms, is fifth in the list. The species numbers only around 500 and is feared to be on the brink of extinction.
Publishing the research, Parkdean Resorts said despite the worrying figures, internet data shows Brits continue to have high levels of interest in wildlife and spotting critters.
The holiday park firm also gave a list of tips on how to protect precious wildlife, including driving safely, not littering, planting native plants and flowers in your garden and using alternatives to herbicides and pesticides.
Aisling Walsh, Environmental Social Governance Manager at Parkdean Resorts, said: “There's wildlife all around, and as humans, it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve the creatures living among us.
“A report from the National History Museum sadly states that the UK has only 50 per cent of its biodiversity richness compared with historical levels.
"That said, our data suggests there has been a 16 per cent increase in online searches for ‘UK wildlife parks’, a 321 per cent increase in ‘bird-watching gifts’, as well as a 22 per cent increase in ‘whale watching’, highlighting interest is not wavering and many Brits are still eager to learn more about our gorgeous wildlife.”
Humpback whales are third in the list of at-risk species. They aren’t native to Scottish waters but have been spotted with growing frequency off the coasts of Shetland and the Hebrides, with 19 sightings since 2019.
Arctic skuas are listed seventh, with just 785 pairs thought to be left on our coasts - one of several Scots seabird populations decimated by bird flu in recent years.
Beavers, a protected species reintroduced in recent decades to both Scotland and England - with a family moved last month to Loch Lomond - are eighth in the list.
Pine martens are ninth, where better protections in Scotland have allowed the mammal, while still rare, to boost its numbers to around 3,500. However, in England and Wales they remain critically endangered.
Parkdean Resorts run some 66 holiday parks across the UK covering caravans, lodges, camping and glamping, including at popular Scots beauty spots like Wemyss Bay, Tummel Valley and Dornoch.
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