A popular Highland attraction is to be developed and expanded to improve the experience for visitors.
If the plans go ahead, Highland Wildlife Park will get bigger and better and could soon be home to even more animals.
The proposals by Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns the park at Kincraig, are expected to attract and accommodate more visitors.
It is believed that the redevelopment could bring significant conservation benefits and provide an economic boost for the area.
RZSS says its proposals will inspire people to care for wildlife and the natural environment.
Barbara Smith, acting chief executive of RZSS, said: “RZSS Highland Wildlife Park is a real success story within the Cairngorms National Park, with visitor numbers having doubled to over 135,000 in the past 10 years.
“We are currently exploring options for expanding our visitor offering at the park, helping us tell the story of wildlife both here in Scotland and further afield, as well as expanding our ground-breaking conservation activity.
“Whilst our plans are still very much in development, we are keen to hear from the local community about what shape these plans should take and what impact the development might have.”
A series of drop in sessions will give members of the public the chance to find out more about the role of Highland Wildlife Park and the impact of development there.
They will take place at Mercure Hotel, Inverness, on Wednesday September 28 from 3.30-6.30pm and on Wednesday October 5 at Highland Folk Museum from 11am-2.30pm and Aviemore Community Centre from 4-7pm.
In 2006 the RZSS decided to diversify the native wildlife collections at the park to include international species suited to cold climate and tundra habitats befitting the Cairngorms National Park setting.
This diversification, and successful breeding programmes, has led to an increase in visit numbers establishing the Highland Wildlife Park as one of Scotland’s top 20 paid visitor attractions.
RZSS has commissioned a team lead by Jura Consultants to explore the development potential at the park.
At present visitors can discover Scottish wildlife and endangered animals of the world’s mountains and tundra in the spectacular Highland setting.
Visitors can drive around the main reserve in their own car and then investigate the walk-round area on foot. The park has a wide and diverse range of animals, from native species such as the Capercaillie and Scottish Wildcat to those from further afield such as the Amur Tiger and Polar Bear.
