David Barclay

CONSERVATION & RESEARCH INTERESTS

David's main area of interest is with felid conservation, population management and animal husbandry. Most of his recent work has been focused on the development and management of a dedicated conservation breeding for release centre for wildcats as part of the Saving Wildcats recovery project. David also helped establish and manage the Pallas’s cat International Conservation Alliance in collaboration with Nordens Ark and Snow Leopard Trust. Through these projects David has been able to develop new conservation networks between Zoological institutions and active in-situ field teams with the long-term goal of improving global awareness of small cat species and effective conservation efforts.

BACKGROUND

David has worked for the RZSS for 21 years and spent the first 6 years as an animal keeper working across all animal sections at Edinburgh Zoo before moving to work at the Highland Wildlife Park for the last 15 years. David started as a senior animal keeper on the carnivore section at Highland Wildlife Park before moving onto the conservation department as a cat conservation project officer in 2015. David has also managed national and international breeding programmes for both Pallas’s cat (since 2006) and wildcat (since 2015). During his time on the conservation department David has specialised in felid conservation with a focus on animal husbandry and population management for wildcat and Pallas’s cat. David has been the EAZA Felid TAG co-chair since 2017 and through this role supports and advice on other international felid conservation projects. David now works as the Ex-situ Conservation Manager for the Saving Wildcats project where he oversees the management of the projects Conservation Breeding for Release Centre, animal husbandry, population management, and pre-release management of wildcats prior to release.

EDUCATION

BSc (Hons) Animal Biology - Napier University

FdSc Zoo Resource Management - Sparsholt College

ANC Management of Zoo Animals - Sparsholt College

Basic & Advanced breeding programme management course

OTHER POSITIONS

EAZA Felid TAG co-chair

Pallas's cat EEP & ISB coordinator

UK Conservation Breeding programme coordinator for wildcats

Pallas's cat Working Group member