UK’s only male European forest reindeer returns to Highland Wildlife Park
Posted 9 Feb 2026
The UK’s only male European forest reindeer, born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park in 2020, has returned after a stay at Whipsnade Zoo.
Solen, now five-years-old, moved to Whipsnade in 2022 and has arrived back at the park where he will live with females Freya and Lumi. Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity are hoping that Solen and the two females will one day breed, boosting numbers of the vulnerable species.
Visitors can see the UK’s only European forest reindeer in Wolf Wood at Highland Wildlife Park.
Book online and saveNotes to Editors
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High-res video and images available at https://we.tl/t-V6f6fCUOJC
Video and images are free to use. Please credit RZSS.
Notes to editor:
- Highland Wildlife Park was crowned Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction 2025 at Visit Scotland’s Scottish Thistle Awards 2025
- The species is classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
- The park is now home to Solen (five-years-old), Freya (nine-years-old) and Lumi (four-years-old)
Solen moved to Whipsnade Zoo in 2022 when reached a natural dispersal age. After his dad Sven's passing in 2025 Solen will now be the dominant male of Highland Wildlife Park's herd
About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (rzss.org.uk)
- The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world which protects, values and loves nature
- Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are gateways to the natural world through which people can experience nature, learn about the challenges facing wildlife and discover how we harness our expertise in conservation science and animal care alongside the unique power of the RZSS family – our teams, supporters and partners – to save animals from extinction
