Within the next few weeks, a family group of Japanese serow – or Kamoshika, as they are known in their homeland – will be heading north from their home at Edinburgh Zoo.

A new breeding colony of the species, which is related to both the mountain goat and antelope, is to be established at the popular attraction by Kincraig.

These unusual animals live in conifer forests in the highlands of Japan, where their threatened status has made them particularly treasured.

Encroachment of human habitation and their popularity for hunting brought them to the brink of extinction.

However, the Japanese government eventually intervened and placed them on the international endangered animal register to protect them.

The new home for the three serow will be with the park's Japanese Macaque monkeys, with which they are familiar from their homeland.

Mr Doug Richardson, head of animal collections at Kincraig, confirmed that the family of serow would be the next arrival as part of the park's exciting expansion plans.

"We will be putting the serow in with the Macaque monkeys," he said. "It will be a very interesting combination, and one that is not foreign to them in the wild."

The Japanese serow is neither a goat nor a deer, but is closely related to both. At an average height of about 40 inches, it is said to resemble the Rocky Mountain Goat most closely.

Work is underway to make the Highland Wildlife Park the perfect place for these Japanese serow to call home. Image courtesy of RZSS image library

They use their small, curved horns in winter to dig out food from the forest floor, but survive for the rest of the year on a diet of acorns, herbs, shoots and leaves.

Serow use a scent glad near their eyes which emits a "vinegarish"-smelling fluid to mark their territories.

Over the past year, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), owner of both the zoo and the wildlife park, has brought Amur tigers, red pandas and other rare creatures north to boost visitor numbers and assist breeding programmes.

Also coming soon will be one male and two female Bactrian camels, for which a squadron of Royal Engineers completed an enclosure and camel house last year.

The two-humped beasts are related to the more common one-humped camel, and are said to be more endangered than the giant panda.

Zoo survival programmes are set to play an increasingly important role in their survival.

g.burke@sbherald.co.uk

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