Wingham Wildlife Park

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Wingham Wildlife Park is a medium-sized park near Wingham in Kent, England. It covers about 26 acres, with roughly half for animal housing and half for car parking and space to grow. The park opened in 1986 as Wingham Bird Park, starting with aviaries, waterfowl and a tea room. As more animals were added, the name changed to Wingham Wildlife Park around 1996.

By 2011 the park cared for about 180 species, and by 2013 it had more than 200 species, including fish, mammals, reptiles, birds and invertebrates.

In 2008 the park changed ownership, and over the next three years it added almost 100 new species, including animals with high conservation value. This helped the park join international zoo and education groups in 2010, and in 2012 it began using the ZIMS software. In 2014 it became an associate member of the South East Asian Zoos Association to strengthen conservation links.

Key areas and attractions

- Tropical House: Opened in 2004, this 1100 square meter space features tropical plants, ponds and many free-roaming birds such as lories and turacos.

- Reptile House: Rebuilt from 2008 to 2010, it now houses a wide range of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, including some notable species.

- Penguin Pool: Opened in 2010, this Kent’s only penguin exhibit has a sand filtration system, viewing windows and caves, and has housed Humboldt penguins.

- Tiger enclosure: Opened in 2011 for two young male hybrid tigers, with two separate enclosures and a viewing platform. The tigers are a popular highlight and are hand-reared by the owners and family.

- Big cat row: From 2012, a series of large cat enclosures along the top end of the park includes lions, cheetahs, jaguars, pumas and caracals.

- Wolf enclosure: In January 2013 a pack of Eurasian wolves joined the park in a lakeside enclosure with a viewing window.

- Chimp House: Opened in December 2015, this £1 million building houses seven laboratory chimpanzees donated from the Yerkes Primate Center. It has two levels of viewing, an outdoor area, and space for other residents such as a sloth and tamarins. It also includes education spaces for visitors.

Rescue and education work

Since 2008 the park has been involved in rescue projects, often funded by supporters and partners. Notable efforts include bringing in two lions, Clarence and Brutus, in 2012 after they were rescued from mistreatment, and relocating Barbary macaques and other primates from difficult backgrounds. The park has also hosted primates from Israel and collaborates with various charities on conservation projects.

Visitor improvements

The park has updated facilities to improve comfort and accessibility, including a renovated toilet block and better footpaths. In 2016 new tarmac paths were added to improve access for disabled visitors and those with pushchairs. A new outdoor play area and a permanent dinosaur display with animatronic figures were added behind the play area. The education centre opened in 2011, offering hands-on animal encounters and displays, along with a museum featuring seized items donated by HM customs. A café and gift shop are in the main reception building, which was updated in 2013.

Wingham Wildlife Park houses a diverse range of birds, mammals, carnivores, primates, apes, reptiles and amphibians, and continues its work in conservation, education and rescue.