Conservation in the Park

For the last 20 years we’ve been part of a breeding programme for southern white rhinos. Set up in response to the rapid decline of wild white rhino populations in Africa, the project has been a huge success for us with six baby rhinos born at the safari park so far.

Many people are unaware that some species of giraffe are currently critically endangered. Our giraffes are hybrids, which means they are a mixture of different sub-species. Modern zoos only breed giraffes of the same sub-species so, by providing a home for hybrid females, we’re allowing other zoos to continue their vital breeding programmes.

All our lions were born in captivity and roam across a specially designed habitat here at the park. Working with other zoos, we provide samples to help genetically profile African lions. This data helps to develop further breeding programmes and safeguard the future of declining populations in the wild.

Due to severe deforestation in Madagascar, red-ruffed lemurs are now critically endangered. Our breeding group of red-ruffed lemurs have been a success story, with the last baby being born in 2022.

Crowned lemurs are listed as endangered and, recently, we welcomed a new breeding pair to the park. The happy couple are still settling in, but we hope to see our first ever crowned lemur babies soon!

Like the red-ruffed lemur, black and white lemurs are critically endangered. We have one breeding pair at the park, with quadruplets born at the Park in 2021 and twins born in 2022.

Relocated from Gibraltar in 2014, our large Barbary macaque troop have adapted well to their new home and are breeding successfully. Regular new arrivals all help to bolster numbers of this now endangered species.

Amur tigers are critically endangered and a very important species for us to have here at the park. We have one male (Vitali) and one female (Hope). As they’re still quite young, the pair are not currently part of a breeding programme, but we may look to breed them in the future.