Job Opportunities...
08/12/2024
At the start of winter, two very interesting positions have become vacant at the Park, which we are looking to fill in the New Year. Both give very interesting and excellent opportunity to the right ...[more]
Latest news
Play Area Closed...
01/12/2024
From the start of December our Play Area is closed as normal, due to the wet weather. STOP PRESS BUT - this will be the last time we have to close it all...! After some years of searching, w...[more]
Baby Civets make their Debut...
21/08/2024
White-bearded Civets come from Sumatra, and can only be seen in the UK here at Hamerton Zoo Park. We understand that our adult pair are the only members of their species to have ever bred outs...[more]
Reptile House Revamp...
06/07/2024
Our reptile house will soon be open again, after a full electrical refit. Many of the animals have changed enclosures and a number of new species will be moved on-show over the next few weeks. An of...[more]
New Meerkat Enclosure...
01/06/2024
Our new Meerkat enclosure is finished and open for everyone to enjoy! One of our groups of Meerkats has already moved in and are busy exploring all of their new three-dimensional home. The new enclo...[more]
Zoo Data...
20/04/2024
We are researching the following zoos which used to exist in our area, and welcome any details on any of these - personal information, press cuttings, guide-books, leaflets, souvenirs, personal anecdo...[more]
Spring Info..
29/03/2024
For the first time since the Park opened in 1990, the play-area remains closed for the Easter holidays. Each year we have to close it for the winter, but in normal years it re-opens for the February ...[more]
New Publication...
17/02/2024
Our very first review is about to be published, and stock is expected from the printers next week. It extends to 44 pages and is full of excellent, high-quality photos of our animals. Species feat...[more]
Winter Update...
04/02/2024
After a very wet spell, our weather has improved at the end of January allowing the park to dry out a little. Our play area is still to wet to open unfortunately, and we hope that this will have impr...[more]
Wildlife Habitat...
03/11/2023
Luckily we completed the clearing, restoration and enlargement of a pond above the Bear enclosure just before the weather turned. 850 native trees have just arrived for this area and work has started...[more]
Autumn News...
02/11/2023
From today we have closed our Play Area for the winter. This is done every year, but does not usually have to happen until around Christmas time. The unusually wet weather over and since the hal...[more]
News Update...
04/10/2023
A very busy summer season is coming to a close with some lovely autumn weather set to last until the half-term. We are making the most of this and are busy with several projects. The new Bear Hid...[more]
Brown Hyaenas...
13/09/2023
For the past few weeks, a trio of Brown Hyaenas have been settling in at the Park, after their pre-export quarantine and flight from South Africa into London Heathrow. This is the culmination ...[more]
Yet Another New Species...
22/08/2023
2023 was always going to be something of a year of 'catch-up' following the problems of Covid, and the on-going difficulty of animal movement with the EU following Brexit. For this reason we have foc...[more]
Black-backed Jackals...
18/08/2023
Great news is the arrival of a new pair of Black-backed Jackals from South Africa. This young pair is unrelated and we hope will help establish a new population in Europe. The Black-backed ...[more]
New Arrivals...
16/08/2023
From today, the path beyond the road-train and Foxes will be closed. Our Servals will be visible as usual from the path coming back through the tiger-tunnel. Both of these will be dead-ends, but no ...[more]
2023 Photography Competition...
01/08/2023
Our annual Photography Competition is now open, with entries starting to flood in. There is plenty of time left to take part, as the closing date is 31st August 2023. The seven categories...[more]
Binturongs Move...
18/07/2023
Our new Binturong enclosure was completed recently and the family of 4 which used to live in the old tiger barn moved in just last week. Several of the group have been brave enough to explore t...[more]
Baby Pudu...
10/07/2023
This week we are delighted to welcome another baby Pudu, a tiny baby born to the World's smallest species of deer. Native to southern South America these animals are threatened with extinction ...[more]
Some More New Arrivals...
16/06/2023
We are pleased to welcome a new male Maned Wolf as a mate for our female. The new young male is called 'Zorro' and came from another zoo in the UK on the recommendation of the Eu...[more]
Fundraising Success...
01/06/2023
Here at Hamerton Zoo Park each year, we hold a limited series of events days organised by our keepers in their spare time. These often coincide with widely held events such as 'World Tiger D...[more]
Development Update...
21/05/2023
Following yet another change in Government import regulations, our team have been able to move back onto some of the works postponed for the last three months. Fencing around our new Binturong enclos...[more]
Play Area Open...
28/04/2023
We are pleased that we have been able to open the Play Area for the bank holiday weekend, and hope that it can stay open now as normal. In addition, now that National restrictions have been li...[more]
April News...
22/04/2023
The refitting of our 3 approved quarantine units is pretty much complete, and next week our team should be able to get back to work on the new meerkat enclosure, and new house and paddock by the Tayra...[more]
Play Area...
14/04/2023
PLAY AREA CLOSED FROM 15 APRIL Due to the number of complaints, our Play Area was opened for the Easter holidays, despite England recording the wettest M...[more]
Wet Weather Notice...
03/04/2023
After what has now been confirmed as the wettest March for 40 years, we have been lucky at Hamerton not to have the part-closures other zoos have had to introduce, as widely as Oxfordshire to Cheshire...[more]
Building Works Update...
02/04/2023
As detailed in the post below, our new Tortoise House is finished. The tortoises are moving in this week, and some more plants will be added once they have arrived from the nursery. We always...[more]
Dik-Dik Arrives...
30/03/2023
More new species have arrived at the Park, the first of a dozen or so expected this spring. Some will stay off-exhibit until later in the year, as they are being moved here for the convenience of the...[more]
Happy New Year...
01/01/2023
We send the very best wishes to all our staff, visitors and supporters for 2023. A review of 2022 might be of interest, as the year proved to be something of a roller-coaster. We all endu...[more]
Play-Area Closed after Christmas...
23/12/2022
Please note that following the rain over the holiday, our Play-Area will be closed from Christmas onwards. This is done every year to ensure the surface is not spoiled for the up-coming season.[more]
Welcome to our new Otter..
22/12/2022
A long planned animal move has just been completed, with our last young female Pudu travelling up to Edinburgh Zoo to be paired with their male under the EEP for this endangered species. Numbe...[more]
New Snakes Arrive...
06/11/2022
Two new species of Australian Python will be coming to the Park during November. The first actually arrived yesterday, and we will post more details once we have some pictures after the secon...[more]
Calendars in Stock...
31/10/2022
Supplies of our 2023 calendar have arrived today. A large format portrait A3, it features 13 pictures of some of our favourite animals, by photographer Helen Black. The calendar costs £12....[more]
Tree Planting...
30/10/2022
The mild autumn is allowing good progress with our on-going projects at the park. Work continues on the new extension and Meerkat enclosure, plus our new Tortoise House is roofed and in...[more]
Cheeky Monkeys...
20/09/2022
'Guenons' is the name given by zoologists for a group of mostly forest dwelling African monkeys. In years gone by many of these beautiful primates were kept in zoos, but nowadays this range has dwind...[more]
Queen Elizabeth
08/09/2022
It is with great sadness that we all learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral. As a mark of respect the Park will be closed on the day of the State funeral, and our booking sy...[more]
Barking Owls...
07/09/2022
Barking Owls have chicks again! Our pair of Barking Owls, imported from Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland Australia, were (for a while!) the only specimens of their species outside Australia. T...[more]
New Books...
01/09/2022
Two brand new books are planned for 2023. A totally new Zoo Guide-Book is expected for the second half of the year, to coincide with new animals and exhibits introduced over the next few month...[more]
Public Transport...
18/08/2022
We have just been told about a new public bus service available on-demand and accessed via an App. It is called the Ting Bus and runs in our part of Ca...[more]
'Puddle Appears at Zoo'...
17/08/2022
It is a strange World that produces such a headline! Yesterday afternoon we had half an hour of very welcome rain, the first since a shower on June 18th. A puddle appeared outside the Zoo office, b...[more]
Zoo-Chat...
13/08/2022
It has come to our attention that supposed 'planned additions' to our animal collection have been published by a web-site called ZooChat. We would like to point out that the Park has no conn...[more]
World Cheetah Day...
05/08/2022
Come and join us to celebrate 'World Cheetah Day', on Wednesday 10th August. Stands and stalls will be raising funds for the work of CCF (the Cheetah Conservation Fund) in Namibia. Keeper t...[more]
Pretty Babies...
04/08/2022
All young tortoises are more brightly coloured than older animals, but our three newest arrivals are prettier than most! Work on our new tortoise house has been delayed over the summer, but will resu...[more]
'International Tiger Day'...
10/07/2022
Come and join us to celebrate 'International Tiger Day' on Friday 29th July. Keeper talks will be running, and stalls and events raising funds for the 'WildCats Conservation Alliance' for thei...[more]
Binturongs Down Under...
05/07/2022
We are delighted to hear that the two pairs of Hamerton born Javan Binturongs sent to Australia last month are doing well and have completed their statutory isolation period. In recent years...[more]
Some Sad News...
02/07/2022
This week has been a difficult one for all of us at Hamerton. It started and ended with the loss of both of our Aardwolves. This beautiful member of the Hyaena family is so rare in zoos, it h...[more]
Otter News...
01/07/2022
After years of complications with permits following Brexit, we have eventually managed to move our elderly male Short-clawed Otter to Tiergarten Schonbrunn in Vienna. He flew out just this wee...[more]
New - 11 June...
28/05/2022
Something big, very big, is coming to stay at Hamerton. Our newly extended road train, the K-T Express will be open on its new route from Saturday 11th June, and give some great views o...[more]
Animal Moves Galore...
26/05/2022
Usually animal moves take place in the autumn after our busy public season is over, but not this year! Two years of delays caused by Covid restrictions, and now delays in documentation and logistics ...[more]
Barking Owl News...
11/05/2022
Our breeding pair of Barking Owls arrived a couple of years ago from Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, Australia. They were the first of their species to be seen in Europe for many years, and until th...[more]
The Year of the Ring-tail....?
09/05/2022
At Hamerton Zoo Park we are the only Zoo in the World to have our three species of 'Ring-tails'. This common name is given to totally different animals in different countries. The Ring-tailed L...[more]
More Development...
21/04/2022
We are delighted to welcome back the guys from KODA CREATIVE, Europe's leading zoo theming specialists. They will be busy with several different jobs around the Park. Some of these proje...[more]
Three-banded Armadillo
14/04/2022
Another new species has arrived at the Park, continuing the expansion and variety of our collection of animals. A young male Three-banded Armadillo will spend the next 4 weeks in his legall...[more]
Electricity Generation...
10/04/2022
A milestone has just passed at Hamerton Zoo Park where our two Endurance wind turbines have this week tallied up the generation of 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity. Along with our arrays of ...[more]
Three New Species...,
04/04/2022
2022 is a year of major expansion at Hamerton Zoo Park. A special new exhibition is due to open to celebrate an international film release in June, and our largest animal exhibit to date in the aut...[more]
Spot Something Special...!
20/03/2022
At Hamerton Zoo Park we have always been well known for our Cheetahs! These wonderful and endangered cats are well suited to the wide open spaces we can give them. Our numerous enclosures are...[more]
Giant Babies for Mother's Day...
15/03/2022
The past few weeks have seen the birth of no fewer than 5 'giant' donkey foals at the park. Now the weather is better, these can now be seen with their mothers in the small paddocks to the north of t...[more]
G'Day Possums...
01/03/2022
Some updates from our special collection of Aussie animals: * Our new Wombat joey has just been confirmed as a male. * Two baby Tasmanian Golden Possum joeys have been born this spring...[more]
Weather Update...
19/02/2022
'Storm Eunice' passed yesterday, leaving a normal English winter day today, with more forecast going forward. At Hamerton Zoo Park, although it was a miserable day for our staff, there was n...[more]
Coronavirus Rules Changes...
13/02/2022
January 2022 From next week we all face a major relaxation of Coronavirus restrictions, in England. This comes at a time when the country is experiencing 100,000 new cases every day - a figure w...[more]
1, 2, 3 - lots...!
06/01/2022
The early part of January always results in media stories about Zoos counting their animals - a non-story of course as all Zoos know exactly how many animals they have on a daily basis and do not need...[more]
Happy New Year..!
31/12/2021
We would send everyone our very best wishes for the New Year holiday and for 2022. The coming season will see a number of exciting up-coming developments at the Park, the result of the largest capi...[more]
Play-Area Closed for the Winter...
26/12/2021
Please note that following the rain over the holiday, our Play-Area is now CLOSED. This is done every year to ensure the surface is not spoiled for the up-coming season. [more]
Seasons Greetings...
24/12/2021
Another year almost over! To all our friends, visitors and supporters, we send our very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, where-ever you are and how-ever you will be spending it. As rece...[more]
Santa's Grotto - bookings now open
04/12/2021
We are running our Santa's Grotto again this year. Limited numbers of tickets are available, and bookings are made on-line. Please go to the 'Book Tickets Now' tab on our 'Home' page, and follow the...[more]
Coronovirus Update
27/11/2021
Coronovirus Update As from tomorrow 29 November 2021 - ALL entry to our shops and indoor areas will require face coverings to be properly worn at ALL times. To c...[more]
Building Works - again...!
24/10/2021
12/10/21 Over the next week or two, the access through the middle of the park leading from the entrance to the centre bird-block, will be closed off. This will not mean that any animals are...[more]
Up-coming Exhibitions...
23/10/2021
13/09/2021 A small exhibition of zoo models is planned for this autumn and winter 2021-22, and should be ready by October. It will be housed in part of our coffee-shop and will feature some ...[more]
Bird Arrivals,,,
29/09/2021
Autumn is always a season of animal movements, as young animals born at the Park are sent to new homes and others are welcomed into our collection. Groups of Red-handed Tamarins have moved to another...[more]
Baby Geckos...
20/09/2021
Not only very small but also very young; a pair of tiny lizards has just arrived in our reptile section. The Carter's Rock Gecko is sometimes called the Scorpion Gecko because of its habit of ...[more]
Return of the Stork...
10/08/2021
White Storks have been part of the animal collection at Hamerton for almost 30 years and have bred regularly at the Park for most of that time, with chicks being both parent raised and hand-rea...[more]
Tiny New Arrivals...
02/08/2021
Our reptile house has welcomed some tiny new inhabitants. The group of Blue Spiny Lizards received last year have babies being reared at Hamerton Zoo Park for the first time. In the wild thi...[more]
Our Train is Back..!
01/08/2021
For the first time in 15 months our express road-train ran is now running. It has had a new set of batteries ready for the season and is fully prepped to operate the same schedule as before - every...[more]
July 19th...
11/07/2021
We are just over a week away from the proposed relaxation of most Covid measures, at a time when cases are rising exponentially. Even if the logic of this situation is lost on many, we are not in a...[more]
Caracals Down-Under...
13/06/2021
We have just had news that our first major animal move for over a year has been completed, and all is well. Five Caracals made the journey from Hamerton to Australia over Friday/Saturday, and are n...[more]
Ever-Flexible Plans...
10/06/2021
As always we are very busy at the Park! - with the nice spring weather helping. Work is progressing well on the 3 major projects in hand - all the components are in place, although as ever, not nec...[more]
Spring Update...
12/05/2021
Since re-opening on 12th April, we have been quite busy at Hamerton. Visitor numbers have been steady, during an unseasonably cold but dry April, and continue to be strong now a showery May has arriv...[more]
Open Again! - Book On-Line
07/05/2021
4 April 2021 Along with many other sectors, Zoos can re-open from 12th April 2021. Much has happened at Hamerton whilst we have been closed, and we all look forward to seeing you again. ...[more]
Opening Soon...!
20/03/2021
After being closed by central Government, English Zoos have been given a date for re-opening. !..12th April..! 12th April is the date we have been g...[more]
An Important Message...
04/01/2021
EDIT 4 January 2021 Eleven days after the last change detailed below, the Government has now closed Zoos in the UK under the third Covid lockdown. This time it is clear, and Zoos (and oth...[more]
Opening Times change with the clocks...
21/10/2020
Our shorter winter opening hours always change with the clocks, which correspond with the end of the October half-term. For some reason this year the half-term is later, so we have extended our sum...[more]
We've done it again...
12/09/2020
Some wonderful news from the Park to match the lovely early autumn weather is the breeding of the Sumatran White-bearded Civet. Twin babies born a few weeks ago are growing well, and have been...[more]
Pudu Moves...
10/09/2020
Pudu are the World's smallest deer, and are endangered in their native habitat, the forests of the southern tip of South America - where conservation attempts are not managing to reduce threats to the...[more]
On-Line Tickets Only
09/09/2020
Updated 07-09-2020 * We are delighted that zoos across England were allowed to re-open from Monday June 15th. ...[more]
Les Anesses-du-Poitou..
29/08/2020
Two new Poitou Donkey jennies arrived this morning from Pamplie in the Poitou-Charentes region of France. The new pair, named 'Diddy-la-Braudiere' and 'Hashtag-de-Valorge...[more]
Babies Waiting to See You...
28/08/2020
15/06/2020 Whilst you have been away our staff have been very busy - and so have our animals..! Their lives and requirements don't change just because humans have problems. Our newest babies ...[more]
Some Reflections & Thank-yous...
05/07/2020
With the Park now open, albeit differently from the last 30 years, we look back at what we've all gone through and reflect on what might be ahead. Unlike many Zoos, we made the decision not to furl...[more]
Government Closes UK Zoos
31/05/2020
After three months and at a time when other restrictions are being relaxed, at 4.30pm on 31st May 2020 we have just had official confirmation for the first time that Zoos must Close. This ...[more]
Yet Another 'First' for Hamerton Zoo Park...
17/05/2020
The only Barking Owls outside Australia have their first chick! The parents are very aggressive, so rather than disturb them we are leaving them well alone! One of two eggs has produced t...[more]
Baby Lemurs too...
05/05/2020
Its a hat-trick! All of the species of lemurs kept at Hamerton have babies this year. This group of primitive primates are very beautiful, and very endangered - found only in the remnants of forest ...[more]
Animal Moves Update...
04/05/2020
At Hamerton Zoo Park we are committed to the preservation of not just our wonderful wild animals; but also one of the most important studs of Giant Donkeys found anywhere. These animals were originall...[more]
Stripy New Arrival...
18/04/2020
We really are having a bumper crop of new babies this year at the Park. Recent birth's have included 2 more Red-handed Tamarins, twins this time to our second group, and another baby Java...[more]
Happy Easter from our new Baby 'Monkeys'...
11/04/2020
Spring-time is always a great time of year at the Zoo, and the weather in 2020 (our 30th birthday year) has been the best we've ever had, since we opened in 1990. It is such a great pity that we are n...[more]
It's a Girl...!
07/04/2020
Our keepers were right. 'Hope' the UK's baby Wombat is a girl - it's official! The first baby Wombat to be born in the UK since the 1930s, has jus...[more]
Aussie Stow-Away...
05/04/2020
A tiny new arrival back in February adds another Aussie species to our already extensive and important collection - be it totally un-planned this time! We received an email from some local people w...[more]
Baby Birds - Is It Spring at last..?
30/03/2020
The recent dry spell has been a busy time for the core team of keepers at the Park. Early spring is the start of the nesting season for many of our birds, and of course for them this year is no diffe...[more]
Prickly Arrivals...
28/03/2020
Around a month ago some very special animals arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park. A pair of Short-beaked Echidna is settling in off-show, and of course they will be off-show now for a while. Work ...[more]
Park Temporarily Closed to the Public...
23/03/2020
Following Government instructions issued today, Hamerton Zoo Park is temporarily closed to the public, commencing tomorrow 24th March 2020. This is required now, because the public have been ordered ...[more]
Latest Update - 22 March ...
22/03/2020
This latest lovely spring weekend produced a trickle of visitors to the the Park, although considerably fewer that would be normal at this time of year. We so much appreciate the support and compli...[more]
Visiting Hamerton Zoo Park...
20/03/2020
Following the latest advice from the UK Government, Hamerton Zoo Park is fully open. As a result of the Government instructions issued today, from tomorrow we will be offering our visitors a...[more]
Wonderful News...
19/03/2020
At a time of so much uncertainty, we have some fantastic news! Britain's only pair of Wombats are no longer a couple! Keepers have known for some time, and we have several short pieces of...[more]
A Fishy Business...
10/03/2020
The new aquaria in our re-vamped Coffee-Shop have just welcomed their intended inhabitants. These tanks were established last year and are maturing nicely, with their plants slowly becoming estab...[more]
New Babies Glide In..
02/03/2020
Two exciting and super-cute new arrivals can now be seen at the Park. The first joeys were born to our new group of Squirrel Gilders a few weeks ago. The adult colony was imported direct from...[more]
Spring Update...
01/03/2020
As we enter March, the first spring month, we really do hope that the weather will soon improve. Although our Park is out-doors with plenty of fresh air in the country-side, hard tarmac paths take vi...[more]
Give us a Wave...
26/02/2020
Our new van has just returned from the sign-writers where it has been 'wrapped'. Thanks go to Michael at MKS Custom in Peterborough for doing such a great job. The result is very eye-catching...[more]
Bright & Breezy, thank goodness...
09/02/2020
Winter 2019/20 started so early in England, on 21st September it started to rain.. This has been followed by continuously wet and murky conditions. During these couple of months we took the opportun...[more]
Storm Ciara...
09/02/2020
By way of an update on storm 'Ciara' which has been very much in the news this weekend. At Hamerton, we monitor windy conditions especially closely, because we generate all of our electricity from ...[more]
Animal Moves Update...
04/02/2020
03/02/2020 UPDATE to the item below - At the end of January a number of these moves were done. The pair of Hamerton Tayra were moved to KrokodileZoo in Denmark, a female Greater Gris...[more]
Bye-Bye Baby Binturongs...
01/02/2020
Binturongs are fascinating animals related to Civets. They have been kept at Hamerton for decades, and bred many times. In recent years we have bred the Javan Binturong very successfully and ...[more]
Bears for our Birthday...
17/01/2020
In June 2020 at Hamerton Zoo Park we will be celebrating our 30th birthday! To mark this we have just welcomed some very special new arrivals. On 15th January three young Syrian Bear cubs...[more]
New year, New babies...
09/01/2020
(Updated on 03/02/2020) The start of 2020 has already seen some new arrivals at the park. Baby Blue Spiny Lizards were born to our new group a few days ago, and have been moved to secure rear...[more]
A Happy New Year...!
02/01/2020
2020 is here..! This year in June we celebrate our 30th birthday, and will do so with some exciting new additions to continue the expansion of the Parks collection. Early January sees much news ab...[more]
New Reptile Arrivals...
15/12/2019
This weekend has seen the arrival of two new species of reptiles which we mentioned in the news item below. Moving into a recently re-furbished enclosure in our reptile area, is a female Mangrove ...[more]
Reflections and Plans...
01/12/2019
As the year begins to draw to a close, it is time to take stock and firm up plans. Despite nine weeks of continuous rain starting at the end of September making it the wettest autumn anyone can rem...[more]
Hopping Mice Hop Off...
28/11/2019
A couple of bigger projects are underway at the Park, but delays in paperwork and the nine weeks of continuous rain we have had since September, mean these will be announced in the New Year. In the...[more]
Play-area Closed for the Winter...
05/11/2019
From today our play-area is closed due to the wet weather. This is done every year, but this year is much earlier than usual, and due to the relentless rain. Apart from just five days, we have had ...[more]
Autumn Migration Well Under Way...
08/10/2019
Autumn is the season for many birds born in England to fly the country; and the many moves of animals to and from the Park need just a little bit of help from us! It is the busiest time of year, now ...[more]
Santa's Grotto bookings open..
01/10/2019
This season, we will be running our Santa's Grotto for the second time - on Saturdays and Sundays during December. Bookings are now available for a limited number of personalised places, on ...[more]
Cold-blooded News...
30/08/2019
The recent re-fit of our reptile area has allowed some new species to go on display. Williams Dwarf Gecko will be moved into their new vivariums at the weekend once they have settled down. Our...[more]
One of those years..?
19/08/2019
Our flock of Greater Flamingos has lived at the Park for several years, having arrived from Blackbrook Zoo in the UK after it closed. Over the past few seasons a number of eggs have been la...[more]
IZES - 2019
02/08/2019
We are delighted to have been invited to host the annual meeting of the International Zoo Enthusiasts Society for the second year running. This is running tomorrow 3rd August and will take t...[more]
'Coals to Newcastle'...
25/07/2019
Animal moves to and from the Park involve other zoos all over the World, as we have a wide network of friends and contacts in many countries. In the past few weeks two young Javan Binturongs...[more]
Is this the first...
11/07/2019
Our keepers have just managed to get pictures of our first Tasmanian Golden Possum joey. This new baby was conceived and born at Hamerton and it has been suggested that it is the first ever bo...[more]
Rosa King - Inquest at Huntingdon
10/07/2019
A short statement.. As concluded by the jury today, Rosa’s death was a tragic accident. A day doesn’t go past when the staff and management of Hamerton Zoo Park don’t think of her and the los...[more]
Tiny Jewels...
05/07/2019
A group of critically endangered tiny reptiles, have arrived at the Park as part of our conservation breeding programmes. The first three Williams Dwarf Geckos will soon be joined by more. Th...[more]
Summer Holiday Pass...
30/06/2019
Special Offer - on sale now For 2019 we are introducing a new offer which we hope will be of interest to locals and regular visitors. Our 'Summer Holiday Pass' is very simple. For a singl...[more]
Lynx Kittens...
23/06/2019
Often we post news of exciting new arrivals at the Park, here on the web-site. Most of these are additions as our animal collection grows, and as they are carefully planned, very few species are move...[more]
Bird Babes...
21/06/2019
Two baby Burrowing Owls have hatched with their parents in the central aviary block. This is the first time for a few years we have bred these owls, and the new chicks are now two weeks old. ...[more]
Ringtails Return...
07/06/2019
After an absence of several decades a very special species has returned to Hamerton. Many years before the Park opened to the public, a large private collection of animals was housed on what is now...[more]
Welcome our Dingoes...
01/06/2019
Australia's famous and iconic wild dog, its top 'apex' predator, has not been seen in the UK for around 20 years. Hamerton Zoo Park has just welcomed two Dingoes, who have traveled from Quee...[more]
Tiny Arrivals Hop In....
31/05/2019
Australia is well known for its amazing marsupials; but it also has a large number of native non-marsupial placental mammals. Most famous of course is the Dingo; but most of these modern mammals are ...[more]
More Moves A-Foot...
24/05/2019
We have been having a bit of a move around this week as work is completed to welcome the arrival of three more new species to Hamerton in the next couple of weeks. A brand new house and enclosure are...[more]
A Very Special Baby...
19/05/2019
Our bird incubation and rearing unit doubles as winter quarters for our flock of Flamingos, but from spring to autumn a variety of young birds can be seen here. This year it is the temporary home to ...[more]
Another 'odd' Aussie...
30/04/2019
The Magpie Goose is a very unusual bird. It is effectively a living fossil and the sole survivor of an ancient family of primitive waterfowl, found now in northern Australia and parts of New G...[more]
New Baby Donkey is Rarer than a Panda...
26/04/2019
The Grand-Noir-du-Berry is an endangered breed of large donkey found in the ancient Berry region of central France. It was bred for light draft work in the vineyards, for pulling barges on the...[more]
Tayra, Tayra, burning bright...
14/04/2019
The Tayra is one of the unusual species you can find at Hamerton. This large, active diurnal 'mustelid' is a relative of the Martens, Weasels and Ferrets. Very rare in Zoos it is slowly becom...[more]
Vulture Migration...
12/04/2019
At Hamerton Zoo Park we have kept two species of African Vultures for many years. This group of birds is under considerable threat in the wild due to accidental poisoning in India and deliberate pers...[more]
New Guide-book...
04/04/2019
Today, just in time for the Easter holidays, we have taken delivery of stocks of our new guide-book. Although a number of new arrivals expected later this year have not been able to be included, we...[more]
Shop Renovations...
31/03/2019
Work is going well on the renovations to our entrance and coffee-shop. This will add a second pay window, which we hope will reduce the queues caused by the shift in payments from cash to cards. Car...[more]
Open Longer..
30/03/2019
Tonight British Summer-Time starts and the clocks go forward. The Park is now open from 10am to 5.30pm with last entries (and shops closing) at 5 o'clock.[more]
Is Spring Coming...?
24/03/2019
A new crop of babies has started to appear at the Park. Two of these are quite special, and 'firsts' for us at Hamerton. Included in our collection are no less that five varieties (or 'taxa') of Phal...[more]
Animal Moves a-Plenty...
11/03/2019
Most of our recent news items have covered new arrivals at the Park, but this time we have news of lots of departures too. All of the following are YOUNG ANIMALS BORN AT HAMERTON which are mov...[more]
A Major Milestone...
03/03/2019
Hamerton Zoo Park is proud to be probably the most environmentally responsible zoo in the World. We generate on site EVERY UNIT of electricity the Park uses, and the surplus is exported to the Nation...[more]
Broken Records...
26/02/2019
What a wonderful month! The weather this February has been exceptional. Not only has it allowed excellent progress on some ground-works which we did not expect to be able to start until later in the...[more]
Cheeky little Monkeys...
19/02/2019
Tamarins, and their relatives the Marmosets, are tiny monkeys from the rain-forests of the Amazon. Fourteen species have been kept at Hamerton since the collection was founded, with many young ones r...[more]
New Neighbours...
10/02/2019
Updated 16 & 20 Feb.. A new project is about to start at Hamerton Zoo Park. Although many of our new animals have traveled many thousands of miles to get here, the next ones are (or s...[more]
New Arrival from Germany...
02/02/2019
Maned Wolves are found on the open Pampas grasslands in several South American countries. They are under pressure and declining across their range. They are not Wolves or Foxes, and are not a...[more]
'Bettong Baby Boom...'
12/01/2019
Updated 21-02-2019 Rufous Bettongs are really tiny Kangaroos. Our animals are the only ones in Europe, and were received directly from Queensland in the middle of 2018. ...[more]
Last New Arrivals in 2018...
19/12/2018
2018 really has been a fantastic year! A whole range of new animals have arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park, with so many unique to our Zoo. It is doubtful that any other Zoo has seen such a wide range of...[more]
Caracals...
15/12/2018
A further series of new enclosures and improvements are planned at Hamerton Zoo Park for 2019 and the coming years, as part of our continuing development. These plans include enclosures which will be...[more]
Wonderful Wallabies...
14/12/2018
As 2018 is nearing its end we are celebrating a 'full set' with the wallabies and 'kangaroos' at Hamerton Zoo Park. Our Northern Swamp Wallabies arrived earlier in the year from Queensland, ...[more]
Pudu off to new homes...
30/11/2018
Two young Pudu, the World's smallest species of deer, born at Hamerton Zoo Park are moving to Zoos in Europe. Today, our eldest young male born in 2017 has been sent to Wuppertal Zoo in...[more]
What IS that Animal...??
23/11/2018
Autumn is a very busy time at the Zoo, with many animal moves organised before the onset of winter and bad weather. Our Coatis have just moved on to another Zoo, and their enclosure will now b...[more]
'Palm Oil'
16/11/2018
Thanks to the 'Iceland Supermarket' chain, the media and public seem at last to be waking up to the devastation caused by this product. Over half of the production is used for production of so-called...[more]
Hyraxes Arrive...
15/11/2018
As part of the expansion of the animal collection at the Park, four new species have recently arrived from zoos in the Czech Republic. The first of these has now been moved on show, and the others w...[more]
Tiny Kangaroos...
25/10/2018
Everyone is familiar with Kangaroos and Wallabies, but a group of tiny relatives are less well known. Two kinds of these 'mini-kangaroos' are now here at Hamerton Zoo Park. The Long-nosed Potoroo...[more]
Up & Running, Again...
24/10/2018
We are sorry that some of our visitors this week have had to experience a glimpse of the future. Our all-electric 'Tiger Express' road-train has been having battery problems, with a full charge which...[more]
A Welcome New Joey..
23/10/2018
Since importing our group of Black Pademelons, or Southern Swamp Wallabies from Texas, several years ago, a number of babies have been born at the Park. Some of these are still in our 'mob' an...[more]
Bird Arrivals from 'Down-Under'...
21/10/2018
Along with the Tawny Frogmouths, two other interesting bird taxa have arrived at the Park, neither of which have been seen in the UK for many years. The Barking Owl is a medium-size...[more]
When is an 'Owl' - NOT an Owl..?
12/10/2018
When it is a 'Frogmouth' - a Tawny Frogmouth... A pair of very strange birds have arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park. Frogmouths get their name from their beaks which open incredibly wide. Foun...[more]
Beautiful, Fast & Unusual...
21/09/2018
A pair of Emperor Flat Rock Lizards have just arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park. This beautiful species, with a very cumbersome name, is native to Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries. They are sett...[more]
Building for New Arrivals...
18/09/2018
2018 has seen some of the biggest changes in the Park since we opened, with a large number of new arrivals. This is the visible face of many years of planning, which of course all goes on 'behind the...[more]
'Autumn Special - Ticket Competition'...
05/09/2018
Six opportunities to win a family season ticket, each one currently worth almost £150, and giving unlimited visits during the 2019 season! Our new leaflets are full of pictures of our animals, man...[more]
Wow..! Wombat..!
10/08/2018
Our Wombats are now on show. These super cute cousins of the Koala can now be seen at Hamerton Zoo Park in their purpose built enclosure next to our new 'Outback Aviary'. These are the ...[more]
Summer Events...
27/07/2018
Now that the recent really warm weather is over, along with the traffic jams and visits to the sea-side - the summer school-holidays have just started and are set to be really nice zoo visiting weathe...[more]
Spot Something Special - VERY Special...
13/07/2018
On 10th July 2018 we received two pairs of Tiger Quolls from Queensland, as part of our 'Project-Australia'. The Tiger Quoll is mainland Australia's largest surviving native carnivore. ...[more]
IZES meeting...
08/07/2018
Yesterday we were delighted to be able to host the annual IZES meeting for the second time. The Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society is the leading zoo and conservation support group, and their...[more]
'It's all go...'
30/06/2018
The prolonged recent dry weather has allowed us to make some head-way with the works delayed by the bad weather in March and April, and over the Easter holidays. We have a few more weeks work left on...[more]
Inter-Zoo Animal Movement..
29/06/2018
Three young Greater Grison left Hamerton Zoo Park yesterday headed for two zoos in Germany. We have just had a message to tell us that they have arrived safely, and are completely unfazed by t...[more]
Poisonous Monsters...
27/06/2018
One of only two species of poisonous lizard, the Gila Monster (named after the Gila river, a tributary of the Colorado) is found in the deserts of the southern United States. It is slow moving and re...[more]
World's Tiniest Kitten...
24/05/2018
The Rusty-spotted Cat is the smallest cat in the World and is found in the tropical forests of Sri Lanka. It's wild status is unstudied and the species is very rare in Zoo collections. Keepers ...[more]
Pretty in Pink...
14/05/2018
[updated 23/05/2018] ..and Black, and Green and (eventually) in Red! The first of two additional aviaries has just been completed and eight Cockatoos moved into their new home. Th...[more]
Miniature Dragons...
11/05/2018
You may have heard of the most famous Monitor lizard - the giant Komodo Dragon. Many species are much smaller, and some are really tiny. The Gillen's Pygmy Monitor is one of the smallest and ...[more]
Stripy Snakes & Speedy Lizards...
09/05/2018
Historically, reptiles have never formed an important part of the animal collection at Hamerton. Apart from our Tortoises, they all arrived as unwanted pets or disposals from zoos. Over the next yea...[more]
World Binturong Day
07/05/2018
[updated 23/05/2018] The Binturong or Bear-Cat is a strange animal from South-East Asia. It is a member of a family of carnivores called the Civets, which are partway between Dogs an...[more]
The Bird that thinks it's a Crocodile...
09/04/2018
[updated 23/05/2018] New arrivals at Hamerton Zoo Park are two pairs of Australian Scrub Turkeys. One pair is now on display sharing its aviary with Long-nosed Potoroos, tiny ...[more]
Renovation Works for New Arrivals...
05/04/2018
During the bad weather in March, new Cranes arrived from a specialist breeding facility in The Netherlands. Female Grey-necked Crowned Crane and the rarely seen Wattled Crane, will form...[more]
Happy Easter
30/03/2018
A Happy Easter to all our friends, visitors and supporters - from everyone at the Park. As it is not just about chocolate eggs this holiday - whatever your religion, lets all pray that eventually<...[more]
Koda Creative...
12/03/2018
We are pleased to welcome back our friends Jason and the team from Koda Creative, for some more themed work at the Park. Please be advised that there might be a little disruption around the en...[more]
New Arrivals...
09/03/2018
The weather in the UK has made the news over the last couple of weeks, but thankfully our area was saved the worst. A few very cold nights with temperatures down to -8 C were combined with a bitter wi...[more]
Plans Rejected..
20/02/2018
Our long-term plans for new facilities at the Park have been rejected by Huntingdonshire District Councils planning officer. This is because she is of the opinion that because our entrance and shops ...[more]
More Winter Weather...
18/01/2018
After the weather forecasters again failed to predict the intensity of last nights storms, we have had a few concerned calls this morning regarding this. There does appear to have been some structura...[more]
Winter Weather...
10/01/2018
Our play area is closed from today for the winter, hopefully re-opening for the February half-term or Easter holidays. Relatively mild, but wet, winters seem to be the 'norm' these days - due of co...[more]
Seasons Greetings
22/12/2017
Another festive season is upon us and all of the staff and volunteers at the park would like to extend the warmest of wishes to all our friends and supporters, for Christmas and the New Year. 2018 wil...[more]
Beaucoup d'Anes...
28/09/2017
A new breed of Donkey has arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park. As part of our commitment to save rare and endangered animals, four Grand-Noir-du-Berry Donkeys arrived today from France. This large b...[more]
G'day Possums...
12/09/2017
Just arrived at Hamerton Zoo Park from a Zoo in France, are a trio of Brush-tailed Possums. These cat sized Australian marsupials are not often seen in this country, and as they are completely...[more]
New Train Station...
12/08/2017
Our two Vlaamse Reus giant Belgian rabbits are back home after their short vacation this summer! The pair were the only animals which had to be moved during the fire which destroyed our old st...[more]
Calling all Bens...
26/07/2017
Lar Gibbons are an endangered species of ape from the rain forests of South-east Asia, where they are under severe threat from habitat loss due to the destruction of forests. These primates do...[more]
Cheetah Day - Primate Day - 2017
12/07/2017
We have made some changes to the list of events days scheduled for this summer, so they wont follow the exact calendar of events used last year. This year, our main event will be 'Cheetah Day' becaus...[more]
Fundraising for Cheetahs...
07/07/2017
Our team of 5 are all safely back on terra-firma following their Sky-Dive yesterday at Sibson Airfield near Peterborough. This sponsored fund-rasing jump was organised by Rosa earlier in the year wit...[more]
Photography Competetion 2017...
26/06/2017
Our popular annual Photography Competition starts this summer, running 1st July until 31st August 2017. All are free to enter. The six categories are - 'Animals in Action' 'Meerkats' 'Birds' '...[more]
Skydive Appeal for Cheetah Conservation...
12/06/2017
Rosa set up this fundraising appeal on Just-Giving to raise funds for the Cheetah Conservation Fund's work with Cheetahs in Namibia. Five members of Hamerton Zoo Park staff are making a sponsored Sky...[more]
Rosa King Memorial Fund...
11/06/2017
We have been asked by several members of the public if they can contribute to a memorial for Rosa at the Zoo. This JustGiving page has been set up for just that. After much deliberation and discussi...[more]
Flamingos, Cassowary, Vultures and more...
27/05/2017
Today sees the opening of our latest development here at Hamerton Zoo Park. The paths were finished yesterday allowing viewing of our Greater Flamingo flock, and one Cassowary enclosure...[more]
Javan Binturongs Arrive...
11/05/2017
The Binturong is a fascinating native of Sourt-East Asia. It is a relative of Civets and Genets, in the family 'Viverridae', These unusual animals have been kept at Hamerton for many years, an...[more]
Cheetahs moving Fast...
29/04/2017
As part of international conservation efforts to raise numbers of this critically endangered cat, we have been involved in the movement of no less than nine Cheetahs in less than one week! Recent s...[more]
Meerkat Mountain Update..
16/04/2017
Enough rock-work has now been started to the back of our new Meerkat enclosure to give our first 3-D impression of the finished project. The enclosure is a long, elongated L-shape in a figure-of-8, a...[more]
Zebra Foal...
08/04/2017
Our latest baby Zebra is now just over a week old, and is enjoying the spring sunshine out in the paddock with her mother and the other females in our herd. This foal is a little female, and is a Gra...[more]
New Meerkat Mountain...
07/04/2017
We are delighted to welcome back Jason and the guys from Koda Creative to start work on our new 'Meerkat Mountain' enclosure, which is planned to be open by the summer. Hundreds of baby Meerka...[more]
'Bush Budgies'
25/03/2017
Following the arrival of our flock of Wild Australian Zebra Finches, last year; lots of babies have doubled its size. More birds have just arrived which will join the finches in a large walk-a-bout Au...[more]
British Summer-Time Starts..
25/03/2017
From tomorrow (26th March), the Park is open summer hours - which are from 10am until 5.30pm, with last entries at 5pm[more]
International Relocations....
06/03/2017
We hope that the first half of 2017 will see a number of new and very special animal arrivals, expanding the Parks collection considerably. Huge amounts of planning, permits, quarantine, flights and ...[more]
Waste Trees
01/01/2017
Despite all the protracted preparations, Christmas is always over very quickly and normality soon returns. We are happy to take waste natural trees of any kind at any season, including Christmas Tree...[more]
Cheetah Extinction Forecast...
29/12/2016
A bumper year for the Park is ending with the recently reported sad news of a major decline in the wild population of one of our most important species; the Cheetah. It appears from the most recent s...[more]
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
18/12/2016
2016 has been the busiest since the Park opened. Visitor numbers have risen steadily, doubling over the past few years and 16% up this year, on last. Over 100,000 visitors now come to the Park each ...[more]
Watch for the Diggers...
30/11/2016
We are delighted to welcome back North Eastern Plant to the Park this week, albeit for jobs rather less glamorous than the new Tiger enclosure they helped us with last year and earlier this. W...[more]
Halloween at the Zoo..
17/10/2016
This October half-term, join us for some creepy crawly fun! Two mini-beasts workshops will be running each day in the Explorers Cabin - 12am and 3pm. This is a live animal encounter featuring some ...[more]
New Projects Starting Soon...
01/10/2016
2016 has been the busiest year since the park opened, with several new enclosures completed and others due for completion over the coming winter. 2017 will see the arrival of some exciting new specie...[more]
'Donkey Day' 2016
19/09/2016
Our first 'Donkey Day' was held yesterday - and proved very popular with our visitors, some coming from as far away as Norway to see the Park and our animals. Apart from the stud jacks all of the don...[more]
Tiger Matchmaking..
13/09/2016
Our Malayan Tigers are being introduced to each other. This has been carefully planned now that both animals are completely settled into their new enclosure. Putting potential partners together is ...[more]
Arrivals from Down Under...
12/09/2016
The collection of animals at Hamerton is very varied and represents the fauna of several continents. We have always had a number of species from Australia such as the Wallabies, Kookaburra and Cassow...[more]
Polite Notice
26/08/2016
Visitor numbers at the Park have risen significantly during the past couple of years - by around 15% in 2015, and by over 20% so far in 2016. We continue to make considerable investments in new and r...[more]
Otter enclosure finished..
20/08/2016
Our new enclosure for Asian Short-clawed Otters and Binturongs was finally completed last week. It features trees, shrubs and climbing frames for a pair of Binturongs who are slowly exp...[more]
New Tiger Enclosure Opens..
28/07/2016
After a final effort by Park staff and our contractors, our new Malaysian Tiger enclosure, 'Tiger Falls' has opened today 28th July 2016. 'Cicip', our male Malaysian Tiger is shown expl...[more]
'Global Tiger Day 2016'
23/07/2016
29th July is 'Global Tiger Day'. We are raising funds for 21st Century Tiger's conservation projects with wild tigers. Throughout the day lots of events will be taking place; feeding se...[more]
New Arrivals..
20/07/2016
We would like to thank the Australian Finch Society for their help in sourcing birds for one of the new aviaries constructed during 2016. A flock of wild Zebra Finches has arrive...[more]
The Large & the Small of it...
16/07/2016
The animal collection at Hamerton Zoo Park is very varied, and whilst completion of our new Malayan Tiger enclosure 'Tiger Falls' is only a couple of weeks away, housing some of o...[more]
Photography Competition 2016...
14/07/2016
Our annual photography competition is now running for 2016, and entries are starting to flood in. There is still plenty of time to enter as the closing date is not until 31st July. Full details can b...[more]
Visitor Numbers Increasing..
11/06/2016
The first half of 2016 has seen a 20% rise in visitor numbers at the Park. We have made large investments in the past few years; extensions to our Play-Area; addition of a new bespoke Education Centr...[more]
Photography Competition 2016
02/06/2016
We are running our Annual Photography Competition which starts on 1st June until 31st July. Anyone is free to enter. The six categories are - 'Animals in Action','Meerkats','Birds', 'Cute & Funny', 'U...[more]
New Otter Enclosure..
22/05/2016
Five major building projects are being worked on at the Park. Our largest project for many years, 'Tiger Falls' for the only pair of Malaysian Tigers in the UK - which we hope will be o...[more]
'Tiger-Falls'
19/05/2016
Work is now progressing well on our major new enclosure for our pair of Malaysian Tigers, the only ones of their kind in the UK. Finishing touches are being done to the pool, waterfall and roc...[more]
Weekend Easter Egg Hunt
24/03/2016
Join us over the Easter Bank Holiday 25th - 28th March from 10am till 5.30pm. All children will be able to join in our Easter quiz for free! At the entrance, just ask for a a clue sheet - find th...[more]
Thousands of trees...
11/03/2016
The winter of 2015-16 has been very mild and quite wet at times. It is always a very busy time of year, with lots of site work going on. This year is no exception, as alongside our many other projec...[more]
Planning Inspector sides with liars & cheats
01/03/2016
The conservation work undertaken at the Park is currently wholly powered by our renewable energy installations, making us unique in the Zoo World, so far as we can tell. But as developments continue,...[more]
Happy New Year
01/01/2016
Seasons Greetings to everyone. A very busy Christmas holiday has degenerated into a wet and miserable start to the new year. Lets hope the rain gives us all a break very soon! - as we have many new ...[more]
Wind Turbine Milestone...
23/12/2015
Early December 2015 saw the third anniversary of the installation of our two Endurance Wind Turbines at Hamerton Zoo Park, and the hitting (and passing!) of a notable target. In these three years our...[more]
Seasons Greetings ...
18/12/2015
2015 has been the busiest year since the Park opened; and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our visitors and friends for your continued support. We hope that 2016 proves even better...[more]
Changes, afoot..
14/11/2015
Work is now well underway on the enclosure for our recently arrived pair of Malaysian Tigers. Their outdoor landscaped paddock will cover 3000 square meters, and include a pool and rock-face with wat...[more]
Winter Opening Hours
25/10/2015
Please note that as from Sunday 25th October the Park closes at 4pm, for the winter season. Third-party web-sites, including Google may have the wrong data - but we have no way of influencing this mi...[more]
Malaysian Tigers arrive
29/09/2015
Two years of planning with the help of colleagues in Germany, the Czech Republic and Malaysia has culminated today in the arrival of a pair of Malaysian Tigers at Hamerton Zoo Park. 'Cicip' the male ...[more]
Record Numbers...
27/09/2015
Despite very mixed weather and lots of rain during the second half of August (and yet another totally wet bank-holiday Monday!), the month proved by far the busiest August since the Park opened in 199...[more]
Anglian Water
25/09/2015
Anglian Water are installing a main sewer for Hamerton village, bringing it 5 miles across country from Alconbury/Upton to serve just a few private houses, at a cost of £1,500,000 of public money. ...[more]
Smoking Ban Extended
16/09/2015
Hamerton Zoo Park has always been a No-Smoking site. For the safety and comfort of our visitors and our animals smoking has never been allowed on the Parks grounds. This condition of entry pre-dates t...[more]
Loutish, anti-social Behaviour..
06/09/2015
Today for the first time in many years we had to eject visitors for bad behaviour. Two youths and two girls had been reported tormenting animals, climbing fences and generally upsetting other visitor...[more]
Endangered Species Week
23/08/2015
Endangered Species Week is being celebrated from 24th to 30th August. Events will include face-painting, raffles, children's quizzes, and daily keeper-talks. Details will be posted at the Park en...[more]
A Zoo, NOT A Circus..
22/08/2015
A visitor has today asked that we confirm exactly what a modern Zoo is, here on the web-site. At Hamerton we present a wide variety of fantastic animals. They can be found on our 'Gallery' page, whe...[more]
Blackmail by TripAdvisor
09/08/2015
Please be careful! Today our shop staff and volunteers had to endure a torrent of aggressive verbal abuse because they would not allow free entry to a man who demanded to be admitted free of char...[more]
Owl Awareness Day
01/08/2015
Tuesday 4th August is 'International Owl Awareness Day'. Information boards will be up on site, and there will be the chance to meet Twizzle our tame White-faced Scops Owl at our keeper-talks at 2pm....[more]
Golbal Tiger Day
31/07/2015
Global Tiger Day was celebrated on 29th July, for the third year at Hamerton Zoo Park - despite ITV telling everyone on their morning programme that London Zoo was the only zoo celebrating it! - and a...[more]
Global Tiger Day
20/07/2015
Wednesday the 29th July is Global Tiger Day!!! Join us and help to raise funds for 21st Century Tiger, who help to protect our wild tiger populations. There will be a cake stall, keeper talks, a raf...[more]
Wildlife Galore
01/07/2015
The Park is a haven for not only the fantastic exotic animals to be found here, but for native wildlife too. The open rolling farmland in which the Park is situated, is given over to large open agric...[more]
Interested in working as a volunteer?
26/06/2015
We are looking for individuals with outgoing personalities, who can engage with our visitors throughout the busy summer months,give talks to groups of visitors at the animal enclosures,answer question...[more]
World Binturong Day
05/05/2015
Join us this Saturday 9th May for the very first World Binturong Day! There will be talks and information boards, and face painting if the weather is good! Hope you can join us!!![more]
Its Zoo Lovers Day!!
08/04/2015
Happy National Zoo Lovers Day everyone! Join us today and leave your comments on our Zoo Love post-it note board situated in the tiger tunnel. Make sure you leave your name on the comments as we will...[more]
Easter 2015
31/03/2015
Join us for our popular Easter Scavenger Hunt running from Friday 3rd April to Monday 6th April. Prizes are drawn each day, and include chocolate eggs, family passes and cuddly toys. All children rece...[more]
New Opening Times
30/03/2015
IMPORTANT NOTICE Due to popular demand new opening times are being introduced from Good Friday, 3rd April 2015. The Park will now open at 10am and close at 5.30pm, with last entries at 5pm. Please ...[more]
Record Numbers
10/03/2015
February half-term has been very busy, with daily visitor numbers higher than we would normally have during the summer holidays. Spring sunshine and drying winds, means that the wet winter is just a ...[more]
Temperamental Telephones
21/01/2015
BT have checked and renewed part of our incoming phone lines, which has led to a big improvement in our broadband speed, but the telephone line is still rather hit-and-miss. At the moment e-mail is t...[more]
Opening Times over Christmas
22/12/2014
The Zoo will be closed Christmas Day and Boxing day this year, and we are open our normal winter times 10.30am - 4.00pm (last entry at 3.00pm), on all the other days over the Christmas period. We wou...[more]
* Cheetah Contact Sessions, sold out! *
05/11/2014
Our Cheetah Contact Sessions have sold out due to high demand! We currently have a waiting list for 2015 which is already looking very full. We still have availability for the 'Meet the Tigers' conta...[more]
Vulture Awareness Day Saturday 6th Sep!
05/09/2014
Come and join us tomorrow for International Vulture Awareness Day. We have lots going on at the park including face painting, activity sheets, and Zoo Keeper talks throughout the day. Come and help us...[more]
**Baby Boom!**
29/08/2014
We have had a baby boom here at the park! In the last month we have had Lemur twin babies, Serval cubs, Goeldi baby monkey, Raccoons, Meerkats and last but not at all least our first ever Zebra foal b...[more]
Road Works & Surface Dressing
16/08/2014
'Cambridgeshire Highways' are surfacing dressing some of the roads near to the Park. We had no warning of this happening so could not comment in any way. So far the works have not caused any delays ...[more]
**Primate Week 18th - 24th August**
15/08/2014
Join us 18th - 24th August for Primate Week!! There will be keeper talks, at 1pm - 1.45pm each day. A raffle with a top prize of a Lemur Contact, enrichment displays, scavenger hunt and face painting ...[more]
Raffle for an ACS with Lady & Blizzard!
04/08/2014
A massive THANK YOU to everybody who came to our Tiger day! It was a brilliant day and we have raised £665 so far for 21st Century Tiger! The raffle is on going until Sunday 17th August, so if yo...[more]
New Children's Road Train
30/07/2014
Also new for summer 2014 is our 'Land-of-the-Tiger - Express Railroad' a children's train which will run from the donkey stables down to the new tiger enclosures. The train is the first Bella-Tori tr...[more]
Major Investment
26/07/2014
In the last 12 months we have seen the new extension to the Park, the upgrading of our play areas, the addition of hundreds of meters of new tarmac paths and road-ways, new classroom (the 'Explorer's ...[more]
New Extension
25/07/2014
The first phase of our new extension opened at the start of July. 'World-of-the-Tiger' sees our brand new tiger house open providing indoor viewing for the new pair of White Tigers 'Mohan' and 'Shiva...[more]
**Sir David Attenborough**
23/07/2014
We hope you were one of our lucky visitors who saw Sir David Attenborough filming with our cheetah 'Ares' yesterday. He was filming a documentary which will be shown on Sky Eden or Watch in spring 201...[more]
***Global Tiger Day****
02/07/2014
Our next event is Global Tiger Day on 29th July 2014! Join us for tiger talks, enrichment displays and 'meat the tiger'! More details to come throughout the month![more]
*Competition Time - Meet a Donkey!*
30/04/2014
To celebrate our new arrival of a Miniature Mediterranean Donkey foal, we are holding a competition to meet one of our lovely donkeys. You will win a free day pass to our Zoo, and some time behind the...[more]
**Easter Scavenger Hunt**
16/04/2014
Every day from Friday 18th April until Monday 21st April we will have a FREE Easter Scavenger hunt. Lots of prizes to be won including Chocolate Eggs and Family Passes. Come and join us for a fun fami...[more]
***Happy Birthday Blizzard***
15/04/2014
A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Blizzard (our white tiger) who reaches the grand old age of 14 today!! Make sure to stop by his enclosure and wish him all the best![more]
Easter Holidays - Play Area Open!
10/04/2014
What a beautiful start to the day! I'm pleased to say Mohan and Shiva are back out in their paddock this morning, and the Stroll a Safari is open again! The feed machines won't be available though unt...[more]
***Please Beware if you plan to visit***
07/04/2014
There will be some disruption through the car park and at the tiger tunnel/stroll a safari for the next 3 days. Large lorries and machinery will be around to tarmac our new paths from the donkey stabl...[more]
Play Area Open Again
04/04/2014
Good weather over the last couple of weeks has allowed us to get the play-area opened earlier than we expected. Instead of Easter as we hoped, it is now open again in time for the Easter holidays. N...[more]
Competition Time
01/04/2014
Would you like to meet our new white tigers, Mohan & Shiva, feed them a piece of meat, and chat to our Zoo Keeper? well you and a guest could win this amazing prize just by simply entering our competi...[more]
Mothers Day
26/03/2014
Just a reminder that you can download a voucher for Mums and Grandmothers for this Mothering Sunday, entitling them to get in for £6.50 (£3 off the usual price). Just go on our Twitter or Facebook s...[more]
Mothering Sunday
13/03/2014
We have a new offer for Mothers and Grandmothers on Mothers Day 30th March 2014. If you go on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/hamertonzoopark) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/hamertonzoo) you will be able ...[more]
Play Area Still Closed
04/03/2014
It has been a very wet couple of months meaning unfortunately the Play Area is still closed. This is to our advantage so we can update it and extend it. We will do this by putting down a new Safety S...[more]
Wet, Wet, Wet
31/01/2014
January is now officially the wettest in recorded memory in England. Our part of Cambridgeshire has not been as badly hit as many, but the rain has been relentless. We are lucky that most of the Par...[more]
Keeper-for-a-Day
24/01/2014
Part of the new development includes a new education unit and new animal kitchens. Christine Bristow will be taking over as new our education officer and will liaise with schools and other groups, an...[more]
Play Area Closed Temporarily
11/01/2014
Due to the very wet weather and development our Play Area is closed temporarily for the next few weeks until Easter 2014. Additional play equipment is being installed along with new safety surfacing.[more]
New arrivals, new plans
11/01/2014
Winter 2013 to 14 has been, and continues to be very busy, despite the wet weather. A major new extension to the Park will open for the main 2014 season, with important new animals and other attracti...[more]
The Day After the Storm
28/10/2013
The weather in England has been very much the main news in the last day or two. It is fortunate that our part of the country seems to be spared the worst excesses of the weather, and many times when ...[more]
Wind Turbine news
15/10/2013
The new Endurance Wind Turbines have been installed now for almost a year. Despite an abnormally calm season, they are performing very well and have generated enough power for almost 100 average hous...[more]
'Global Tiger Day'
20/07/2013
Celebrated on 29th July each year, 'Global Tiger Day' aims to raise awareness of the plight of the Tiger and the need for its conservation. Hamerton Zoo Park is taking part in the campaign for the fi...[more]
Wind Turbine Installation
27/11/2012
Check on the 'Conservation' section for a series of photos showing the installation of our new Endurance Wind Turbines.[more]
Turbine Installation Finished
25/11/2012
Hallmark Green Power have completed the installation of our 2 new Endurance Wind Turbines during the week of 19th to 23rd November. A little disruption inevitably with road works due to cable laying ...[more]
New Cheetah litter
04/11/2012
Female Cheetah 'Talli' herself born at Hamerton Zoo Park, has a litter of six cubs. A short piece of video taken from her keepers mobile phone can be seen on 'Facebook' and is posted on 'YouTube'. T...[more]
Europe's Greenest Zoo?
18/10/2012
Following the successful installation of our two Gaia Wind turbines early in 2011, these machines produced 65,000 kwa of electricity during their first year - considerably more than expected. They ge...[more]
Donkeys on the move
18/07/2012
Our Poitou and American Mammoth jennies, along with two new foals born earlier in 2012, have been moved to grass fields we rent in Hamerton village, just half a mile south of the Park. This rotation ...[more]
Zebra Paddock Completed
17/07/2012
The cold wet spring of 2012 has held up a lot of building work at the Park, but we are progressing now. A break in the weather has allowed the 2 acre Zebra paddock to be finished along with alteratio...[more]
Baby Tayra
01/06/2012
A new development is underway for small carnivores, to include Oncilla and Rusty-spotted Cats, and a pair of Tayra. This was due to open during 2012, but work has been delayed due to the birth of a b...[more]
Zebras Arrive
18/07/2011
Work has almost completed on the doubling of the stable block by the overflow car-parks, plus extra fencing to house our new herd of Zebras. The paddock will form part of a new extension which runs u...[more]
New Developments Get Started
16/01/2011
Now we are into the New Year and the really cold temperatures of Christmas time have abated and it is now wet and mild. 14 degrees centigrade must be something of a record for January! Work is now u...[more]
Happy New Year
01/01/2011
Wishing all our supporters and friends a Happy New Year for 2011. Lots of developments are planned along with a few changes to the web-site. A new promotional offer of 10% OFF your entry tickets is ...[more]
Merry Christmas to all
24/12/2010
Winter is here, and there is lots of news about snow and frost; most seems to be 'spun' to make the stories more dramatic. Luckily this part of Cambridgeshire is pretty well placed and seems to avoid...[more]
New Bird Additions
02/10/2010
Autumn is the time of year when young birds hatched during the summer move to new areas. Residents often disperse gradually, and migratory species perform spectacular migrations sometimes in huge flo...[more]
Not 'Coals to Newcastle', but 'BdP to France'
28/09/2010
We are delighted that our young male Poitou Donkey, 'Vagabond d'Hamerton' is soon to head to France to join the consevation programme for this endangered animal. The French breed association, la SABA...[more]
Planning permission granted for Wind Turbines
24/08/2010
We have just received news that our recent planning application to erect a pair of wind-turbines has been approved by Huntingdonshire District Council. These will be installed in the field to the nor...[more]
Animal-Contact-Scheme
02/03/2010
Get up-close and personal with one of our hundreds of animals. This new scheme helps fund some of our vital conservation work, and a link can be found on the main 'Home' page.[more]
Helping the Poitou Donkey.
10/06/2009
Our Poitou Donkey project got of to a shaky start a few years ago, but a major milestone has just been reached with the import of a stallion (or 'Etalon' in French) from a leading breeder in France. ...[more]