Shepreth Wildlife Park

A family-run wildlife park in rural Shepreth geared towards conservation and education.

Shepreth Wildlife Park is one of East Anglia’s most popular attractions. Although classified as a small zoo, it’s home to over 100 different species, as well as being the site of Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital.

But it’s not just a zoo. Staff at Shepreth Wildlife Park have to date raised over £160,000 for animal welfare and research charities, and is among about a quarter of Britain’s licensed zoos that are members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), which have higher welfare, conservation and education targets.

The park has a calendar of events to keep up to date with, and every day is a full programme of talks, feedings and displays by the park’s specialists.

You may not expect to see such a collection of the world’s largest predators in rural Shepreth, but tigers, lynx, mountain lion, and maned wolves are all perfectly happy in the South Cambridgeshire sun.

For those who want to get more up-close and personal there are selection of experiences on offer, including a trip to lemur island, otter training and the chance to get friendly with the meerkats.

There are also birds of prey, the bug experience, nocturnal house and discovery centre, making Shepreth Wildlife Park a full day out for the family.

It all started as a wild animal sanctuary in 1979, when founders Terry and Gill Willers made their first rescue, a jackdaw that they named Jack. They opened the park to the public in 1984, and their daughter, Rebecca Willers, is now director of the park and chair of Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity. She has this year become chair or BIAZA.

More information can be found on the website.