2025 is coming to an end, but what a brilliant year it has been!

As we look ahead to the New Year, we can’t help but reflect on what an amazing year it’s been. A year filled with incredible new enclosures, new species, exciting births, and the continuation of our vital conservation projects.

This year brought so much to celebrate at New Forest Wildlife Park. Let’s take a look back at just a few of our incredible highlights from the past year:

🌟 We celebrated the arrival of Bodie, the only wolverine in Hampshire! An immensely fierce and impressive mustelid that would once have lived here in the UK. Sadly, hunting and habitat loss led to their extinction in Britain approximately 8,000 years ago. Bodie supports our mission to champion native and European species through conservation and education.

🌟 We announced the arrival of two magnificent white-tailed sea eagles, Zephyr and Zoomer. This species has experienced a remarkable conservation comeback in the UK but currently holds Amber status under the Birds of Conservation Concern classification, meaning they still require ongoing conservation attention. Zephyr and Zoomer live with us as ambassadors for their species, helping to raise awareness and inspire support for these incredible birds.

🌟 We reintroduced more Eurasian harvest mice back into the wild from our breeding programme in collaboration with our project partners, Ealing Wildlife Group. This incredible project has now seen over 2,700 individuals of this threatened species released into restored habitats across West London.

🌟 We celebrated the birth of Banhea, our cheeky smooth-coated otter cub, continuing our commitment to the conservation of smooth-coated otters and helping to secure the future of this vulnerable species.

🌟 New owl arrivals flew in, including an impressive pair of great grey owls named Sage and Earl, while Chilli the snowy owl returned to keep her dad company.

🌟 We welcomed three stunning red deer stags to the park following a farewell to our previous herd. Our stag Maverick travelled all the way to Scotland to his new home, while the three magnificent newcomers settled in beautifully and continue to turn heads with their impressive antlers.

🌟 We announced the reopening of our Butterfly House after a five-year closure. This marked an exciting new chapter, with the space transformed into a tranquil green haven dedicated to British and European native species.

🌟 Following the Butterfly House reopening, we welcomed five European pond turtles. This species was once native to the UK around 5,500 years ago but became extinct due to climate change, hunting, and habitat loss. We’re proud to now support this species through education and conservation.

🌟 We wished one of our wildcats, Big Peat, a fond farewell as he joined our brilliant sister park as part of the breeding programme. We’re delighted to report he’s enjoying the company of their two females, Skye and Livvi. We work closely with Saving Wildcats, a charity successfully breeding and reintroducing Scottish wildcats, to help ensure this iconic species is preserved for generations to come.

🌟 We regularly hosted Woodland Trust fundraisers at the park. Memberships achieved here in 2025 are expected to generate over £92,664 in unrestricted funds, supporting the Woodland Trust’s fantastic work. We’re proud to support their vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature.

🌟 We supported our sister park’s Senior Keeper, Lizzy Humphries, on #ShareSavvy Saturday, helping to spread awareness of her important campaign. #ShareSavvy aims to educate the public on social media’s influence on animal welfare and the illegal wildlife trade, promoting a positive and responsible approach to online engagement.

🌟 Our incredible Keeper Team hosted over 500 guests on our popular Keeper Experiences, sharing their passion and knowledge with children and adults alike.

🌟 Four brand-new, custom-built enclosures were meticulously designed and constructed by our hardworking maintenance team.

🌟 We celebrated many exciting births across the park, including five boarlets, three red deer calves, and countless Eurasian harvest mouse babies.

🌟 And of course, we celebrated the arrival of three endangered giant otter cubs Junior, Tambo, and Fiúza. These cubs represent a vital contribution to the conservation of giant otters, a species classified as endangered in the wild and threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and illegal hunting. Every successful birth is truly worth celebrating.

Reflecting on this year’s successes, we know none of this would have been possible without you, our members, visitors, and supporters. Every visit helps support the care of our animals, the development of our park, and the vital conservation work we’re so passionate about. Your enthusiasm, kindness, and continued support inspire us every day and allow us to make a real difference for wildlife, now and for generations to come.

Thank you for being such an important part of our park. Here’s to an exciting year ahead, we know you’re going to love what’s coming!