Paradise Wildlife Park
Encyclopedia
Paradise Wildlife Park is a family-run animal park located in Broxbourne
in Hertfordshire
, England. It was previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, but became Paradise Wildlife Park under the new management of the Sampson Family in 1986.
However in 1984, the Sampson Family purchased the site after seeing how poorly the animals were kept with the intention of re-housing the animals into larger enclosures which mimicked their natural habitat, making them as comfortable as possible. The zoo was closed down for two years to undergo this transformation, and re-opened as 'Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo', which was then shortened to Paradise Wildlife Park (PWP).
Since the Sampson family took over the Zoo, the team at PWP have continually researched, expanded and improved upon the animals' living conditions. Paradise Wildlife Park has developed a reputation through its conservation efforts, including The Wildlife Heritage Foundation (the sister site in Kent) which specialises in research and breeding
of endangered species
.
Breeding at Paradise Wildlife Park has been successful, with the breeding of endangered species such as white lions, marmosets, tamarins, Burmese pythons and lovebirds. Many animals are bred as part of the EEP Breeding Programme.
Broxbourne
Broxbourne is a commuter town in the Broxbourne borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England with a population of 13,298 in 2001.It is located 17.1 miles north north-east of Charing Cross in London and about a mile north of Wormley and south of Hoddesdon...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England. It was previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, but became Paradise Wildlife Park under the new management of the Sampson Family in 1986.
History
The park was previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, which opened in the early 1960s. The animal enclosures were very small and uncomfortable, which led to Broxbourne Zoo being described as the worst zoo in Britain.However in 1984, the Sampson Family purchased the site after seeing how poorly the animals were kept with the intention of re-housing the animals into larger enclosures which mimicked their natural habitat, making them as comfortable as possible. The zoo was closed down for two years to undergo this transformation, and re-opened as 'Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo', which was then shortened to Paradise Wildlife Park (PWP).
Since the Sampson family took over the Zoo, the team at PWP have continually researched, expanded and improved upon the animals' living conditions. Paradise Wildlife Park has developed a reputation through its conservation efforts, including The Wildlife Heritage Foundation (the sister site in Kent) which specialises in research and breeding
Breeding in the wild
Breeding in the wild is the natural process of animal reproduction occurring in the natural habitat of a given species. This terminology is distinct from animal husbandry or breeding of species in captivity...
of endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Animals
Paradise Wildlife Park is home to over 400 animals, which include small mammals, paddock and farmyard animals, birds, primates, reptiles and big cats. They house Tigers, Tawny Lions, Jaguars, Snow Leopards, Ocelot, Lynx, Clouded Leopard, African Leopard and the rare White Lions.Breeding at Paradise Wildlife Park has been successful, with the breeding of endangered species such as white lions, marmosets, tamarins, Burmese pythons and lovebirds. Many animals are bred as part of the EEP Breeding Programme.