The New Forest Wildlife Park

What The New Forest Wildlife Park does

The New Forest Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife park and conservation centre located in Ashurst, Hampshire, within the New Forest in southern England. Operated since 1998 by the Heap family (Roger and Carol Heap, with son Ed Heap as General Manager and daughter-in-law Dr Clare Heap as resident veterinary surgeon), the park houses over 260 animals from more than 30 species, including otters, wolves, lynx, wolverine, Scottish wildcats, European bison, and deer. The park holds the world's largest giant otter collection as confirmed by the ZIMS international database, plus the UK's only successful breeding pair of smooth-coated otters and Hampshire's only wolverine and European grey wolves. The park is a member of EAZA and BIAZA, manages European studbooks for Asian short-clawed otters and pine marten, and participates in the Saving Wildcats initiative and the IUCN Otter Specialist Group.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with multiple revenue streams: day admission tickets, annual memberships, tiered keeper experiences (Bronze £85/Silver £130/Gold £165 per person), annual animal adoption packages (£48.95-£53.95), photography experience days, deer feeding encounters, corporate away days, school visits, birthday parties, and on-site retail and cafe revenue. The core technology is a VisiSoft-powered online booking and ticketing platform, supplemented by organic social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo) and email marketing. The park receives no grants, government support, or outside finance, with gate receipts and public donations as the sole sources of income.

Name

The New Forest Wildlife Park

Legal name

New Forest Wildlife Park

Website

https://newforestwildlifepark.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Forest Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife park and conservation centre in Hampshire, UK, holding 260+ animals across 30+ species including the world's largest giant otter collection, serving day visitors, families, schools, and corporate groups through admission tickets, keeper experiences, animal adoptions, and on-site retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife park operations
• Animal conservation
• Zoological services
• Wildlife experiences
• Conservation breeding

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashurst

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Day Visit Tickets: Admission tickets for day visitors to the wildlife park. Open daily 10am-5:30pm. Ticket sales via online booking system and on-site box office.
2. Annual Memberships: Annual pass memberships offering unlimited visits with benefits including 10% discount on keeper experiences.
3. Keeper Experiences: Paid animal care experiences (Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers) ranging from 1-3 hours with animals including otters, deer, wallabies, owls, fox, bison, hedgehog, and pine marten.
4. Animal Adoptions: 1-year adoption packages for various animals including giant otters, Asian shortclaw otters, Eurasian otters, fallow deer, pine marten, Scottish wildcats, wallabies, barn owl, hedgehogs, harvest mice, and northern lynx. Includes certificate, fact sheet, soft toy, badge, pen, car sticker, newsletter, and complimentary admission ticket.
5. Gift Shop: On-site retail gift shop selling pocket money toys and wildlife-themed merchandise.
6. Forest Kitchen Cafe: On-site cafe catering to visitors with food and refreshments.
7. Photography Experience Days: Exclusive keeper-led photography sessions limited to 8 participants, offering close access to native species. Includes tea/coffee, full day admission, guided tour, and up-close encounters.
8. Corporate Away Days: Team building corporate events including private guided tours, conservation activities, animal encounters, and landscaping. Group sizes of 5-20 people.
9. Deer Feeding Encounters: Special intimate encounters for hand-feeding deer in woodland setting. £15 per person plus admission.
10. Birthday Parties: Wildlife-themed birthday party experiences for children.
11. Gift Vouchers: Vouchers available for admissions, keeper experiences, and other experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Family-owned wildlife park in Hampshire, UK operating as a visitor attraction featuring native and European wildlife, including rare species such as wolverines, wolves, lynx, and otters. The park offers day admissions, keeper experiences, animal adoptions, and educational visits with a focus on in-situ and ex-situ conservation, and is part of a network that also operates Battersea Park Children's Zoo.

Product overview

New Forest Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife park and conservation center in Hampshire offering visitors an immersive wildlife experience. The core product is day admission to the park where visitors encounter over 200 animals from over 30 species including wolves, otters, lynx, wolverine, Scottish wildcats, bison, deer, and wallabies. The park's experience portfolio consists of Keeper Experiences (Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers), Adopt an Animal programs, Birthday Parties, Photography Experience Days, Deer Feeding Encounters, and Corporate Away Days. Supporting amenities include Forest Kitchen Cafe, Gift Shop, Adventure Playgrounds, and Butterfly House. Educational offerings include School Visits and Group Visits. The park is part of The Chestnut Centre Partnership, alongside sister site Battersea Park Children's Zoo in South London. Conservation is central to the mission, with the park participating in European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs) and managing studbooks for Asian short-clawed otters and pine marten.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Battersea Park Children's Zoo: Sister park in South London, also owned by the Heap family and part of The Chestnut Centre Partnership

Products and services

• Day Admission Tickets
• Keeper Experiences (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Adopt an Animal
• Annual Membership
• Wildlife Birthday Parties
• Gift Vouchers
• Forest Kitchen Cafe
• Gift Shop
• School Visits
• Group Visits
• Corporate Away Days
• Photography Experience Days
• Deer Feeding Encounter
• Wolverine Experience

Quantifiable outcome

• World's largest giant otter collection - over half of UK's captive population of 21
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reserve d'Animaux Sauvages (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026European zoo that supplied a two-year-old female European grey wolf as part of coordinated wolf reintroduction to the park following EAZA EEP planning.
• Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix (France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026European zoo that supplied a one-year-old male European grey wolf as part of coordinated wolf reintroduction across three countries.
• Saving Wildcats InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Active partner in the Saving Wildcats initiative to conserve critically endangered Scottish wildcats. Park participates in European Studbook (EAZA EEP) for Scottish wildcats.
• British Wildlife CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Source of three male Scottish wildcats (Big Peat, Baxter, Blair) born in 2023 who joined New Forest Wildlife Park in early 2024.
• Highland Wildlife ParkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Source of Eurasian lynx sisters Tora and Inga who joined New Forest Wildlife Park in 2019. Also source of Scottish wildcats Beinne and Halum born there in 2020.
• Battersea Park Children's ZoocoreOthers · 1 January 2003Sister park in South London owned by The Chestnut Centre Partnership. Both parks are run by the Heap family (Carol, Roger, and Ed Heap). Battersea Park Children's Zoo offers a small, intimate animal experience complementing the New Forest park.
• The Chestnut Centre PartnershipcoreOthers · 1 January 1998Parent organization of New Forest Wildlife Park and Battersea Park Children's Zoo. Founded by Carol and Roger Heap, who have worked in wildlife conservation for most of their lives. The Chestnut Centre in Derbyshire has now closed and head office relocated to New Forest Wildlife Park.
• EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud affiliate participating in European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for conservation of giant otters, Scottish wildcats, and other endangered species. Coordinates captive breeding programs across European zoos.
• BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization. Careers information shared on BIAZA and ABWAK websites for those seeking animal care employment.
• IUCN Otter Specialist GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with IUCN Otter Specialist Group to protect otters in their natural habitats and support global conservation strategies.
• RSPCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks closely with RSPCA along with vets, police and other organizations to rescue injured and abandoned wild animals, particularly otters, owls, birds of prey and deer.
• Wildlife Rescue Alliance (Cambodia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonations provided to Nick Marx in Cambodia to support Wildlife Rescue Alliance work with endangered hairy-nosed otters.
• Hampshire's Top AttractionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of Hampshire's Top Attractions network promoting tourism in the county.
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with local wildlife trust supporting broader conservation efforts in the region.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Port Lympne Reserve: Kent-based wildlife reserve and conservation charity running a major Asian short-clawed otter breeding programme. Overlaps with NFWP's mustelid and otter conservation focus and competes for the same premium UK family wildlife experience segment.

Broad incumbents

• Flamingo Land: UK family attraction combining a zoo with theme park rides. Overlaps with NFWP's family-visit day-trip proposition and operates within the same broader UK family leisure market.
• Longleat Safari Park: Major UK safari and wildlife park with drive-through and walking components. Overlaps with NFWP's wildlife-encounter positioning but operates at substantially larger scale.
• Whipsnade Zoo: ZSL's large UK zoo, the source of wolverine Bodie for NFWP in 2025. Operates at far greater scale but shares NFWP's EAZA/BIAZA membership and participates in overlapping conservation breeding programmes.
• Marwell Zoo: Mid-sized regional zoo in Hampshire (Twyford) with conservation focus and EAZA membership. Direct geographic competitor for Hampshire family visits and overlapping animal collection philosophy.

Direct peers

• Highland Wildlife Park: Scottish wildlife park operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, focused on native Scottish and European species. NFWP has sourced lynx and Scottish wildcats from Highland Wildlife Park, evidencing direct operational and species-collection overlap.
• Battersea Park Children's Zoo: Sister park in South London owned by the same Heap family under The Chestnut Centre Partnership. It offers a smaller, intimate zoo experience with similar family-targeted positioning, sharing back-office operations and ticketing infrastructure.
• British Wildlife Centre: Independent Surrey-based wildlife park specializing in native British species. Source of Scottish wildcats for NFWP in 2024 and a comparable independent, family/charity-run model targeting the same family-visit market.
• Banham Zoo: Independent Norfolk-based zoo with a multi-species animal collection, family-targeted visitor experience, and EAZA/BIAZA membership. Comparable in scale and operating model to New Forest Wildlife Park.
• Africa Alive!: Suffolk-based wildlife park operated by the Zoological Society of East Anglia, focusing on African species with conservation and educational programming. Comparable size and family-visit mission to NFWP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/847293081
• Facebookfacebook.com/nfwildlifepark
• Instagraminstagram.com/nfwildlifepark
• TikToktiktok.com/@newforestwildlifepark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-forest-wildlife-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The New Forest Wildlife Park