Five Sisters Zoo

What Five Sisters Zoo does

Five Sisters Zoo is a privately held, family-run zoological visitor attraction established in 2005 and located in Gavieside, West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland — approximately 25 minutes west of Edinburgh. The site houses over 160 species, including Scotland's only Cheetah, rescued brown bears in a 2.5-acre woodland enclosure, an indoor Lost Kingdom reptile house, and other exhibits. The business operates as a walk-up attraction (no booking required for standard visits), generating the majority of revenue through day admission (adult £19.20, family £56.84), season passes (£100–£371), and more than ten ancillary streams.

The revenue model is diversified across transactional and recurring sources: paid animal experiences (Penguin, Bear, Lemur, Cheetah, Red Panda, Fossa, Capybara, plus full-day and half-day Keeper programs), birthday parties, a separate Leaping Lemurs indoor soft play area, group and school visits with curriculum-aligned workshops (Early Years through Higher Education), gift day passes, animal adoption packages, personalised plaques, donations, and corporate sponsorship tiers (£750 to £2,500). Special events include the Zoo Illuminations winter light festival in partnership with Blachere Illumination and a ticketed Santa's Grotto. The technology stack is minimal: there is no proprietary software, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; the only integration is a GDPR cookie consent platform.

Customer segments span families/walk-up visitors (primary), Scottish school groups (primary), higher-education students seeking placements, corporate partners, conservation supporters, and birthday party customers. The zoo is a member of BIAZA and holds conservation partnerships with Beaver Trust (including a beaver quarantine facility, expanded in 2022), SEED Madagascar, WAPCA, and Natuurhelpcentrum in Belgium for animal rescue. Recent additions include rescued animals from Ukraine (Yampil the Asiatic Black Bear in January 2024, lionesses Luna and Plusza in 2024). Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website, Facebook, Instagram, organic search, word of mouth, and direct email outreach to schools.

Name

Five Sisters Zoo

Legal name

The Five Sisters Zoo Park

Website

https://fivesisterszoo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Five Sisters Zoo is a family-run zoological visitor attraction in West Lothian, Scotland, founded in 2005, offering day admission, animal experiences, education programs, and special events across 160+ species for families, schools, and conservation supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Visitor Attraction / Wildlife Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Zoological visitor attraction
• Wildlife conservation park
• Animal encounter experiences
• Educational zoo programs
• Family leisure attraction

Headquarters

HQ city

West Calder

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Day Admission Tickets: Walk-up admission fees for adults, children, and concessions as the primary revenue driver
2. Season Passes: Annual membership passes offering unlimited visits throughout the year
3. Animal Experiences: Paid experiences including penguin, bear, lemur, cheetah, red panda, fossa, capybara encounters, and keeper for a day programs ranging from 20 minutes to full day
4. Gift Day Passes: Pre-purchased day passes sold as gifts, posted to recipients
5. Animal Adoptions: Adoption packages including certificate, cuddly toy, fact sheet, poster, and naming on adoption board for one year
6. Personalized Plaques: Animal and bench plaques with custom messages as tributes or commemorations
7. Corporate Sponsorship: Bronze (£750), Silver (£1,200), Gold (£1,800), and Platinum (£2,500) sponsorship tiers with plaque and family day passes
8. Donations: Direct donations including specific funds like Puma Enclosure Fund for Inca the puma
9. Soft Play Admission: Separate admission to Leaping Lemurs soft play area with age-based pricing
10. Special Events: Ticketed events including Zoo Illuminations with Blachere and Santa's Grotto
11. Birthday Parties: Zoo parties at £25 per child and soft play parties at £14.95 per child
12. Education Programs: School visits with workshop offerings for various age groups at discounted rates
13. Easy Fundraising: Online shopping donations through easyfundraising platform for Circus Lion Rescue Appeal Fund

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Five Sisters Zoo operates a family-run zoological visitor attraction in West Lothian, Scotland, featuring over 160 species including Scotland's only Cheetah, rescued brown bears in a 2.5-acre woodland enclosure, and a Lost Kingdom indoor reptile house. The core product is general day admission at the gate (no booking required), augmented by paid behind-the-scenes animal experiences, keeper programs, school education workshops, indoor soft play, seasonal events (Zoo Illuminations, Santa's Grotto), birthday parties, animal adoption and corporate sponsorship programs, and an on-site café and gift shop. Revenue is diversified across admission, experiences, retail, food, education, sponsorship and donations.

Product overview

Five Sisters Zoo is a family-run wildlife park in West Lothian, Scotland, offering a diversified portfolio of visitor experiences and services. The core offering centers on day admission featuring over 160 species including Scotland's only Cheetah and rescued brown bears. Adjacent to the zoo operates Leaping Lemurs Soft Play with an adjoining restaurant. The product suite includes paid animal experiences (Penguin, Bear, Lemur, Cheetah, Red Panda, Fossa, Capybara experiences; Full/Half Day Keeper programs) and photography experiences (Big Cat, Bear Photography). Education programs serve schools from Early Years through Higher Education with curriculum-aligned workshops. The online shop extends the offering with gift day passes, season passes, animal adoption packages, personalised plaques, and donation funds. Seasonal events include Zoo Illuminations (winter festival partnered with Blachere Illumination) and Birthday Parties. Supporting programs encompass corporate sponsorship, volunteer opportunities, work placements, and community outreach. All offerings support the zoo's wildlife conservation mission as a BIAZA member.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leaping Lemurs Soft Play: Indoor soft play area with animal-themed design for children, located within the zoo grounds.

Products and services

• Zoo Day Admission General admission day tickets giving access to over 160 species including Scotland's only Cheetah, rescued brown bears, and the Lost Kingdom indoor reptile house. Targeted at families, individual visitors, school and community groups visiting the West Lothian site.
• Animal Experiences (Keeper Encounters) Paid behind-the-scenes encounters including Penguin (~30 min, age 12+), Bear (20-30 min, ages 16+), Lemur (20 min, ages 10+), Cheetah (20-30 min), Red Panda (15-20 min, ages 16+), Fossa (20-30 min, ages 16+) and Capybara (~30 min, ages 8+) experiences, plus Half Day (6-15 yrs) and Full Day (16+) Zoo Keeper For a Day programs.
• Photography Experiences Small-group photography sessions including the Big Cat Photography Experience (~2 hrs, age 14+, visiting lions, snow leopard and cheetah) and the Bear Photography Experience (~1.5 hrs, age 14+), delivered by the carnivore team inside keeper areas.
• Leaping Lemurs Soft Play Multi-tier indoor soft play with baby, toddler and junior zones, animal-themed design, party rooms and adjacent restaurant; sold separately from zoo admission as its own priced attraction (£1-£6.20).
• School Education Programmes Curriculum-aligned workshops for Early Years, Primary (P1-P3, P4-P7), Secondary and Higher Education delivered on-site (and through outreach) covering Global Explorers, Animal Classification, Rainforests, Habitats and Adaptations, Conservation at the Zoo, Zoo Careers, and Beaver badge programmes, at discounted winter (£5.95/child) and summer (£7.95/child) rates.
• Zoo Birthday Parties Hosted birthday parties for children aged 6-15 at £25/child (10-25 children) including zoo admission, guided tour, exclusive animal encounter, use of private party room at the Brown Bear Café; plus soft-play-only parties at £14.95/child with play session, private party room and food box.
• Zoo Illuminations Ticketed winter light festival featuring illuminated pathways, festive displays, food outlets, children's rides, Santa's Grotto and Christmas market stalls, delivered in partnership with Blachere Illumination; timed online tickets required.
• Season Passes Annual season passes offering unlimited zoo visits throughout the year (excluding special events); sold as Adult Season Pass (£100) and Family Season Pass tiers ranging from 1 adult + 1 child (£143) up to 2 adults + 6 children (£371).
• Animal Adoption Symbolic adoption packages (from £70 for penguin) including adoption certificate, cuddly toy, fact sheet, poster and naming on the adoption board for a minimum of two years, supporting animal welfare and conservation.
• Corporate Sponsorship Annual corporate sponsorship tiers — Bronze £750, Silver £1,200, Gold £1,800, Platinum £2,500 — each including a plaque on the chosen enclosure for one year and complimentary family day passes, providing visibility, brand association and CSR benefits.
• Personalised Plaques (Animal and Bench) Custom message plaques available as bronze Bench Plaques (£60, up to 15 words) or Animal Plaques on selected enclosures (e.g. Lion, Bear), used as tributes or commemorations.
• Gift Day Passes Single-use gift admission tickets — Family £64.95, Adult £21.95, Child £16.50, Concession £19.95 — purchased online and posted to recipients for use as gifting.
• Santa's Grotto Ticketed Santa's Grotto during the Zoo Illuminations event where children meet Santa and receive a small gift, held in the car park outside the main zoo admission area.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WAPCA (West African Primate Conservation Action)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Since 2021, Five Sisters Zoo and WAPCA have partnered on the Friends for Wildlife Project, which connects schools in West Lothian, Scotland with schools in Western Ghana. Pupils collect and share camera trap images, create wildlife posters, and write letters introducing their local environment and conservation issues.
• Beaver TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Beaver Trust is a nature restoration charity established in September 2019. Five Sisters Zoo partnered with Beaver Trust and Derek Gow in 2019 to create a purpose-built beaver holding and quarantine facility. FSZ provides housing and care for Eurasian Beavers while they are health screened prior to release at official sites across Britain. A second holding facility opened in late 2022 to double efforts in this partnership.
• SEED MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, Five Sisters Zoo has worked with SEED Madagascar to promote their work in southern Madagascar and fundraise for Project Ala, which aims to increase and improve viable habitat for three nocturnal lemur species through corridor reforestation. FSZ has donated equipment for field work, sold Stitch products in their giftshop, and celebrates World Lemur Day with SEED.
• Natuurhelpcentrum (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuch of Five Sisters Zoo's animal rescue work has been alongside Natuurhelpcentrum in Belgium. The facility has helped with difficult rescue cases including brown bears (Carmen, Suzy, Peggy, Henk, Eso, Byara), lions (Boss, Skinny, Twin one, Twin two), and Yampil the Asiatic Black Bear rescued from Ukraine.
• Blachere IlluminationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlachere Illumination is one of the world's leading festive lighting specialists with over 50 years of experience. They partnered with Five Sisters Zoo to create the annual Zoo Illuminations event featuring sustainable LED lighting displays. Blachere is committed to reducing environmental impact through recyclable materials and eco-designed products.
• Team Building with BiteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Sisters Zoo partners with Team Building with Bite to offer corporate team building days where teams create animal enrichment and other items for zoo animal residents.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chester Zoo: The UK's largest and best-known zoo, operating a much broader portfolio of species, conservation programmes, and commercial offerings. Comparable in category (ticketed zoo with education and experiences) but materially larger and trust-operated.
• Whipsnade Zoo (ZSL): ZSL's large Bedfordshire zoo, a major UK zoo operator with similar ticketed access, animal experiences, education programmes, and conservation partnerships. Broader incumbent in the same product category.
• Animal Park (Longleat): Longleat's walk-through animal section combines ticketed wildlife attraction with seasonal events (e.g., the Festival of Light). Comparable in product layering (admission + experiences + events) though part of a much larger heritage estate.

Emerging players

• The Big Cat Sanctuary: Kent-based wildlife park focused on big cat conservation and exclusive experiences. Comparable niche positioning (cheetah/big cat experiences) and UK-based education outreach, but with limited public walk-up access.

Direct peers

• Knowsley Safari: UK safari/wildlife attraction combining drive-through safari with foot safari and events. Closely comparable mix of ticketed access, animal experiences, education, and seasonal events.
• Yorkshire Wildlife Park: Large UK regional wildlife park with walk-through animal reserves, experiences, and events. Comparable operating model: family-run origins, experience upsells, education programmes, and corporate events.
• Edinburgh Zoo (Royal Zoological Society of Scotland): Scotland's flagship zoo and the most direct competitor for central Scotland family visits, school trips, and memberships. Comparable in target market (Edinburgh catchment) and category (ticketed zoo), though materially larger.
• Highland Wildlife Park: Also operated by RZSS, this Scottish wildlife park offers drive-through and walk-through native and cold-climate species. Closely comparable as a regional Scottish wildlife attraction with similar family/education audience.
• Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park: Central Scotland safari park with drive-through and walk-through sections plus soft play and events. Competes directly with FSZ for the same Stirling/Edinburgh/Glasgow family day-trip audience.
• Dartmoor Zoo: Independently operated UK zoo of comparable size, founded by a family team, with similar mix of animal exhibits, education, and conservation messaging. Closely comparable as a smaller independent UK zoo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fivesisterszoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-sisters-zoo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Five Sisters Zoo