Record visitor numbers recorded at top Cotswolds visitor attraction
Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates its 53rd anniversary with record visitor numbers and shares rare never-seen-before archives on its social media.
On the eve of celebrating its 53rd anniversary, Cotswold Wildlife Park, one of the largest zoological collections in the UK, is delighted to announce the Park’s most successful year on record since opening to the public for the first time on Good Friday, 27 March 1970.
Commenting on the record visitor numbers, Reggie Heyworth, Managing Director of the Park, said:
“After the dreadful challenges of COVID in 2020 and 2021, the Cotswold Wildlife Park has had its best ever year for visitor numbers in 2022, totalling just under half a million visitors (including non-paying visitors under three years old) for the first time ever. It is such a relief, after all the uncertainty of the two previous COVID years, to know that in spite of all the problems we experienced, we are still being given such incredible support by our local population and all our visitors from further afield. I can't believe that we have had over 460,000 paying visitors in the last year, a 50% increase over the same figure just 10 years ago. I think my father would be amazed at the success of what he started over 50 years ago. Sadly, he died before our first rhino calf was born, 10 years ago now, and every year since we have had a rhino calf born here and they have been a big part of our recent success.”
Reggie added: “Having a great year is important to us because it enables us to support many wonderful projects through our conservation charity, such as our work with Greater Bamboo Lemurs in Madagascar and in the UK our work on the re-introduction of White Storks as part of the rewilding project at Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex. Closer to home, we've been able to share our good fortune by making sure that we give real support to those who need it most, and we are very proud of our association with the West Oxfordshire and Witney Food Bank, whose needs have never been greater.”
Below are just some of the archived images from Cotswold Wildlife Park.
Explore Gloucestershire
27 March 2023
John and Susan Heyworth
The first rhino delivered to the Park
George the Giant Tortoise is still alive today!
The famous Johnny Morris
Keepers with giant Anaconda
Girl with Rockhopper Penguin
The start of the walled garden being created
Keeper Martyn Williams combing camel
Reggie Heyworth
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