Linton Zoo: more than five decades of growing a world for wildlife

From a basic open field to a flourishing woodland setting, Linton Zoo Conservation Park invites generations to care more deeply about wildlife and the natural world.

10/30/20263 min read

• Since 1972

Five Decades of Wildlife Care

Since opening in 1972, Linton Zoo Conservation Park has spent more than five decades inspiring care for animals, their habitats and the wider natural world.

Wildlife through the seasons

The grounds are home to, and visited by, many British bird species, including rare species and migratory visitors. As the seasons change, so does the experience of moving through the zoo's planted landscape. It is an invitation to notice the wildlife close to home as well as the animals at the heart of the park.

Milestones from the historical record

Historical reports, not current news: The following examples describe births and hatchings reported in 2011, 2019 and 2021. They should not be read as announcements about animals currently at the zoo.

2011: A BBC report described 45 African spurred tortoises hatching after a 15-year breeding programme.

2019: Suffolk News reported the birth of a white-collared lemur infant. Its report stated that, at that point in time, 17 of the 19 white-collared lemurs then held in zoos worldwide had been born at Linton. That figure is a historical snapshot, not a current population count.

2019: Cambridgeshire Live reported that a hooded vulture chick had hatched.

2021: Cambridgeshire Live reported the birth of a healthy Brazilian tapir calf to Tiana and Thiago.

· "BBC report" → https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-16284011

· "Suffolk News" → https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/haverhill/news/critically-endangered-lemur-among-new-arrivals-at-zoo-9080168/

· "Cambridgeshire Live (vulture)" → https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/linton-zoo-pictures-newborn-animals-16783040

· "Cambridgeshire Live (tapir)" → https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/linton-zoo-welcomes-adorable-baby-217016

Cotton-top tamarins and breeding successes

Cotton-top tamarins are part of the wider story of breeding work associated with zoos and conservation parks. These small, critically endangered monkeys come from a small forested area of north-western Colombia.

In October 2024, Suffolk News and the Bishop's Stortford Independent reported the birth of cotton-top tamarin twins at Linton Zoo, a landmark moment adding to the conservation park's record of successful small primate breeding.

Safina Lion Conservation

Safina was a lioness born at Linton Zoo in 2005. Safina and her companion Zuri inspired keeper talks that raised awareness and funds for lion conservation. The zoo has also supported Safina Lion Conservation’s education work, including lion conservation talks and sharing educational leaflets with visitors. The charity supports projects protecting and monitoring wild lions and helping people coexist with them.