Lotherton Wildlife World

Lotherton’s zoo, Wildlife World, tells the story of the world’s natural heritage. It is a continued development of the original Bird Garden which has been a part of the estate since the 1980s.

Meet playful Humboldt penguins as they splash about in their pool. See flamingos in their habitat and say hello to the resident tapir and capybara.

We invite you to get to know the animals, how they live and what we can do to protect their future.

Wildlife World is located within the grounds of Lotherton. Our opening hours are 10am-5pm from April to the end of October and 10am-4pm until March in line with daylight savings time.

Only assistance dogs are allowed in Wildlife World. You can find out more information about bringing your dog to Lotherton on our dedicated dogs at Lotherton page.

Three penguins

Penguins

Penguin Pool Upgrades

We are excited to share that we are currently undergoing significant upgrades to enhance the habitat of our penguins, by installing a new filtration system.

During this period, parts of our zoo might have restricted access as we prioritise the safety of both our visitors and animals. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we strive to create an even better environment for our animals.

We are committed to keeping you updated on our progress and look forward to welcoming you to experience our upgraded penguin habitat in the near future. Thank you for you continued support and patience.

Thank you from the Lotherton Wildlife World Team.

About our penguins

Come along to see our colony of playful Humboldt penguins.

Originally from South America, these penguins make their home on sandy beaches and rocky coastlines and live for up to 25 years.

It is important to help conserve this species because their natural habitat is at risk of being destroyed through harvesting of guano, their nesting material, as fertiliser. Their food source is becoming smaller because of over-fishing in the area and climate change is also having a negative effect.

Our penguins all have very unique personalities, so pick a spot beside the pool to see them waddle, dive and fly through the water for their dinner!

Natural heritage, tales from travels

Lotherton Wildlife World tells the story of our natural heritage, while drawing on the travels of previous owners of the estate, the Gascoignes.

Separated into zones, visitors can learn about pollution, climate change and more in the Coastal Zone; while the Forest Zone tells you about different ecosystems and how they affect animals’ homes.

Wildlife World contributes to conservation initiatives by taking part in European breeding programmes and aims to raise awareness of endangered animals and plant species through an exciting learning and events programme.

Constantly evolving

Two Goeldis monkeys at Wildlife World

As Wildlife World continues to develop over the coming years visitors will see enclosures transformed to enable and encourage more natural behaviour in the birds.

Other animal species will be introduced to provide informative displays that help to tell global conservation stories.

The latest additions to Wildlife World include Goeldi’s monkeys and cotton top tamarins.

Learn with Wildlife World

If you would like information about booking an exciting school visit to Wildlife World, please visit our Learn page.

Wildlife World Shop

Wildlife World Shop has a huge range of animal themed toys, gifts, souvenirs and more.

From cuddly toys to books about the natural world, and outdoor toys to postcards, the shop is perfect for browsing. Pick up a gift for a loved one or a memento of your day out. The shop also sells a selection of drinks and ice creams.

Lotherton Wildlife World shop with animal themed items on shelves and boxes