This year, the park welcomed four greater bamboo lemur babies, making them the only zoo in the UK to breed the “critically endangered” species.
This accomplishment makes the park home to the largest breeding group of greater bamboo lemurs in the world, with a total of 13 individuals.
Natalie Horner, section head of primates, small mammals, and birds, explained the significance of this achievement.
She said: “The Greater Bamboo Lemur is one of the most endangered species of Lemur, found only in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar.
“Classified as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, today the global population is estimated between 1,200-1,500 individuals.”
The park also saw successful breeding across other species, including the great grey owls, Humboldt penguins, and yellow mongooses.
For the first time, the great grey owls produced a brood of four chicks after several failed attempts to nest.
Bird keepers Dom and Lucy said: “It’s been a very rewarding experience for us as keepers and has brought us a lot of joy.”
The Humboldt penguins had their most successful breeding season in a decade, with four chicks added to the colony.
One of the chicks, Pippin, formed a special bond with bird keeper Laura.
Laura said: “Pippin is thriving and loves playing with the other youngsters in the water.
“She still follows me whenever I’m in the enclosure, especially when I’m cleaning the pool.
“She won’t leave my side.”
Last year, yellow mongoose pair Chip and Nutmeg had the only yellow mongoose twins born in a UK zoological collection in 2024.
This year, they have produced four pups.
As well as these new arrivals, visitors can also see the park’s other recent breeding successes.
These include Bactrian camel calf Tillie, a young black-and-white colobus monkey named Pili, and Parma wallaby joeys.
The park’s commitment to its various breeding programmes has resulted in over 523 births so far this year.
This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the keepers at Cotswold Wildlife Park and the park’s commitment to its ever-growing number of conservation programmes.
The park is home to more than 1,500 animals from 250 different species, making it one of the largest zoological collections in the UK.
Cotswold Wildlife Park is open from 10am every day except Christmas Day.
