Northumberland Country Zoo Northumberland Country Zoo News
- Thread starter Quincey
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Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
Went here today as well as Kirkley Hall (Had I known it was Xmas fair day I wouldn't have gone).
Really nice place is Northumberland Zoo, and there's loads of space to build into. All the typical small zoo species, but some really well built exhibits. Viewing for the Lynx is not the best but they have a cracking exhibit and one of the best I've seen in any Zoo for Lynx.
Nice friendly staff as well.
Really nice place is Northumberland Zoo, and there's loads of space to build into. All the typical small zoo species, but some really well built exhibits. Viewing for the Lynx is not the best but they have a cracking exhibit and one of the best I've seen in any Zoo for Lynx.
Nice friendly staff as well.
This is my local zoo and I have seen it grow from a small kids farm park/petting zoo, to a lovely zoo with huge potential, growing every year.
I can see there isn't much activity for this zoo so wanted to add my own info, and let anyone reading this know that I am happy to provide info for future visitors!
Big cats- they have the three Canadian Lynx brothers from Hamerton, as mentioned above. They are now nearly three years old and thriving. They have just started doing lynx encounters which I did today, great fun.
They also have a breeding pair of Scottish wildcats from Aigas I believe, and a huge new enclosure being built at the top end which looks suspiciously fit for a large cat of the snow variety (amazing if true?!?)
They also have arctic fox, a selection of birds of prey, raccoons, capybara, emu, meerkat, farm animals (horses, pigs, goats, turkeys, ducks, peacocks, donkeys etc), deer, lemurs, reptile house, armadillo, porcupine, skunk, Asian otters, wallabies, and a selection of other birds. Among other things!!
Feel free to ask any questions about my little local zoo and I'll help best I can
I can see there isn't much activity for this zoo so wanted to add my own info, and let anyone reading this know that I am happy to provide info for future visitors!
Big cats- they have the three Canadian Lynx brothers from Hamerton, as mentioned above. They are now nearly three years old and thriving. They have just started doing lynx encounters which I did today, great fun.
They also have a breeding pair of Scottish wildcats from Aigas I believe, and a huge new enclosure being built at the top end which looks suspiciously fit for a large cat of the snow variety (amazing if true?!?)
They also have arctic fox, a selection of birds of prey, raccoons, capybara, emu, meerkat, farm animals (horses, pigs, goats, turkeys, ducks, peacocks, donkeys etc), deer, lemurs, reptile house, armadillo, porcupine, skunk, Asian otters, wallabies, and a selection of other birds. Among other things!!
Feel free to ask any questions about my little local zoo and I'll help best I can
Good to hear from a Zoochatter based in my neck of the woods
despite living quite close to this collection, I have yet to visit as I am reliant on public transport and the zoo is decidedly *not* safe to visit by this method!
Good to hear from a Zoochatter based in my neck of the woods
Hi there!!! Nice to meet you!
Thats a shame- that is unfortunately a large downfall to Northumberland Zoo, the lack of puclic transport access! Hopefully if it keeps growing there may one day be some better links set up. I assume you also mean unsafe due to the current global situation 
again a shame! I'm just glad they've survived what was hopefully the worst of the closures. I do hope you can manage to catch a lift there sometime, it's worth it
No, I mostly mean the fact that the only way of getting there by public transport entails walking half a mile along the A1 with no footpath, only a narrow grass verge, after getting off at an unmarked bus stop! I've risked a few walks along grass verges to get to zoological collections, but the A1 is a road I wouldn't attempt it on if I was being paid to do so
The nearby Kirkley Hall Zoo has a similar problem, unfortunately.
I do hope you can manage to catch a lift there sometime, it's worth it
Yeah, I imagine in the long run I will get there - which will only give the place time to expand and develop further.
Themonkeyguy1
Well-Known Member
Snow leopard siblings are arriving from Highland Wildlife Park in early November.
The 2 Snow Leopard cubs from Highland Wildlife Park will be arriving at Northumberland Zoo in early November 2020:
Northumberland Zoo
Northumberland Zoo
The Snow Leopard cubs have now arrived from HWP:
https://www.facebook.com/NorthumberlandZoo/photos/a.176307375753728/3801849299866166
https://www.facebook.com/NorthumberlandZoo/photos/a.176307375753728/3801849299866166
@ThomasNotTom Thanks for sharing.
It's great to see that "small zoos" build very good facility for captive management. The exhibit will not be the best of its kind but with two outdoor enclosures + one large indoor, it will fit well the animals.
I would love to see more exhibits in this way !
It's great to see that "small zoos" build very good facility for captive management. The exhibit will not be the best of its kind but with two outdoor enclosures + one large indoor, it will fit well the animals.
I would love to see more exhibits in this way !
Northumberland zoo have posted several updates on their YouTube channel in the past few weeks. They hope to reopen April 12th. Online booking to restart soon.
- New/extended meerkat enclosure with indoor viewing house added
- New series of bird of prey enclosures now almost completed opposite Arctic foxes and will be ready and stocked for reopening April 12th. These look great.
- Native species building work continuing, including sneak preview/update about the crayfish project
- The zoo also plans to have two bee hives in future, one on show and an off show hive for observation and research into honey production etc.
Can't wait to get back there upon reopening. Good luck to them! Things get bigger and better all the time.
- New/extended meerkat enclosure with indoor viewing house added
- New series of bird of prey enclosures now almost completed opposite Arctic foxes and will be ready and stocked for reopening April 12th. These look great.
- Native species building work continuing, including sneak preview/update about the crayfish project
- The zoo also plans to have two bee hives in future, one on show and an off show hive for observation and research into honey production etc.
Can't wait to get back there upon reopening. Good luck to them! Things get bigger and better all the time.
Visited the zoo for the first time today and really enjoyed my visit. A staff member told me that some black-tailed prairie dogs arrived at the zoo on Wednesday night, I wasn’t able to see them but I’ve uploaded some pictures of their enclosure to the gallery. I saw most other animals, including a Scottish wildcat which I was very pleased about. Two of the lynx were out and I saw both snow leopards at feeding time (about 4ish for anyone wondering). The new bird of prey aviaries were good and the show-building looks to be very well done. I saw 4 otters today although many people around me seemed to be expecting 5. Overall I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this small zoo and I will be visiting again.
Visited the zoo for the first time today and really enjoyed my visit. A staff member told me that some black-tailed prairie dogs arrived at the zoo on Wednesday night, I wasn’t able to see them but I’ve uploaded some pictures of their enclosure to the gallery. I saw most other animals, including a Scottish wildcat which I was very pleased about. Two of the lynx were out and I saw both snow leopards at feeding time (about 4ish for anyone wondering). The new bird of prey aviaries were good and the show-building looks to be very well done. I saw 4 otters today although many people around me seemed to be expecting 5. Overall I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this small zoo and I will be visiting again.
Very glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit - despite only living about 25-30 minutes away I have yet to get there myself due to my inability to drive!
That’s a shame, if you ever get the opportunity I’d very much recommend a visit.
When I’m next in the NE (summer), we’ll give you a ride up there - we’ll be in LowFell, GH.
A variety of Northumberland Country Zoo updates! (My local zoo, last visit: 2nd October 2021)
- All indoor areas now fully open (indoor viewing areas, hot house, twilight walkthrough), as well as new and existing keeper animal talks, and flying displays in the show building. The cafe and gift shop are fully open with indoor and outdoor seating areas.
- There has been a huge upgrade across the parks paths; the majority are now tarmacked and much wider/easier to walk on, and greater accessibility for prams/wheelchairs.
- Native British Species exhibit is now open, with a working bee hive on show and honey occasionally available in the shop. Also Harvest Mice, and White-clawed Crayfish breeding program with a view to repopulating British waterways.
- There is a small new section inside the hot house with snakes/tarantulas/scorpions/frogs/etc.
- Building works are ongoing for their large upcoming tropical walkthrough exhibit, as well as a large new area to relocate their capybaras (along with a new unannounced species as of yet)
- They announced via social media a few weeks ago that they expect a new cat species to arrive at the zoo in the near future but no specifics just yet.
- Alpacas out of quarantine and on show.
- A lovely large zoo map is now present just inside the zoo outside the Prairie Dog exhibit.
And probably more I've forgotten! Highly recommend a new visit for anyone not been in a while
- All indoor areas now fully open (indoor viewing areas, hot house, twilight walkthrough), as well as new and existing keeper animal talks, and flying displays in the show building. The cafe and gift shop are fully open with indoor and outdoor seating areas.
- There has been a huge upgrade across the parks paths; the majority are now tarmacked and much wider/easier to walk on, and greater accessibility for prams/wheelchairs.
- Native British Species exhibit is now open, with a working bee hive on show and honey occasionally available in the shop. Also Harvest Mice, and White-clawed Crayfish breeding program with a view to repopulating British waterways.
- There is a small new section inside the hot house with snakes/tarantulas/scorpions/frogs/etc.
- Building works are ongoing for their large upcoming tropical walkthrough exhibit, as well as a large new area to relocate their capybaras (along with a new unannounced species as of yet)
- They announced via social media a few weeks ago that they expect a new cat species to arrive at the zoo in the near future but no specifics just yet.
- Alpacas out of quarantine and on show.
- A lovely large zoo map is now present just inside the zoo outside the Prairie Dog exhibit.
And probably more I've forgotten! Highly recommend a new visit for anyone not been in a while
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It appears Hamerton have sent a serval to the zoo. Another nice cat species for the collection.
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