Going back over 50 years to the early 1960's you would have found a very different Zoo located on the current site of Paradise Wildlife Park

Broxbourne Zoo, as it was then known, was privately owned by Cyril Stamp up to the mid 70s and then Peter Phipps to 1984. Unfortunately a day out at Broxbourne Zoo was remembered for very different reasons to those attributed to a day out at Paradise Wildlife Park. The zoo was notorious for poor animal facilities and by the early 1980s was widely regarded and documented as the worst zoo in Britain. Thankfully, the Sampson Family saw through the terrible reputation of Broxbourne Zoo when they purchased the site on the 1st April 1984. They could see the potential of the area for creating a Zoo the country could be proud of, with conservation and preservation of both rare and endangered animal species at its heart. With the Sampson's drive and passion for wildlife, the unbelievable transformation had begun.

The Sampsons faced many challenges after securing the purchase, not least of which was complying with the The Zoo Licensing Act 1981.  This document aimed to raise the level of conditions and standards in wild animal husbandry and visitor facilities at zoos across UK. After acquiring Broxbourne Zoo the Sampsons were faced with the reality that they had little to no hope of raising the necessary funds to meet the criteria and achieve the granting of a zoo licence. The local media were very sceptical about the takeover some even questioning the sanity of the Sampsons; considering how much work needed to be done.

What the media failed to take into consideration though was the Sampson's determination to make the site a phenomenal success. Following an initial visit by Government inspectors it was agreed that the best way forward, for the site to achieve the conditions for a zoo licence, was to cease operation while urgent work took place. The site closed on Christmas Day 1984.

The first stages of the Zoos renovation and transformation involved removing many of the old buildings, animal cages and fencing. Improvements were made to the infrastructure, water supply, gas pipes and electricity supply. This progress was quickly followed by the re-housing of Bobby the lion, converting the old café into what we now call Safari Sam's and the provision of an animal food preparation room, vets room and staff room.

The work the Sampsons had put into the Park finally paid off in July 1985 when East Herts District Council granted a zoo licence. Subsequently the official re-opening of the site under the new name ‘Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo' took place in Easter 1986.

The Sampson family's work did not stop here though, to achieve their dream of turning their Zoo into a widely acclaimed wildlife park at the forefront of species conservation still needed more to be done. Their hard work and investment to improve the animal enclosures and public facilities, and their drive to enhance the public perception of Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo continued throughout the 1980s. The second stage of development included building new animal paddocks, improving the pathways and increasing tree planting around the site.

The Sampson Family demonstrated their commitment to the project by selling their ‘Sampson Coaches and Buses' company in 1989 and ‘MOT testing centre and garage' in 1990 to allow them to concentrate solely on the management and finance of Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo.

Changing times

It was the 1990s when the Sampson Family dream really started to take shape. The changing of the sites name to ‘Paradise Wildlife Park' signalled a new beginning of an increasingly brighter future for the site. This decade was vital to the development of the Park in all aspects; with the introduction of more spacious open enclosures, perhaps the most significant of which was the unveiling of ‘Tiger Lodge' a new purpose built enclosure for Bengal & Siberian tigers in 1994; and positive changes such as the move towards many ‘hands on' activities with the animals at the Park and an extensive on-site and off-site education programme. Three new themed adventure playgrounds were also introduced to make a day out at the site even more memorable for visiting families. All facilities at the site were given modern renovations, and changes were made to better accommodate and fulfil the needs of disabled people, with the happiness of the parks visitors of paramount importance. Unsurprisingly with each improvement visitor numbers to Paradise Wildlife Park soared.

It was during this time that Paradise Wildlife Park became ‘Hertfordshire's Number One' (purchase ticket) visitor tourist attraction.

Paradise Wildlife Park, like many animal attractions, was forced to close (for the first time ever) by the Foot and Mouth epidemic in the spring of 2001.

The new Millennium has witnessed a continuation in the improvements to Paradise Wildlife Park. New enclosures for Meerkats, Otters, Brazilian Tapir, Red Panda and European Wolves have been assembled. Major work has been done to create new sections; ‘Squirrel Monkey Island', ‘Wonders of the Rainforest', ‘Cheetah Retreat' and ‘Toucan House'. The ARC (Animal Resource Centre) is a fantastic new development which houses a veterinary and recovery room, animal food preparation areas, an animal records and research room, and impressive staff facilities. There has been extensive work completed on the paddock areas to improve drainage; much needed overflow car parking facilities have been added; improvements to the water supply, new electricity sub-station and back-up generator have all been new additions this decade. Paradise Wildlife Park have also introduced ‘The Special Place' a brand new play area adapted for use by children with disabilities.

In 2001 in keeping with their passion for wildlife conservation (Parkside Leisure, the parent company of) Paradise Wildlife Park purchased the site of the Big Cat Foundation in Kent. This was at that time a sanctuary operated by the Born Free Foundation. A new organisation was established by Paradise Wildlife Park called the Wildlife Heritage Foundation. During 2002 the Born Free Foundation and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation held a joint Dangerous Wild Animals Licence to operate the site. The site is now exclusively operated by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation (WHF), (registered charity number 1104420). The objective of WHF is to support conservation in-situ and ex-situ projects and to assist with endangered species breeding programmes. Paradise Wildlife Park financially supports WHF.

Recent work

The Park is always improving and recent years have been no exception:

There has been so much exciting news in the Big Cats section. A new Snow Leopard enclosure has been added which has been followed in 2009 by the arrival of the cutest baby Snow Leopard you will ever see. Tiger Lodge has also been renovated and renamed as ‘Big Cat Territory'; the work of which included the conversion of one side of tiger lodge to become a Jaguar enclosure. A major success has been the introduction of White Lions to the park, they are highly endangered with none currently left in the wild but this year at Paradise Wildlife Park there has been huge excitement as they have managed to rear two gorgeous baby White Lion Cubs. This highlights the parks real commitment to conserving rare species of wildlife. The addition of a White Tiger to the collection of Big Cats has been another amazing success.

A highly impressive new addition to our animal park is the Reptile House or ‘The Angkor Reptile Temple', with numerous different species of snakes, lizards, tortoises, arachnids and creepy crawlies- creating a massive hit with both children and parents alike.

Furthermore, The Rainforest building has been revamped and renamed as the ‘Wonders of the Rainforest' small mammals and small primates all at home in fantastic new enclosures.

If you are a fan of birds and flying displays you will love Paradise's brand new ‘Birds of Paradise Arena', all the bird aviaries have been brilliantly improved and new species are arriving all the time, so be sure to keep an eye out for any new additions.

Another major addition has been an enclosure for Humboldt Penguins! Since their introduction they have been a star attraction at the park, be sure to catch their feeding sessions throughout the day as they always promise to be fantastic entertainment for all the family.

They have also introduced Gibbons to the park and have a brand new fantastic enclosure for them. The Gibbons proved themselves to be incredibly popular with all guests, from their tuneful calls to their playful antics. Don't miss them on your next visit to the park!

Finally Paradise has a brand new collection of Lemurs, again equipped with awesome new enclosures. The park loves new additions and is always improving so whenever you come down there is always something new to do and see.

The shows are always changing with new animals and birds always desperate for their piece of the spotlight. The shows all have an important purpose to educate and entertain. Paradise believes it is vital that for endangered species to survive and to keep our wildlife preserved we all need to understand the delicate balance we ourselves have with nature. Be sure to check out which shows are available on your next visit!

The Sampson's have also invested in a new ‘On Safari Adventure Golf course', ‘Tiger Falls Gold Panning', ‘Children's craft area', ‘The National Speedway Museum', ‘Tumble Jungle' Indoor play area with a coffee bar serving freshly brewed Starbucks Coffee and the renovation of the Event Marquee with the creation of a ‘Secret Garden' and improved event arena.

The Park has recently opened the new Discovery Centre dedicated to the provision of education and corporate events. It is fully equipped with audio-visual, sound, plasma screens, three classrooms, flip charts, kitchens, boardrooms, meeting rooms and offices. It also has an induction loop in the classrooms and access for wheelchairs.

Paradise Wildlife Park is a profitable, professional organisation. It is our aim with continued investment and development for Paradise Wildlife Park to be the most successful and best Wildlife Park for education, conservation and preservation of wildlife, in Britain.

- So come along and Discover the Fun!