Dudley Zoo & Castle

Dudley Zoo and Castle held its first 'Festival of Change', a two-day community event bringing together twenty local organisations to inspire visitors to make positive changes for wildlife. The festival featured talks, demonstrations, and hands-on activities such as bird box building and seed ball making, with over 400 free tickets distributed to local people including nominated 'Wildlife Champions'.

Dudley Zoo and Castle welcomed more than 27,500 visitors over the two-week Easter holiday period, with over 11,000 visiting during the sunny second week (April 6–9). The strong attendance was driven by warm weather and popular attractions including young orangutans Jim and Joe, the restored chairlift, daily bird of prey shows, and a new castle-themed playground.

A zoo in the West Midlands is hosting a summer 'Festival of Change' to celebrate community members making a difference to local wildlife. The public can nominate wildlife champions until 30th April, with the top 50 receiving free tickets and the top 10 featured in an exhibition across the zoo site.

Flamingos have returned to their outdoor Flamingo Falls habitat following emergency repairs funded by visitor donations after Storm Goretti caused significant damage in January. The zoo is continuing restoration work to weatherproof the enclosure while birds now have daytime outdoor access.

Dudley Zoo and Castle will host a two-day Festival of Change on 5–6 June 2026, funded by the Richardson Brothers Foundation to inspire visitors to support local wildlife. The event will feature workshops and hands-on activities including bird box building, bat box making, bee hotels, and seed ball crafting, with reduced admission available for community groups.

Dudley Zoo and Castle is hosting an Easter-themed educational event from March 28 to April 12 focused on wetland habitats and conservation. Visitors can follow a wetlands species egg trail, participate in games at the Discovery Centre, and learn how to create wetland habitats at home while exploring the 40-acre site.

Drayton Zoo has partnered with Widgit Software to install symbol-based communication boards at the zoo, supporting non-verbal and semi-verbal visitors. The zoo has been officially recognised as a Symbol-Friendly organisation and features in Widgit's first official advertisement.

Dudley Zoo's popular 'Coffee, Cake and Castle Hill' free coffee morning returns on Thursday 26 February, running fortnightly from 10:30am–12:30pm in the Tecton Room. The event, originally supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will now continue as a regular zoo initiative featuring hot drinks, cake, biscuits, and updates from zoo staff on conservation work.

The zoo has committed to the EAZA Wetlands for Life Campaign to support wetland conservation over the next two years, marking World Wetlands Day. Fundraising and awareness events will be announced in the coming months via social media.

The zoo's castle moat ponds have undergone restoration work with support from The Environment Agency, clearing leaflitter, silt, debris and plant matter. Further clearing and replanting is planned in the coming months to benefit great crested newts and other native wetland species.

Waldrons Solicitors will offer free will writing services from 9–13 February, with donations supporting Dudley Zoo's conservation work. The firm previously raised £2,725 through this initiative and has limited appointments available at three locations.

Dudley Zoo's Flamingo Falls habitat has been largely destroyed by Storm Goretti, with rebuild costs estimated at over £75,000. All 21 Chilean and American flamingos and red-breasted geese are safe in indoor areas, but the zoo is launching a fundraising appeal to restore the outdoor enclosure.

A new pondless waterfall has been built in the sloth enclosure, providing running water that benefits the resident Linnés two-toed sloths, white-faced saki monkeys, and Azara's agoutis. The waterfall was constructed by volunteer team DJS Waterscapes and Landscaping and addresses the documented preference of sloths for drinking from running water.

Dudley Zoo and Castle has been awarded the 'Best Told Story' accolade at the 2025 VisitEngland Accolade Awards, recognising its outstanding commitment to storytelling and visitor engagement. The award follows a quality assurance assessment that praised the zoo's animal accommodation, interpretation, and variety of visitor experiences.

The zoo has begun hosting free coffee morning events featuring conservation talks, refreshments, and community engagement in the Tecton Room. Sessions run 10:30am–12:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday, with talks from zoo staff and external partners, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.