Midlands
A conservation charity in the Midlands, home to the world's best collection of great apes.
Twycross Zoo is launching a brand-new Room on a Broom themed corn maze on 3 October 2026, featuring immersive visual and audio effects to celebrate the beloved children's book's 25th anniversary. The maze will run daily until 1 November 2026 and costs £5 per child, with proceeds supporting the zoo's conservation charity work.
Twycross Zoo is celebrating the launch of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's new picture book Gruffalo Granny on 10 September 2026 with free admission for one grandmother per child. The event features themed activities at The Gruffalo Discovery Land, a meet-and-greet with The Gruffalo character, and a special video reading by Julia Donaldson herself.
FeaturedA coppery titi monkey has been born at Twycross Zoo to mother Sirena, who was herself born at the zoo in 2010. The birth is particularly significant as it demonstrates the zoo's long-term commitment to primate welfare and breeding.
FeaturedTwycross Zoo has welcomed twin cotton-top tamarins, a Critically Endangered species with only around 2,000 individuals remaining in the wild. The birth marks a significant milestone in the zoo's ex-situ conservation programme to protect the species from extinction.
FeaturedThe arrival of the mother-and-son gorilla duo represents a key milestone in Twycross Zoo's contribution to the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme, which aims to create genetically viable populations of endangered species in zoo care as a safety net against wild extinction. The zoo has successfully bred 8 Western lowland gorillas since the 1960s and hopes this arrival will lead to future births.
FeaturedA female Western lowland gorilla aged 25 and her 4-year-old son have arrived at Twycross Zoo from Chessington World of Adventure as part of the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme. The female has been identified as a genetically suitable breeding match for the zoo's 33-year-old silverback male, while her son will provide companionship for the youngest member of the existing troop.
Twycross Zoo has officially launched a charity lottery offering players the chance to win up to £1,000 weekly, with tickets costing £2 per week. All proceeds support the zoo's conservation initiatives, including endangered species protection and development of its new Global Conservation Centre.
FeaturedTwycross Zoo has reintroduced 40 hazel dormice into Bradgate Park woodland in Leicestershire as part of PTES' national reintroduction programme, with the zoo caring for 20 of them through quarantine. This follows last year's successful release of 21 dormice, which have since bred and increased the population to 46 animals, demonstrating the viability of restoring this species that has declined by over 70% nationally since 2000.
FeaturedTwycross Zoo is receiving two new Sumatran tigers matched through the EAZA Ex-situ Programme, with hopes they will breed successfully to support conservation of this Critically Endangered species. The genetic matching and coordinated placement aims to create healthy, diverse populations within zoos to safeguard the species from extinction.
Sialang, a male Sumatran tiger, has relocated from Twycross Zoo to Edinburgh Zoo as part of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme to support conservation of this Critically Endangered species. The move was based on genetic recommendations to create a suitable breeding match with Edinburgh's female tiger Dharma.
Jahly, a female Sumatran tiger at Twycross Zoo, will soon depart for a new zoo in Europe as part of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme. The move is part of coordinated global conservation efforts to maintain genetically diverse populations of this Critically Endangered species, with fewer than 400 remaining in the wild.
Twycross Zoo is building a new £25 million Global Conservation Centre that will serve as the hub for global conservation work, cutting-edge scientific research, and education programmes. The facility will also function as a community space to inspire, train and facilitate the next generation of conservation leaders.
Twycross Zoo partnered with BBC's The One Show to celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday on 12 May 2026, with staff and members of Leicester's Ninth Scout Group planting 100 trees to mark each year of his life. The zoo also featured interviews with Chief Conservation Officer Dr Rebecca Biddle and Education Ranger Finn Holmes-Kellet discussing how Attenborough's work inspired their conservation careers.
Twycross Zoo has purchased an additional 14 hectares of land dedicated to nature restoration, increasing its existing reserve more than fourfold. The expansion will create vital habitats including woodland, wildflower meadows and wetlands as part of the zoo's commitment to protecting 30% of its land for nature by 2030.
FeaturedTwycross Zoo has purchased 14 hectares of additional land to expand its existing 4-hectare nature reserve more than fourfold, dedicating the space entirely to wildlife habitat rather than zoo development. The expansion will transform agricultural land into woodland, wildflower meadows, and wetland environments, supporting native species including harvest mice and rare butterflies, and helping the zoo exceed its 30 by 30 conservation target by 2030.
Twycross Zoo is developing a new £25 million Global Conservation Centre, representing the largest investment in the zoo's history, due to open in 2027. The centre will bring together scientists, students, and conservationists to address real-world challenges facing endangered species and biodiversity loss in the UK and globally.
Twycross Zoo planted 100 trees on its newly acquired reserve land on 22 April 2026 to mark Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday year, working alongside members of the ninth Leicester Scout and Cub Group—the same Scout group Attenborough belonged to as a child. The tree planting forms the foundation for future woodland habitat as part of the reserve's long-term restoration.
Twycross Zoo is launching The Gruffalo Discovery Land from 23–31 May 2026, featuring storytime readings, creative activities, Gruffalo Ranger Training, and character meet-and-greets. The experience is designed for families with young children and includes interactive woodland zones, a themed café, and a Gruffalo Picnic offering.
FeaturedTwycross Zoo has partnered with Everards Brewery to launch Hazelnook Amber ale, with 25 pence from every pint sold supporting hazel dormouse conservation efforts. The initiative follows the successful reintroduction of hazel dormice to Leicestershire last summer, where early signs of breeding have already been recorded after the species was locally extinct in the county.
Twycross Zoo held a launch event for its new conservation beer collaboration, featuring beer tasting, behind-the-scenes brewery tours, and talks on conservation work. The informal evening brought together partners, press, and guests to learn about both the brewing process and the hazel dormouse reintroduction programme the partnership supports.