Three Somali wild ass foals were born within three days at Woburn Safari Park, with the first birth witnessed by visitors in the Road Safari drive-through reserve. This rare triple birth is a major conservation success for the critically endangered species, which has only around 200 mature individuals remaining in the wild.
The birth of three healthy Somali wild ass foals represents a significant achievement for Woburn Safari Park's 15-year breeding programme and the Europe Ex-Situ Programme (EEP). The foals will help maintain a genetically diverse captive population and serve as ambassadors to educate visitors about threats facing the species in the wild, including hunting and habitat loss.
A male dwarf forest buffalo calf named Ace was born on 24 July, the second calf born to the park's herd this year. Ace joins five females and one other calf (Aero, born in May) in a close-knit family group at Woburn Safari Park.
Kochi, a young male red panda born in June 2025, has arrived at Woburn Safari Park from a wildlife collection in Bordeaux, France on 31st July, marking the first red panda arrival since 2019. The move was coordinated through the EAZA Ex situ Programme breeding recommendation to support conservation of the endangered species and identify Kochi as a suitable future breeding partner for the park's resident female, Mali.
Kochi's arrival at Woburn Safari Park is part of the coordinated European EAZA Ex situ Programme, which aims to safeguard the future of endangered red pandas through managed breeding. Red pandas face ongoing threats from habitat loss and poaching in the wild, making the international breeding initiative critical for species survival.
Four pairs of Humboldt penguins at Woburn Safari Park have successfully hatched and are raising seven chicks, bringing the colony to 23 birds. The breeding success is part of the European breeding programme for this vulnerable species, with keepers monitoring the families while allowing natural parenting behaviours.
Woburn Safari Park's successful Humboldt penguin breeding season supports the coordinated European breeding programme, helping maintain genetic diversity for this vulnerable species. Wild Humboldt penguin populations face threats from habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance, making captive breeding efforts critical for species survival.
Stilton, a male capybara, arrived at Woburn Safari Park in April from Johnsons of Old Hurt and has been successfully introduced to long-time resident Yoko, born in 2024. The pair are now bonding in their semi-aquatic Foot Safari enclosure at Cerrado Savannah, with keepers reporting positive interactions and calm behaviour throughout the carefully managed introduction process.
A healthy male Eastern mountain bongo calf was born on 15 April 2026 to mother Odongo at Woburn Safari Park, weighing 15–20kg and showing excellent early mobility. The birth represents a significant milestone for the EAZA Ex Situ Programme, as Eastern mountain bongos are critically endangered with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild.
The birth of the male calf at Woburn strengthens the UK captive population to eight bongos and supports the EAZA Ex Situ Programme for this critically endangered species. With only 29–50 animals breeding across two of four remaining wild subpopulations, captive breeding initiatives are vital to preventing extinction.
A female dwarf forest buffalo calf was born on 3 May 2026 at Woburn Safari Park, the first birth of this species at the park in over a decade. The unexpected arrival came from first-time mother Cadbury, who arrived from another collection in late 2025, and highlights the conservation importance of this endangered species.
Woburn Safari Park has opened 'SENse the Safari', a new SEND classroom designed specifically for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities — the first of its kind in a UK zoo. The facility features a sensory room, decompression zone, adaptable workspaces, and hands-on animal experiences, and officially opens for educational group bookings from 30 March.
Elephant keeper Jack Rawnsley travelled to Thailand in November 2025 to visit the Mahouts Elephant Foundation (MEF), a charity supported by Woburn Safari Park that protects Asian elephants through ethical tourism. The visit reinforced the park's commitment to conservation education and responsible elephant welfare practices.
A baby Guianan squirrel monkey was born on 15th November to parents Willow and Murphy at Woburn Safari Park, marking Willow's first offspring and a significant milestone for the EEP breeding programme. The infant was spotted clinging to its mother's back on the morning of birth, and keepers are delighted by the calm, gentle pairing of both parents.
Woburn Safari Park successfully performed a rare and complex surgical procedure on Sahara, a Nubian giraffe, to treat a locking stifle condition that severely limited her mobility. The operation in early October adapted an equine surgical technique for the first time in giraffes, requiring a specialist team and careful management of the unique anaesthetic and physiological challenges posed by the animal's size and anatomy.
Woburn Safari Park invites visitors to observe North American black bears during winter at the Kingdom of the Carnivores exhibit. The article explains that black bears enter torpor—a lighter sleep state than true hibernation—allowing them to remain partially active and occasionally visible to visitors even in cold months.
A female Eastern mountain bongo calf was born at Woburn Safari Park on 3rd October, marking the first female born at the park in over a decade. With fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild, this birth is a significant milestone for one of the world's most endangered large mammals.
Woburn Safari Park has welcomed Darcy and Daphne, a pair of female domestic miniature donkeys, who arrived on 2nd October from Ashlyn's Wildlife Park in Essex. The donkeys have moved into the Farmyard Friends section and are settling in with support from keepers using calm routines and gentle handling.
Woburn Safari Park welcomed a group of capybara pups in September 2024, with two siblings, Yorkie and Yoko, remaining at the park while others have been transferred to other institutions as part of breeding programmes. The pair are notable as the grandchildren of James and Mavis, the first capybaras to arrive at Woburn.