Female keeper with red hair wearing blue gloves inspects dung for dung beetles

Native Wildlife

Native Wildlife at the Zoo

Native Bird Noah's Ark Zoo Farm 2

Native Species

As well as caring for exotic animals, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is passionate about protecting and supporting native wildlife too. Through our Noah’s Natives work, we celebrate the incredible British species that share our site, from birds and bats to amphibians, mammals and invertebrates.

Across the zoo, our fields, hedgerows, trees, ponds, wildflower areas and quieter spaces provide valuable habitats for native wildlife. These areas are carefully managed to support biodiversity and create safe spaces for species to feed, shelter, breed and move through the landscape.

Female keeper with brown hair installs a bat monitor

Our Spotted on Site updates help us record and share the native species seen around Noah’s Ark throughout the year. Visitors and staff regularly spot wildlife such as buzzards circling overhead, small birds moving through the hedgerows, badgers, foxes, bats, amphibians and a wide variety of insects and pollinators.

These sightings are more than just exciting wildlife moments — they also contribute to our understanding of the species using the habitats across the zoo. Where possible, sightings are uploaded to iNaturalist, helping to build a wider picture of local biodiversity and contributing to citizen science records that can support research, habitat monitoring and conservation planning.

By recording and sharing these sightings, we hope to inspire visitors to notice and care for the wildlife living all around them. Noah’s Natives reminds us that conservation is not only about protecting species around the world, but also about valuing, understanding and supporting the nature found right here on our doorstep.

Hare 2

Conservation Area

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm has a dedicated conservation area where native wildlife can thrive. Located behind Project Carnivora, this peaceful space includes our butterfly meadow, a large pond and several acres of fields, creating a rich mix of habitats for birds, insects, amphibians, mammals and other native species.

The area is carefully managed to support biodiversity, with habitats protected and maintained to provide food, shelter and breeding opportunities for wildlife throughout the year. Spaces like the pond and meadow are especially important for pollinators, amphibians and invertebrates, while the surrounding fields and quieter areas offer refuge for a variety of native species.

Our conservation area is sometimes open to visitors during special event days, giving people the chance to explore this quieter part of the zoo and learn more about the wildlife that lives alongside us. Please keep an eye on our events page for upcoming native wildlife events and opportunities to visit.

Elephant Willow Plantation

TREES

Trees have always been an important part of the landscape at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm. Many of the established field trees across the site are native species such as ash and oak, alongside smaller numbers of alder, willow and beech. These trees provide valuable habitat, shelter and food for native wildlife, while also contributing to the character and biodiversity of the zoo.

Since opening as a visitor attraction in 1999, we have continued to plant thousands of additional trees across the site. This long-term planting programme supports biodiversity, enhances the landscape for visitors and wildlife, and provides natural browse for many of the animals in our care. In 2023, we planted thousands more trees as part of our ongoing commitment to improving habitats, increasing biodiversity and caring for the environment around us.

One of our largest planting projects was the creation of our beech maze, made up of around 15,000 beech trees. Each year, the maze is carefully trimmed, and the cuttings are reused as nutritious browse for our giraffes and other browsing animals, helping us make the most of what we grow onsite.

Volunteers Help Plant Willow Plantation

We have also planted trees specifically to help provide food for our elephants. These include species such as willow, poplar, ash and hazel, which can be harvested as browse and offered as part of the elephants’ diet and enrichment.

Alongside planting new trees, we are committed to sustainably managing the trees, hedgerows and habitats already found across the zoo. This includes caring for established trees, protecting important native wildlife habitats and managing our landscape in a way that supports both conservation and animal wellbeing.

By planting, protecting and sustainably managing trees in this way, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is creating a richer environment for native wildlife, supporting the wellbeing of our animals, and helping to make our site more sustainable for the future.

Maze Drone 1

HEDGES

The hedges around the Zoo are a mix of Blackthorn, Whitethorn, Field Maple, Hazel, Elder, Bramble, Dog rose, Holly and Ash, some hedges go back centuries. Did you know you can tell the age of a hedge by counting how many different species there are in a 10-metre section?

Member of staff with brown hair tends to sunflowers

FLOWERS

Across Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, we manage wildflower meadows, flower beds and planters to support a wide variety of native wildlife. These areas are planted and maintained with a range of species that provide food, shelter and habitat for pollinators, birds, small mammals and amphibians.

Wildflowers and nectar-rich plants are especially important for bees, butterflies and other insects, which play a vital role in healthy ecosystems. By creating more diverse planting across the site, we are helping to support these species while also improving the environment for visitors and wildlife.

Our flower boxes, beds and meadow areas also help connect habitats across the zoo, creating pockets of food and shelter that encourage wildlife to move safely through the landscape. Together, these spaces form part of our wider commitment to protecting biodiversity and making Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm a welcoming place for both people and nature.

Maze Drone 1

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