The Wildheart Sanctuary, previously known as the Isle of Wight

Zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

and Sandown Zoo, is a sanctuary inside the former Sandown Fort on the coastline of

Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake in between. Together with Shanklin, Sandown forms a built-up area of ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

. The zoo was privately owned but became a charitable trust in 2017. The collection focuses principally on big cats and Madagascan animals. As part of the

European Endangered Species Programme The EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) is a population management and conservation programme by European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) for wild animals living in European zoos. The programme was formerly known as the European Endangered Species ...

, the zoo has had success breeding several species of Madagascan animals including the critically endangered

black-and-white ruffed lemur The black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata'') is an endangered species of ruffed lemur, one of two which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the red ruffed lemur, it has a much smaller populati ...

History

Originally known as Sandown Zoo, the zoo was established in the 1950s. By the 1970s it had fallen into disrepair, and was dubbed "The Slum Zoo of Britain" by ''The Sunday Times''. However in 1976 the zoo was taken over by a new owner, Jack Corney, and over the following years it was rebuilt as a sanctuary for big cats and primates. Since Corney died in 2003 the zoo has been run by his daughter Charlotte. In 2017, Charlotte established the Wildheart Trust, making the Isle of Wight Zoo a registered charity.

Main species

Big cats

The zoo is currently home to three

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

s and four African lions. It has recently rescued five tigers from a circus in southern Spain. In recent years three

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n-themed enclosures have opened featuring glass viewing panels, ponds, natural planting and themed statues and temples. These enclosures were designed and built with the assistance of Ecclestone George Public Artists. Between 2016 and December 2019 the zoo was home to a tiger called Simi who had been rescued from a circus in Germany. Simi died in December 2019, according to the zoo owing to problems caused by her time in the circus. Additionally, the zoo has recently taken in three

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an eleva ...

Primates

The zoo also has a Madagascan theme, and the primate section reflects this by specialising in lemurs. It houses ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed, red ruffed,

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

, white-fronted brown lemurs and

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

lemurs, several of which have bred in recent years as part of European breeding programmes.spider monkeys,

capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from t ...

, vervet monkeys and common marmosets.Isle of Wight Zoo: Monkeys
''isleofwightzoo.com''. Retrieved 2021-02-01.

Conservation

The zoo currently funds two conservation projects, both related to its areas of special interest. The principal project is 'Local Advocacy for Tiger Conservation in Bhadra-Kudremukh Tiger Landscape'. This project is administered by the charity Global Tiger Patrol and funded wholly by the zoo. Over the year 2010/11 the zoo's contribution was £10800. In November 2011 the project won the

BIAZA The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) (formerly the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland) is a registered charity and the professional body representing over 100 zoos and aquariums in Britain and ...

award for Best Conservation Project (Small Collection). The second project focuses on Madagascar and is administered by the

Madagascar Fauna Group The Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group (MFG) is an international consortium of zoos and other conservation agencies which pool resources to help conserve animal species in Madagascar, through captive breeding programs, field research programs, tra ...

. As a sponsoring member the Isle of Wight Zoo contributes $5000 annually. The zoo sponsors an agroforestry station aimed at teaching alternative farming methods to the destructive slash-and-burn techniques commonly used.

Filming

The zoo was the subject and main filming location for the

ITV Meridian ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned ...

television programme ''Tiger Island''. Two series were filmed, showing different aspects of zoo life including making enrichment toys and designing new enclosures. A film was in production giving a behind-the-scenes view of the zoo and was to be ready in August 2013.

References

External links

Isle of Wight Zoo websiteTiger Island television program description
{{authority control Tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight Zoos in England 1950s establishments in England Buildings and structures on the Isle of Wight Sandown