Dartmoor Zoo hits major visitor milestone after record-breaking year

Dartmoor Zoo has recorded the highest visitor numbers in its history, welcoming more than 100,000 people in a single year for the first time.

The zoo says 106,000 visitors passed through its gates during 2025, an increase of around 40 per cent compared with the previous year. 

READ NEXT: WATCH: Police release CCTV footage following Plympton Co-op late-night ram-raid

An annual pass scheme was introduced in April, followed by continued investment in animal care and visitor facilities.

Dartmoor Zoo, near Sparkwell, operates as a charity and relies on income from admissions and donations to fund its work. 

Zoo officials say the increase in visitors has allowed further support for conservation, education and research projects in the UK and overseas.

Several breeding and conservation milestones were recorded during the year. 

In April, the zoo established a breeding pair of critically endangered Amur leopards, and in September, the female gave birth to a cub, one of only 15 Amur leopard cubs born worldwide in 2025.

Other conservation work included the arrival of black-tailed marmosets, one of only two breeding pairs in Europe, and the transfer of a Carpathian lynx to Austria as part of a European rewilding and breeding programme.

The zoo also worked with partner organisations to rehome animals and support conservation projects abroad, including efforts to protect wildcats in Europe, Amur leopards and tigers in Russia, and binturongs in the Philippines.

Education remained a key focus for the zoo, and during 2025, Dartmoor Zoo hosted 170 school visits and provided learning sessions for more than 5,400 children and young people. 

Universities across the UK also used the site for research projects, with 26 studies supported over the year.

Volunteers contributed more than 2,500 hours of work, supporting daily operations and animal care.

Investment was made across the site, including new catering facilities, upgraded toilets, additional picnic areas and improvements to animal enclosures.

Dartmoor Zoo chief executive David Gibson said local support had played a major role in the record year.

“It shows how much people value the zoo and the work it does,” he said.

“That support helps us plan ahead and continue our conservation and education work into the future.”