Paradise Wildlife Park is a family-run animal park located in Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, England. Previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, it was renamed Paradise Wildlife Park after it came under the management of the Sampson family in 1986.
The park was previously known as Broxbourne Zoo, which opened in the early 1960s.
In 1984, the Sampson Family purchased the site with the intention of re-housing the animals into larger enclosures which mimicked their natural habitat, making them as comfortable as possible. The zoo was closed down for two years to undergo this transformation, and re-opened as “Paradise Park and Woodland Zoo”, which was then shortened to Paradise Wildlife Park (PWP) in the 1990s.
Since the Sampson family took over the Zoo, the team at PWP have continued researching, expanding and improving upon the animals’ living conditions. Paradise Wildlife Park has developed a reputation through its conservation efforts, including The Wildlife Heritage Foundation (the sister site in Kent) which specialises in research and breeding of endangered species.
Continued work and investment to improve the animal enclosures and public facilities and a drive to enhance the public perception of the park continued throughout the 1980s. The second stage of development included building new animal paddocks, improving the pathways, and increasing tree planting around the site.