Summer Fun at Wildwood

Summer Fun at Wildwood

Wednesday 25th July - Sunday 2nd September

Looking for the perfect family day out this summer? Put a smile on everyone's face with a trip to Wildwood. Come and see the new wolf cubs in their huge woodland enclosure, watch our rescued bears play fighting in their pool, explore our new reptile house and marvel at the mischievous new boar piglets. Grab a bite to eat at our cafe or bring a picnic as you let your kids run wild in our adventure play park with climbing walls, rope bridges, slides and scary drop slide PLUS we have over 50 species of native British animals from past and present in our 42 acre woodland and plenty of FREE activities to keep everyone entertained throughout the summer holidays!   FREE Activities and Crafts Wolf Cub Release Wildwood’s two wolves, Nuna & Odin, were recently made happy parents and have been nursing their 4 wolf cubs in the nursery enclosure. This week sees the last of the cub's inoculations and it is now safe to release them all into their large woodland home.  On Saturday the 28th July at 11.00am, one lucky winner will be chosen by lottery to open the enclosure gate and release the wolf pack! All visitors to the park who arrive by 10.30am will be given a raffle ticket. The winning ticket will be randomly picked at the front of the wolf platform at 11.00am. All other visitors are welcome to watch this once-in-a-lifetime event from the new wolf viewing platform.

Adopt our wolf pack here

Birds of Prey Watch our native birds of prey swoop and soar in our daily flying show (weather permitting). Meet the Animal Your chance to meet one of our cuddly, friendly critters up close. Snakes, creepy crawlies, ferrets, bats, dormice, harvest mice, water voles and water shrews will all be appearing regularly at one of our daily sessions. Daily Talks Find out more about the history and behaviour of our wild boar, fallow deer, wallabies, otters and ravens with engaging daily talks by our team. 11.00am - Wild Boar 12.00pm - Fallow Deer 1.00pm - Wallaby 2.00pm - Otter 3.00pm - Raven Touchtables Get close to nature and interact with antlers, skulls, furs and other tactile animal artifacts at our touchtables. Mask Making Animals have amazing faces, structured to help them thrive in the wild. Find out how they work by crafting your own animal mask. How Do You Feed a Zoo? Wildwood has over 200 animals, all with different nutritional needs. Discover what food our animals eat and how we manage to keep them physically healthy. Zoo Enrichment Some animals can get bored and need stimulation. Learn how we provide them with enrichment to keep them mentally healthy. Face Painting Get your own little animal looking good with our kids face painting sessions. Bushcraft & Nature Walks Join our very own bushcraft expert Steve Kirk and learn all about the natural world. Summer Trails Over the summer period, we’ll be having engaging and educational trails which take you all over the park. Don’t forget to put completed trails in our prize draw bucket for the chance to win gift vouchers. Medieval Weekend - 28th/29th July Our friends at the Regia Anglorum are hosting a medieval weekend on Saturday 28th July and Sunday 29th July. See how our ancestors lived and battled in the authentic surroundings of Wychurst Village. Entry to the village will be £1 (over 16s) for all of Wildwood's paying visitors or members, and can be accessed through the gate by the exit of the bear bridge. All day: Living history, crafts and a working Saxon smithy. 10:30am - 11:00am: Site opens 11:00am - 12:00pm: Archery / Warriors at training 13:00pm - 14:00pm: Lunch 14:00pm - 14:30pm: Arming of the warrior 15:00pm - 15:30pm: Battle 16:00pm - Site closes * For a list of daily activities and times, please see the notice board by the activities centre or ask at the admissions building.

We've also teamed up with our friends at bOing! to offer a special discount for Wildwood visitors. Just click on the image above for more information.

Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No. 1093702   FOLLOW US Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust   ABOUT WILDWOOD Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland where visitors can see bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK, Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org

Wolf cubs to be released to new woodland home at Wildwood

Wolf cubs to be released to new woodland home at Wildwood

Saturday 28th July - 11.00am

Wildwood’s two wolves, Nuna & Odin, were recently made happy parents and have been nursing their 4 wolf cubs in the nursery enclosure. This week sees the last of the cub's inoculations and it is now safe to release them all into their large woodland home.  On Saturday the 28th July at 11.00am, one lucky winner will be chosen by lottery to open the enclosure gate and release the wolf pack! All visitors to the park who arrive by 10.30am will be given a raffle ticket. The winning ticket will be randomly picked at the front of the wolf platform at 11.00am. All other visitors are welcome to watch this once-in-a-lifetime event from the new wolf viewing platform. Wildwood are enormously proud of Britain’s most innovative wolf woodland enclosure; a unique two-level woodland feature will allow visitors to venture into the heart of the wolf pack’s lair and experience what it is like to share the woodland with the wolves. With immersive 360-degree panoramic views, accessible to all, thousands of families can join the wolves in one of Britain’s most engaging animal experiences. Nuna & Odin were brought into the UK from Switzerland and Sweden and are both two years old. The wolves have undergone a long process of bonding under the expert guidance of Wildwood keepers. Initially shy and fearful the pair have now formed an inseparable and loving bond, becoming excellent parents and have done a great job in rearing their 4 wolf cubs.

Paul Whitfield, Wildwood’s Director General said: “Our ranger and keeper team have created a magnificent new home for our wolves.  Our vision is to enable people to immerse themselves inside the wolves’ woodland world. The new wolf cubs will be able to enjoy their huge new enclosure displaying many of the behaviours of a wild wolf pack, acting as ambassadors for our charitable mission to return Wolves to Britain.” Peter Smith, Wildwood’s Strategic Director said: "For many centuries, the European grey wolf, Canis lupus, has been a much-maligned animal – persecuted due to fear, hate and misunderstanding. Today, with a new understanding of the wolf, many myths depicting the wolf as a villain have been dispelled and it is coming to be respected as the awe-inspiring animal it truly is." "It is the Wildwood Trust’s mission to continue to educate and inspire visitors on the facts about this animal, and their arrival to Wildwood cites the beginning of what will be an exciting campaign and research project. Wolves played an incredibly important role in our history, shaping our own evolution, culture and our landscape. It's a great privilege to have these magnificent animals at our Canterbury site to continue to help us tell their story.” Paul Wirdnam, Wildwood's Head Keeper said: "Thanks to the continuing efforts and expertise of our keeper team, we have 4 healthy cubs and now experienced parents forming the beginnings of Wildwood's new wolf pack. The future welfare of the pack is down to the commitment and knowledge of our keeper team and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for their ongoing hard work."

Wolves were a native UK species long before they were vilified and eventually exterminated in the 18th century. Since then, their behaviour has become better understood and scientists have also discovered the importance of predator species to ecosystems. With new insights into ecology we now know that by reintroducing key species such as the wolves, pressure from the current overgrazing would be eased on ecosystems, as well as improving the levels of biodiversity. Wolves are keystone species, which means they drastically alter the environment around them for the better and can help create a healthy environment for our children to inherit. The dangers of wolves are vastly overplayed and the presence of wolves in the wilder parts of Britain could do far more good for us and, as wolves recolonise every country across Europe with wolves now living near Paris, in Holland and Denmark, it is only right that we consider their return to the UK. Visitors to Wildwood can enter the new wolf woodland and see the cubs at play after their release on Saturday the 28th July at 11.00am and throughout the Summer Holidays. To find out more go to www.wildwoodtrust.org

Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No. 1093702   FOLLOW US Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust   ABOUT WILDWOOD Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland where visitors can see bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK, Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org

Wolf cubs to be released to new woodland home at Wildwood

Wolf cubs to be released to new woodland home at Wildwood

Saturday 28th July - 11.00am

Wolf cubs go wild in Kent woodland – Hundreds of wildwood visitors are eagerly awaiting the release of 4 wolf cubs into their large woodland enclosure, where families can join them in the heart of their territory. On Saturday the 28th July at 11.00am, one lucky winner from visitors that day will be chosen by lottery to release the wolf cubs. Wildwood are enormously proud of Britain’s most innovative wolf woodland enclosure; a unique two-level woodland feature will allow visitors to venture into the heart of the wolf pack’s lair and experience what it is like to share the woodland with the wolves. With immersive 360-degree panoramic views, accessible to all, thousands of families can join the wolves in one of Britain’s most engaging animal experiences. Wildwood’s two wolves, Nuna & Odin, were recently made happy parents and have been nursing their 4 wolf cubs in the nursery enclosure. This week sees the last of the cub's inoculations and it is now safe to release them all back to their woodland home. The new wolf enclosure was lovingly created to cater for their every need. Nuna & Odin were brought into the UK from Switzerland and Sweden and are both two years old. The wolves have undergone a long process of bonding under the expert guidance of Wildwood keepers. Initially shy and fearful the pair have now formed an inseparable and loving bond, becoming excellent parents and have done a great job in rearing their 4 wolf cubs.

Paul Whitfield, Wildwood’s Director General said: “Our ranger and keeper team have created a magnificent new home for our wolves.  Our vision is to enable people to immerse themselves inside the wolves’ woodland world. The new wolf cubs will be able to enjoy their huge new enclosure displaying many of the behaviours of a wild wolf pack, acting as ambassadors for our charitable mission to return Wolves to Britain.” Peter Smith, Wildwood’s Strategic Director said: "For many centuries, the European grey wolf, Canis lupus, has been a much-maligned animal – persecuted due to fear, hate and misunderstanding. Today, with a new understanding of the wolf, many myths depicting the wolf as a villain have been dispelled and it is coming to be respected as the awe-inspiring animal it truly is." "It is the Wildwood Trust’s mission to continue to educate and inspire visitors on the facts about this animal, and their arrival to Wildwood cites the beginning of what will be an exciting campaign and research project. Wolves played an incredibly important role in our history, shaping our own evolution, culture and our landscape. It's a great privilege to have these magnificent animals at our Canterbury site to continue to help us tell their story.” Paul Wirdnam, Wildwood's Head Keeper said: "Thanks to the continuing efforts and expertise of our keeper team, we have 4 healthy cubs and now experienced parents forming the beginnings of Wildwood's new wolf pack. The future welfare of the pack is down to the commitment and knowledge of our keeper team and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for their ongoing hard work."

Wolves were a native UK species long before they were vilified and eventually exterminated in the 18th century. Since then, their behaviour has become better understood and scientists have also discovered the importance of predator species to ecosystems. With new insights into ecology we now know that by reintroducing key species such as the wolves, pressure from the current overgrazing would be eased on ecosystems, as well as improving the levels of biodiversity. Wolves are keystone species, which means they drastically alter the environment around them for the better and can help create a healthy environment for our children to inherit. The dangers of wolves are vastly overplayed and the presence of wolves in the wilder parts of Britain could do far more good for us and, as wolves recolonise every country across Europe with wolves now living near Paris, in Holland and Denmark, it is only right that we consider their return to the UK. Visitors to Wildwood can enter the new wolf woodland and see the cubs at play after their release on Saturday the 28th July at 11.00am and throughout the Summer Holidays. To find out more go to www.wildwoodtrust.org

Notes to Editors High quality video and photos are available on the day as well as a chance to meet the keepers and staff who have made this project possible. The wolves are under 24 hour surveillance by high quality cameras in full HD.     CONTACT Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111 Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org or 07986 828229 Dan Farrow: dan.farrow@wildwoodtrust.org or 01227 209617   Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No. 1093702   FOLLOW US Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust   ABOUT WILDWOOD Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland where visitors can see bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK, Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org