Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates record breaking year after breeding critically endangered lemurs
The park has set two records in 2025: Highest visitor numbers and the world’s largest breeding group of Greater Bamboo Lemurs
Cotswold Wildlife Park has marked a historic milestone in conservation, celebrating a record-breaking breeding season and becoming the only zoological collection in the UK—and one of just three worldwide—to successfully breed “Critically Endangered” Greater Bamboo Lemurs in 2025.
This achievement coincides with an exceptional year for the Park, which also recorded its highest-ever visitor numbers. The Primate Team is celebrating the arrival of four baby Greater Bamboo Lemurs, a momentous occasion. Births of this species in captivity are exceedingly rare. With a current population of 13 individuals, Cotswold Wildlife Park now hosts the world’s largest breeding group of Greater Bamboo Lemurs.
“In the wild, there are fewer Greater Bamboo Lemurs left than high-profile species such as Black Rhino, Tiger and Giant Panda,” a Park spokesperson said. This highlights the urgent conservation status of these gentle primates whose numbers continue to decline in their native Madagascar.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Nat Horner, Head of Primates, Small Mammals and Birds at Cotswold Wildlife Park gives us an update on their progress: "They're all eating solid food, they're eating bamboo and playing with their siblings. They're very playful, and even their dad likes to join in on the games."
The new arrivals made their public debut ahead of World Lemur Day (31 October 2025), offering visitors a unique opportunity to witness these remarkable animals at the UK’s leading lemur conservation facility.
Cotswold Wildlife Park’s dedication to breeding Greater Bamboo Lemurs adds significant hope for the survival of the species—recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered. The Park’s efforts put it at the forefront of global primate conservation, underlining its important role in preserving lemur diversity for future generations.