Zoos & aquariums · South East England
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary
In or near Lake.
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary — zoo in Isle of Wight, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Sandown · 1.7 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, the nearest railway station is Sandown, located 1.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is PO36 8QB. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is a zoo, wildlife park, or public aquarium in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1950. Owned by Charlotte Corney. Address: PO36 8QB. Wikidata describes it as: "zoo in Isle of Wight, England". Coordinates: 50.6609°, -1.1394°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2023
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the official site
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary focuses on the rescue and conservation of threatened wildlife, particularly on the Isle of Wight. Visitors can see a variety of animals and learn about conservation efforts, including initiatives for tigers and rare moths.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Isle Of Wight
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, previously known as the Isle of Wight Zoo and Sandown Zoo, is a wildlife sanctuary on the coastline of Sandown, Isle of Wight. At 8.5 acres, it is the largest collection of exotic animals on the Island. The former Isle of Wight Zoo was privately owned, but it became a charitable trust in 2017 and was renamed as the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in 2021. The Sanctuary is "dedicated to rescuing exotic animals from harm and rehabilitating them in their forever home". As part of the European Endangered Species Programme, the Isle of Wight Zoo previously had success breeding several species of Madagascan animals including the critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur. It is now a non-breeding Sanctuary for rescued animals.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The present-day Sanctuary is housed inside the shell of Sandown Fort, which was built in 1864. A zoo was first established on the site in the 1950s, originally known as Sandown Zoo before becoming the Isle of Wight Zoo in the 1970s. By this time it had fallen into disrepair, and was dubbed "The Slum Zoo of Britain" by The Sunday Times. 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 owned by his daughter Charlotte. In 2017, Charlotte established the Wildheart Trust, making the Isle of Wight Zoo a registered charity. It was subsequently renamed the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.6609, -1.1394
- District
- Isle of Wight
- Parish
- Sandown
- Postcode
- PO36 8QB
- Parliamentary constituency
- Isle of Wight East
- Phone
- +44 1983 403883
- Established
- 1950
- Nearest railway station
- Sandown — 1.7 km
- Opening
- Mo-Su 10:00-17:00
- Official site
- isleofwightzoo.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q6084173 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Wildheart Animal Sanctuary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Isle of Wight Zoo Front.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Dinosaur Isle
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Yaverland Battery
Historic houses · 0.7 km
Yaverland Battery
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Sandown Castle
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Marina
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The Wight Hotel
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Church of St. John the Evangelist, Sandown
Historic churches · 1.0 km
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Yaverland Manor
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War Memorial
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Sandown War Memorial
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Rivoli Picture House
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary?
- The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode PO36 8QB), in the parish of Sandown.
- What is The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary?
- The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary — zoo in Isle of Wight, England.
- How do I get to The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary?
- The nearest railway station is Sandown, about 1.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode PO36 8QB.
- When was The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary built?
- Built or established in 1950.
- Who owns The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary?
- The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is owned by Charlotte Corney.
- Is The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary a protected site?
- Yes — The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is part of the Isle Of Wight National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary?
- The nearest railway station is Sandown, about 1.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PO36 8QB.