About the Zoo & Wildlife

Dartmoor Zoological Society (originally Dartmoor Wildlife Park then Dartmoor Zoological Park) is a 33-acre (13 ha) zoo just north of the village of Sparkwell, on the south-west edge of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon in the South West of England. It was opened in 1968 by Ellis Daw who ran it until its licence was revoked and it was forced to close in 2006. The zoo was bought in August 2006 by Benjamin Mee, who reopened it in July 2007, later writing a book about his experiences called We Bought a Zoo (2008). A 2011 film of the same title was loosely based on the book. In September 2014 the zoo became the charity Dartmoor Zoological Society, a charity that focuses on conservation, education and research.