Popular wildlife park in Horncastle thanks public after bouncing back from closure

The Wolds Wildlife Park, which is home to a variety of animals including lions, bears and zebras, reopened at the weekend after shutting in October because of a dispute among the owners.

And it hailed the successful relaunch on its Facebook page, declaring: “What a great first weekend back we had.

"It was lovely to see our wonderful customers, old and new, enjoying the animals – and vice versa. We thank you for your patience over the last few months.

"A huge shout out to all the staff that made the weekend possible. What a fantastic team.

“It was so good to have people walking around the park and having a great time. Thankyou all for such a wonderful weekend.”

The Louth Road park first opened five years ago and quickly became one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Lincolnshire.

On Tripadvisor, it topped a list of things to do in Horncastle, and reviews by visitors rated it ‘Excellent’, awarding it four-and-a-half stars out of five.

However, its future was thrown into doubt when it closed because of what were described as “irreconcilable differences” among the co-owners.

One of the owners, Andrew Riddel, also cited “serious blips with the council and the authorities due to our problems in-house”.

A statement on Facebook at the time said: “Financially and emotionally, we are proud of the successful growth and constant improvements we have made to the park since it opened.

"Unfortunately, due to the business owners having irreconcilable differences with regard to the future direction of the park, there are very few viable options remaining to help keep this wonderful venture going.”

However, it is understood that the animals continued to be cared for, and the jobs of staff remained safe.

Mr Riddel promised the park would return “bigger and better” than ever, and now it has sprung back to life, complete with reduced admission prices until Sunday, January 5. For adults, it’s just £10, children (aged three to 15) and OAPs £5, and under-threes free. A family ticket (two adults and two children) costs £25.

The park’s cafe won’t be open until the new year, but the souvenir shop is open.