Dartmoor Zoo sees their best April on record, after huge success following on from their Annual Pass launch on Tuesday 1st April
On Tuesday 1st April 2025, Dartmoor Zoo introduced ‘Annual Passes’ to their tickets, meaning guests can pay once and visit Dartmoor Zoo free for the rest of the year. With a 44% increase in admissions compared to 2023 and an anticipated 8000 visitors VS an actual 11,000+ this Easter, it’s safe to say 2025 has started with a bang!
With the cost-of-living crisis impacting the local economy and people’s decisions this change was essential. Not only does it let Dartmoor Zoo give back to their loyal customers but it also supports local residents by providing a cheaper alternative to visiting the site. It has also brought a welcome boost for the Zoo. The launch of Annual Passes means that Dartmoor Zoo can now claim Gift Aid on your behalf. There is no additional cost to the customer, but the government will give the charity an extra 25p for every £1 spent.
CEO David Gibson commented: “We had a very good idea that introducing our new Annual Ticket for Dartmoor Zoo would be popular. We spent several months talking to other zoos and attractions as well as analysing our own figures. However, never in our wildest dreams would we have anticipated just how well the new offer was going to be received, particularly by Devon residents.
When we decided to launch the new tickets at the start of April this year our team worked hard in the months leading up to the launch to get everything in place so that the roll out would go well. Everyone from our Maintenance Team, our Visitor Services Assistants, our Marketing Department and our Finance Team ensured that every detail was covered.
We budgeted for our visitor numbers to be higher than previous years but to see more than 30% extra visitors enjoying a day out at Dartmoor Zoo has been fabulous.
The extra income from these visitors will go directly to fund further improvements within the Zoo and ensure we can continue to do our utmost to conserve and protect the species within our care.”
What difference will this make to Dartmoor Zoo?
As a charity, Dartmoor Zoo rely on donations and ticket sales to help care for the animals in their care and continue vital conservation work both here in the UK and around the world.
It costs on average £130,000 each month to run and maintain Dartmoor Zoo, so every pound makes a difference, and a lot of thought and care goes into how the money is spent, ensuring the best possible outcome for wildlife and people alike.
A portion of the Zoo’s admission is donated to global conservation each year, so by visiting Dartmoor Zoo, you are helping towards achieving their Mission: To conserve wildlife, promote wellbeing and educate future generations by inspiring people to be more engaged with nature.
This year alone with contributions from 2024 ticket sales, Dartmoor Zoo have managed to support two global conservation charities and their efforts.
- WildCats Conservation Alliance: WildCats Conservation Alliance is an initiative of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF), calling for zoos and public alike to support wild tiger and Amur leopard conservation projects. Running since 2000, WildCats Conservation Alliance have mobilised over £4.8 million to support an incredible 103 monitoring, protection, conflict resolution, firefighting and awareness-raising projects.
With an Amur tiger and two Amur leopards amongst the Dartmoor Zoo residents and a dedication to supporting global conservation, Dartmoor Zoo were thrilled to be able to donate and assist WildCats Conservation Alliance, supporting their ongoing work and beginning a new and exciting partnership together. - AB Conservation: Founded in 2014, ABConservation is the only association entirely dedicated to the study and protection of a little-known mammal: the binturong (Arctictis binturong). This unique animal lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. ABConservation’s research program aims to better understand the species in order to improve its conservation. Better understanding means better protection. Indeed, poaching and deforestation are leading to the decline of binturong populations. Another objective is therefore to raise awareness among the general public about these issues, in order to draw attention to this species classified as “vulnerable” by the IUCN. The association is active in France, in the Philippines, in the United Kingdom and soon, in the United States.
Dartmoor Zoo welcomed a Palawan binturong onto site in July 2023, so donating to AB conservation and helping raise awareness and educate future generations around the binturong species was incredibly important.
To find out more about these respective charities you can visit: https://conservewildcats.org/ and https://www.abconservation.org/fr/
Begin your year of Dartmoor Zoo and secure your Annual Pass today: https://dartmoorzoo.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
To find out more about Dartmoor Zoo visit www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk