Dartmoor Zoological Park
Dartmoor Zoological Park is a small, independent zoological park situated in the heart of the South Hams district of Devon, England, set within the rolling countryside just south of Dartmoor National Park. It is perhaps best known beyond the local area as the real-life inspiration for the film "We Bought a Zoo," the 2011 Hollywood production directed by Cameron Crowe and starring Matt Damon, which was based on the memoir of the same name by Benjamin Mee. This genuine connection to popular culture gives the zoo a personal, heartfelt story that distinguishes it from larger, more corporate wildlife institutions. The park houses an impressive collection of exotic and endangered animals, including big cats such as lions and tigers, bears, wolves, reptiles, primates, and many more, making it a rewarding destination for families and wildlife enthusiasts alike.
The zoo's history is inseparable from the Mee family, who purchased the run-down and long-neglected Dartmoor Wildlife Park in 2006. At the time of purchase, the site was in serious disrepair, with crumbling infrastructure and animals that needed urgent care. Benjamin Mee, a journalist, led the effort to restore the park with the help of his family, including his late wife Katherine, who passed away from a brain tumour in 2007 just a year after they took ownership. Her story, and the family's determination to carry on despite grief and financial hardship, gave the zoo an emotional depth that resonated deeply when the memoir and subsequent film brought international attention. The zoo had existed in various forms for decades before the Mees arrived, originally opening as Dartmoor Wildlife Park in the 1970s, but it was the family's transformation of the site that gave it renewed purpose and identity.
In person, the park has a distinctly intimate and informal atmosphere quite unlike a large city zoo. The paths wind through mature woodland and open paddocks, with the sounds of birdsong and the occasional roar or howl from the larger carnivores cutting through the Devon air. The grounds feel lived-in and personal, reflecting their private family ownership. Enclosures vary in scale and style, from spacious outdoor habitats for big cats to more enclosed areas for reptiles and smaller mammals. The park tends toward the educational and conservation-minded rather than the spectacular, and visitors often remark on the unusually close viewing distances possible for some of the animals. There is a warmth to the place that comes in part from the smallness of the staff and the evident passion they bring to their work.
The surrounding landscape is deeply rural and attractive. The park lies in a wooded valley near the village of Sparkwell, with Dartmoor's open moorland rising to the north. The area is classic Devon countryside — undulating hills, ancient hedgerows, narrow lanes lined with ferns, and the kind of green depth that comes from generous rainfall. Nearby Dartmoor National Park is itself a major visitor draw, offering walking, cycling, wild swimming in the rivers and tors, and dramatic moorland scenery. The market town of Plymouth lies approximately eight miles to the southwest, providing the nearest urban amenities, shopping, and transport links.
Getting to Dartmoor Zoological Park requires a car for most visitors, as public transport to the immediate area is limited. From Plymouth, the route heads northeast through Plympton and then into the lanes toward Sparkwell. The postcode PL7 5DN works well in sat-nav systems and brings visitors reliably to the entrance. There is on-site parking available. The zoo is generally open most of the year, though opening hours and days can vary seasonally, and it is advisable to check the official website before visiting. School holiday periods and weekends in summer are the busiest times. The park is a particularly rewarding visit in spring and early summer when the grounds are lush and animals are often more active in the cooler parts of the day.
One of the more unusual and touching aspects of the zoo is the way it wears its personal history so openly. Unlike institutions that project an impersonal institutional face, Dartmoor Zoological Park invites visitors into its story — the family photographs, the references to the film, the sense that real people with real losses and real hopes built this place by hand. Benjamin Mee has spoken publicly about the therapeutic role the zoo project played in helping his family through grief, and that spirit of perseverance and love is palpable when you walk the grounds. It remains a working conservation organisation committed to breeding programmes for endangered species, and the zoo continues to evolve with new enclosures and animals, guided by the same ethos of passionate, hands-on stewardship that the Mee family established in those difficult early years.