Wolves return to park two years after pack deaths

Wolves have returned to a wildlife park nearly two years after the last remaining members of its previous pack died.

The two European grey wolves travelled to New Forest Wildlife Park, in Hampshire, from zoos in Europe and will live in a new purpose-built enclosure.

The park said it had always intended for wolves to return but had faced post-Brexit paperwork challenges in moving them from Europe.

The new pair includes a two-year-old female from the Reserve d'Animaux Sauvages in Belgium and a one-year-old male from Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix in France.

They first spent time in Belgium forming a bond before making the journey to Hampshire together.

Jason Palmer, curator of collections at the park, said welcoming the wolves to the park took months of planning and had involved working with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's coordinator for the species.

"Wolves are a highly complex social species and they are one of the most challenging species to keep well in captivity," he said.

"We can't wait for our visitors to meet them."

The park's previous grey wolves, which had arrived together in 2010, faced a number of age-related health issues, with Cedar, Idaho and Rocky dying first, leaving just Chaser and Aspen.

When Chaser's health took a significant downturn, the team at the park feared the impact it would have on Aspen, as wolves are social animals who thrive on companionship and working within a pack.

Ultimately, the "incredibly difficult" decision was made to put both wolves down in October 2024.

The new wolf arrivals join a growing collection of apex predators at the park now available for public viewing.

Bodie, Hampshire's only wolverine, arrived last year, while lynx sisters Tora and Inga were welcomed to the site earlier in 2026.