THE owner of the most visited wildlife attraction in the Netherlands has bought Newquay Zoo and plans to invest millions of pounds.

Libéma has purchased the attraction at Trenance Leisure Park from the Wild Planet Trust, which will “secure its long-term future and ensure its vital conservation, educational and breeding programmes can continue for many years to come.” The company is due to officially takeover on January 1, 2026.

Wild Planet Trust, which also sold Paignton Zoo in the deal, recently stated it was exploring investment, that “may or may not involve the sale of our zoos” due to financial pressures the charity had been facing.

Founder and chief executive officer of Libéma, Dirk Lips says the company plans to invest "at least £10m" in Newquay Zoo and Paighton zoos over the next two years. The plans for Newquay Zoo include creating a giraffe savannah with a road around it, an aviary for vultures called Vulture Valley, Asian Forests and South American Rain Forest enclosures and a Madagascan area. Long-term proposals involve creating a new entrance and a new restaurant.

A spokesperson for the Wild Planet Trust said: “We’re thrilled to announce that Libéma, a Dutch leisure company operating four zoos including Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands most visited wildlife attraction, is taking over ownership from Wild Planet Trust from January, 1 2026.

“This secures our long-term future and means our vital conservation, education and breeding programmes can flourish for years to come.

“Libéma shares our commitment to animal welfare and conservation, supporting more than 30 initiatives worldwide through Stichting Wildlife.

“Wild Planet Trust will continue as a separate conservation charity and hopes to collaborate with us on future projects.”

Under the agreement, Libéma will take over the operation of both zoos, allowing Wild Planet Trust to focus fully on its charitable mission of wildlife conservation in the UK and worldwide. Although the zoos will no longer operate as charities, Libéma says it remains fully committed to conservation.

Mr Lips said Libéma has a proven record of revitalising struggling zoos, ensuring that once-threatened attractions have become thriving centres for education, conservation and family enjoyment. He said: "We currently operate four zoos, including Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands most visited wildlife attraction, but we’ve been looking to expand our activities for animal welfare, education, research and conservation.

“When the opportunity to invest in these two incredible zoos arose, we seized it with both hands. I feel very much at home in the UK and the staff in the zoos have made me feel very welcome. We therefore are very much looking forward to working together on the exciting plans we have for the zoos.

“ Libéma is a family business and has a long-term vision in leisure. With over 25 locations Libéma is one of the largest leisure concerns in the Netherlands. The main presentation for Newquay Zoo is the giraffe presentation. We are going to make a new savannah with new roads around it. In this new trail we will have Meerkats added to the Savannah and also ring-tailed lemurs and we will also add an aviary with vultures. That’s spectacular too. In the long-term we are going to make a new entrance build and a new restaurant. And a lot of smaller and bigger projects too.”

Stephen Kings, interim CEO of Wild Planet Trust, said: "This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Paignton and Newquay Zoos as Libéma takes over the commercial operations of Wild Planet Trust from 2 January 2026.

“Under Libéma’s ownership, both zoos are not only guaranteed to survive but to thrive into the future. Libéma shares our commitment to animal welfare, conservation and hospitality, and we believe visitors will see significant new developments as a result.”

"Under Libéma's ownership, both zoos are not only guaranteed to survive but to thrive into the future.

"Libéma shares our commitment to animal welfare, conservation and hospitality, and we believe visitors will see significant new developments as a result."

Wild Planet Trust plans to step back from operating the zoos to fully focus on and strengthen their vital conservation research and support efforts.

Sarah Barr, chair of Wild Planet Trust, said: “When we began seeking investment, our top priority was finding a new owner who would continue to operate the zoos and protect their legacy. We were determined to find someone who shared our deep passion for conservation and animal welfare. We are confident that, under Libéma’s stewardship, the zoos will go from strength to strength whilst The Trust concentrates on its vital conservation work.”

All current zoo employees will transfer to Libéma from January 2026, ensuring continuity for both staff and animals. Over the coming weeks, Libéma and Wild Planet Trust will work closely together to guarantee a smooth handover.

Mayor Cllr Drew Creek has held several meetings with the new owners of Newquay Zoo.

Cllr Creek said: “I am thrilled to see the future of the zoo secured with Libema. As mayor of Newquay I have had meetings with both Wild Planet Trust and Libema over the past few weeks and their commitment to the staff at Newquay Zoo, the wellbeing of the animals as well as their desire to invest heavily in the site came across really strongly.

“Newquay Zoo is the jewel in the crown of our tourist economy here in Newquay and it’s an important part of our wider community and to see its future secured is brilliant news. I look forward to working closely with Libema over the coming months.”

Richard Curtis, the owner of the adjacent Little Western Railway, added: “Excellent news. We’re so glad this has finally happened. It’s going to be so good to see the zoo continue to care for the animals and improve the visitor experience.”