Perthshire wildlife park plans fresh investment after change of ownership

A Perthshire wildlife park is enjoying a busy summer and plans fresh investment following a change of ownership.

Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, based in Crieff, is home to more than 70 species of animals. The park opened in 2009 and features a number of exotic creatures including ruffed necked lemurs and meerkats.

The park was recently acquired by London-based Star International Enterprises, managed by Rob Matthews. Since the takeover, towards the end of April, the attraction has welcomed “huge” numbers of visitors.

Over the coming months, the business has ambitions to transform the park’s offering and undertake a series of wildlife conservation initiatives.

Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, based in Crieff, is home to more than 70 species of animals including ruffed necked lemurs and meerkats.

In addition, the Auchingarrich team has plans to grow the number of beehives at the park from two to four and develop and expand the current animal closures to provide larger, natural habitats for the animals.

Among the other initiatives planned are interactive facilities around the park for children to learn about the animals and their habitats, while the business also plans to expand the park’s café and transform it into a licensed restaurant.

Star International Entreprises’ acquisition of the park was assisted through a funding package from Bank of Scotland.

Rob Matthews, director of Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, said: “We knew the attraction was well loved by the local community, but we also knew that it had so much untapped potential. We have immediately begun exploring options to upgrade the wildlife park and embark on conservation initiatives to help boost our animal numbers - steps we feel will make a huge difference to the local area.”