‘We Bought a Zoo’ is a movie based on the real-life story of Benjamin Mee, who along with his family sold up everything they owned and bought a dilapidated zoo in Devon, England. The movie was released in theaters across the US just before Christmas and it is set for release in the UK on the 16th of March.
Although in the film the zoo is set in California, when I was at the Western Morning News I covered the plight of Dartmoor Wildlife Park (known as Sparkwell Zoo to locals), which was struggling to stay in business. The place was completely run down and didn’t have enough visitors coming through the gates to cover the expensive upkeep of exotic tigers, jaguars, bears and monkeys. Ellis Daw, the owner since the park opened in 1968, was facing criticism over the welfare of the animals and the conditions which they were kept in. Animal cruelty groups called on the local council to revoke the zoo’s license, which the council was reluctant to do as there were fears the animals would have to be put down.
Here is one set of pictures I found from early 2006, around the time when Ellis Daw was desperately hoping to find a buyer for the park so that the animals would be saved. In August that year the Mee family bought the zoo, the animals were saved and the zoo reopened to the public after undergoing a major refurbishment. I haven’t been back since the new owners took over, but I look forward to seeing Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson in the film and visiting the re-named Dartmoor Zoological Park the next time I’m back in the UK.
Former Dartmoor Wildlife Park owner Ellis Daw pictured in April 2006 as the zoo faced closure and the animals faced an uncertain future. © Western Morning News.
One of the threatened Siberian tigers at Dartmoor Wildlife Park. © Western Morning News.
Closed gates at the Dartmoor Wildlife Park in April 2006. © Western Morning News.
One of the Siberian tigers roams around its concrete enclosure at the zoo. © Western Morning News.
Ellis Daw looks out over the threatened Dartmoor Wildlife Park which was facing an uncertain future. © Western Morning News.
Closed gates at the Dartmoor Wildlife Park. © Western Morning News.
© Western Morning News.
One of the Siberian tigers looks out from his enclosure. © Western Morning News.
Ellis Daw studies one of his wolves, desperate to see the animals saved. © Western Morning News.
Ellis Daw checks on one of his Siberian tigers. © Western Morning News.