Wolves have returned to a wildlife park in Hampshire nearly two years after the last members of its previous pack died.Two European grey wolves have arrived at New Forest Wildlife Park from zoos in Belgium and France. The pair will live in a newly built enclosure designed specifically for the species.The park said it had always planned to bring wolves back, but post-Brexit paperwork and other administrative challenges had delayed the transfer of the animals from Europe.The new pair consists of 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. Before travelling to Hampshire, the two wolves spent time together in Belgium to develop a bond.
Wolves are intelligent, social, loyal, and highly cooperative predators that live and hunt in close-knit packs.
Jason Palmer, curator of collections at New Forest Wildlife Park, said the arrival of the wolves had required months of careful planning and close cooperation with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s species coordinator.”Wolves are a highly complex social species and 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 group of grey wolves arrived together in 2010. Over the years, Cedar, Idaho, and Rocky died from age-related health problems, leaving only Chaser and Aspen.
When Chaser’s health deteriorated significantly, the park’s team became concerned about Aspen’s wellbeing. Wolves are highly social animals that depend on companionship and the close bonds formed within a pack.After careful consideration, the park made the “incredibly difficult” decision to euthanise both remaining wolves in October 2024.The arrival of the new wolves adds to the wildlife park’s growing collection of apex predators. Bodie, described as Hampshire’s only wolverine, arrived last year, while lynx sisters Tora and Inga joined the park earlier in 2026.The return of the grey wolves marks a new chapter for the park’s wildlife collection and gives visitors another opportunity to learn about one of Europe’s most fascinating and socially complex predators.
