Golders Hill Park
Golders Hill Park Zoo
Golders Hill Park Zoo is a small zoo that is home to a number of exotic mammals and birds. The Zoo is open to visitors everyday and is located near the children's play area.
Opening times and travel information
Golders Hill Park Zoo is inside Golders Hill Park and has the same opening and closing times.
Our animals
The Zoo is home to a wide range of exotic and native species including:
- Ring-tailed lemurs
- Scottish wildcats
- Red-necked wallabies
- an eagle owl
- Kookaburras
- Fallow deer
- Donkeys
- Bantam chickens
- And more!
Scottish Wildcats Drawing Competition
Are you a young person who loves animals and nature? Here’s your chance to show your creativity!
The Scottish Wildcat is a very special, endangered animal that we are lucky enough to have living in Golders Hill Park Zoo. With their thick fur, beautiful stripes, and sharp eyes, the Zoo’s Scottish Wildcats, Ruthven and Fearne, are amazing creatures.
We invite all young artists to take part in our Scottish Wildcats Drawing Competition!
How to Enter:
1. Draw your very own Scottish Wildcat.
2. Make your drawing colorful and exciting!
3. Submit your masterpiece to our competition via email : GHPZoo@cityoflondon.gov.uk, by 28 February 2025.
Enter one of two categories: aged 6 and under, or aged 7 to13. Make it clear in your entry, which category you are entering.
The winners will be chosen by the Zoo Team and will be notified by email on World Wildlife Day – Monday 3 March 2025.
The two winners will be gifted an adoption of the Scottish Wildcats for one year, including a certificate, a beautiful photo and their name displayed on the Wildcat’s enclosure. We’ll also display the winning picture entries at the Zoo.
Good luck, and may your wildcat art roar to life!
The full Terms & Conditions can be found at the bottom of this page.
Adopt an animal
Help support Golders Hill Park Zoo by adopting an animal for a year.
In return for adopting an animal, we'll give you a ’thank you' pack containing a certificate and a photograph of your animal.
Find out more about our adopt an animal scheme.
Support us
You can help support the Zoo by making a donation. All money collected will go directly to the Zoo and will be used to help feed the animals, for enrichment and for making improvements to their enclosures.
The future of the Zoo
The Zoo will be undergoing a series of changes over the coming years, with our collection will be re-focused to reflect the story of ‘Wildlife in Britain’ and its links to Hampstead Heath.
To accommodate the collection changes, we'll be making improvements to the Zoo's enclosures, enhancing the habitats of the existing enclosures, and building new enclosures to house new additions to the collection.
Following the changes the animals housed within the Zoo will tell the story of ‘Wildlife in Britain’.
Conservation
In the summer months, the Zoo team also spend time surveying areas in the Park to record what wildlife can be seen. The regularly survey for: butterflies, bumblebees, damselfly and dragonflies.
The History of the Zoo
Sir Samuel Scott and Master Frank Walker donate deer to the Park
Hon. Lionel Walter Rothschild MP donates two emus, two kangaroos and two rheas
Captain RW Templeton donates a black bear for two years
The British Bee Keepers Association install hives at the Zoo
The Zoo's stock is reduced as permission is given for the animals to be killed if their food was unavailable due to rationing
Post-war development sees red deer, a white stag, wallabies, rabbits and guinea pigs added to the collection
The Greater London Council take over management of the Zoo and replace its red deer with fallow deer and add Chinese water deer, soy sheep and wallabies to the collection
Flamingos, rheas, sarus cranes and several domestic species join the collection
The City of London Corporation takes on management of the Heath, Park and Zoo
The Zoo joins the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and ring-tailed lemurs, coati, kookaburras and other animals are added to the collection
Plans to redevelop the Zoo commence with a move towards a stronger association with native British wildlife.
Two Scottish Wildcats are added to the collection. A male, Ruthven, and female, Fearne, are a non-breeding pair and part of an important conservation plan to protect this endangered species.
- Entry to the competition is free.
- Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
- There are two categories: 6 years and under, 7-13years old. All entrants must be in the correct category for their age.
- Each entrant may only submit one drawing.
- By submitting your entry, you agree to the City of London Corporation displaying your child's drawing, if it is a winning entry, and in wider communications including social media, newsletters, website and any other communications that might be relevant.
- If shortlisted as a winner, you agree to us using your child's name in communications about the competition.
- The deadline for submissions is midnight on Friday 28 February 2025. A photograph or scan of the drawing should be emailed to: GHPzoo@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
- The winners will be selected by the Zoo Team and winners will be notified by email on Monday 3 March 2025.
- The winner for each category will be given an annual adoption of the Scottish Wildcats which includes a certificate, a photograph and their name displayed on a sign near the wildcat enclosure.
- Confidentiality and Data Protection. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current (UK) data protection legislation and in accordance with our Data Protection and Privacy Policy.