{{short description|Television documentary about keepers and animals at Longleat Safari Park, UK}} {{about|the TV documentary|the children's TV series|Animal Park (1991 TV series)|animal parks in general|Safari park|and|Zoo}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox television | image = Animal Park.jpg | caption = Title screen | runtime = 15&ndash;60 minutes | creator = | developer = | theme_music_composer = Simon May | presenter = {{Plainlist| * Kate Humble * Ben Fogle (2001–present) * Hamza Yassin (2021–present) * Megan McCubbin (2022–present) * Paul Heiney (2000) * Jean Johansson (2016–2021) }} | starring = | executive_producer = | location = Longleat Safari Park | country = United Kingdom | language = English | company = BBC, Endemol UK | channel = BBC One (2000–2002, 2016–present)<br>BBC Two (2004–2009) | first_aired = {{Start date|2000|07|10|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|2009|03|25|df=y}} | first_aired2 = {{Start date|2016|08|22|df=y}} | last_aired2 = present | num_series = {{Plainlist| * 21 (main series) * 2 (Wild in Africa) * 1 (Wild on the West Coast) }} | num_episodes = {{Plainlist| * 286 (main series) * 25 (Wild in Africa) * 10 (Wild on the West Coast) }} | related = {{Plainlist| * ''The Lions of Longleat'' * ''Lion Country'' }} }} '''''Animal Park''''' is a BBC television documentary series about the lives of keepers and animals at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park, Wiltshire, England. The show is presented by Kate Humble, Ben Fogle and Megan McCubbin, with appearances by members of Longleat staff and the landowners, the Thynn family.

As of August 2025, there have been 21 series of the programme as well as three special series, usually shown during school holidays and broadcast on weekdays in the daytime as daily episodes.

==Content== Programmes show the animals, keepers, and day-to-day running of the safari park. Some of the animals captured the hearts of the viewing public, including the tiger 'Kadu', rhinos 'Babs' and 'Winston', and Europe's oldest male silverback gorilla, 'Nico'.

Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath, owner of the Longleat estate until his death on 4 April 2020, appeared regularly in the show. ''Animal Park'' also documents the running of Longleat House and the ongoing preservation of its historic contents.

==History==

=== Predecessors === ''The Lions of Longleat'' is a 1967 BBC One documentary about the newly opened safari park with commentary by Lord Bath and Jimmy Chipperfield.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d629ba85e9b04a5a989460069f8c938d |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218150849/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d629ba85e9b04a5a989460069f8c938d |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2017 |title=The Lions of Longleat – BBC One London – 12 November 1967 |journal=The Radio Times |date=9 November 1967 |issue=2296 |page=15 |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref> Another series, ''Lion Country'', aired between 1998 and 1999 with a total of 55 episodes.

===Original series=== The first series of ''Animal Park'', originally broadcast in 2000 on BBC One, was presented by Kate Humble and Paul Heiney.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/dd683c18f8f84afebfc983ca723c2540 |title=Animal Park - BBC One London - 20 July 2000 |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=7 November 2015 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209191251/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/dd683c18f8f84afebfc983ca723c2540 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In series two, Heiney was replaced by Ben Fogle. Altogether, there were nine series and 150 episodes of ''Animal Park'', with the last episode originally airing on 25 March 2009.

===Spin-offs=== There have been two spin-offs from the main series. ''Animal Park: Wild in Africa'' was originally broadcast in 2005 on BBC Two.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/24e573f559684e2387f3c5ce05c910db |title=Animal Park - Wild in Africa - BBC Two England - 5 April 2005 |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=7 November 2015 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209191257/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/24e573f559684e2387f3c5ce05c910db |url-status=dead }}</ref> Set in Namibia, it documented the work of wildlife conservationists.

Another spin-off, ''Animal Park: Wild on the West Coast'', had a similar format in California, and was originally broadcast in 2007 on BBC Two.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/09bc040174584ceb91f8254cf805d6ca |title=Animal Park: Wild on the West Coast - BBC Two England - 23 July 2007 |publisher=BBC Genome |access-date=7 November 2015 |archive-date=19 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919160944/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/09bc040174584ceb91f8254cf805d6ca |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2016 revival=== In 2016, the BBC announced that ''Animal Park'' would return for a tenth series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Longleat Safari Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/takepart/animal_park|title=Take part in Animal Park series 10|publisher=BBC|access-date=9 May 2016|archive-date=5 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405071920/http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/takepart/animal_park|url-status=dead}}</ref> This series aired for five episodes in August 2016 in a daytime slot. The show was renamed ''Animal Park: Summer Special'' and was presented by Kate Humble and Ben Fogle, with Jean Johansson as a reporter.

An eleventh series was broadcast in 2017. Five episodes aired during Easter, with a further ten airing during the summer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/15131967.Animal_Park_to_return_to_Longleat_with_new_major_series/|title=Animal Park to return to Longleat with new major series|last=Murray|first=Robin|date=3 March 2017|website=Wiltshire Times|language=en|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303141838/http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/15131967.Animal_Park_to_return_to_Longleat_with_new_major_series/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Animal Park: Summer Special'', series twelve, was aired in August 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tv.bt.com/tv/tv-news/when-is-animal-park-summer-special-on-who-are-the-presenters-where-is-it-filmed-11364286886789/|title=When is Animal Park Summer Special on? Who are the presenters? Where is it filmed?|last=Archer|first=Kate|date=5 August 2018|website=BT TV|language=en|access-date=8 August 2018|archive-date=8 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808233942/http://tv.bt.com/tv/tv-news/when-is-animal-park-summer-special-on-who-are-the-presenters-where-is-it-filmed-11364286886789/|url-status=live}}</ref> Episode 3 celebrated the life of the gorilla 'Nico', who died in January 2018 at the age of 56.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Animal Park Summer Special 2018 - episode 3 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bffwkp |series=Animal Park |network=BBC One |date=8 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/nico-the-gorilla|title=Nico the Gorilla|date=9 January 2018|website=Longleat|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-date=8 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808234057/https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/nico-the-gorilla|url-status=live}}</ref> Episode 7 featured wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, who used his remote-control BeetleCam to take a series of close-up photographs of the animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/beetlecam-gets-bugs-eye-view-of-longleats-big-four|title=BeetleCam gets bug's eye view of Longleat's Big Four|accessdate=31 August 2018|archive-date=1 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901044540/https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/beetlecam-gets-bugs-eye-view-of-longleats-big-four|url-status=live}}</ref>

Humble and Fogle continued as presenters for the 2019 and 2020 series.

Series fourteen, episode 4 (first aired in August 2020) celebrated the life of the former owner of the Longleat estate, Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath, who died in April 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-04-05|title=Lord Bath dies after contracting coronavirus|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-52173794|access-date=2020-08-20|archive-date=5 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405170509/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-52173794|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Animal Park - Summer 2020: Episode 4|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lwk8|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-08-20|archive-date=9 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209191243/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lwk8|url-status=live}}</ref> His son Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess and his wife Emma have since appeared on several episodes.

Series fifteen, aired in December 2020, had a Christmas theme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000c63s/episodes/guide|title=BBC One - Animal Park, Christmas Special - Episode guide|access-date=31 January 2021|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204174646/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000c63s/episodes/guide|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin joined the presenting team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2022 |title=BBC One - Animal Park, Summer 2021, Episode 1 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ypnt |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Series seventeen aired in August 2022, with Megan McCubbin replacing Johansson.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 July 2022 |title=Zoologist Megan McCubbin joins BBC One's Animal Park presenting team |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/megan-mccubbin-animal-park |access-date=6 December 2022 |website=BBC Media Centre}}</ref>

==Transmissions== ===Main series=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Series !! Start date !! End date !! Episodes !! Channel |- | '''1''' || 10 July 2000 || 21 July 2000 || 10 || rowspan=3|BBC One |- | '''2''' || 9 July 2001 || 20 July 2001 || 10 |- | '''3''' || 7 May 2002 || 26 August 2002 || 25 |- | '''4''' || 23 February 2004 || 26 March 2004 || 25 || rowspan=6|BBC Two |- | '''5''' || 6 September 2004 || 13 October 2004 || 25 |- | '''6''' || 22 August 2005 || 9 September 2005 || 15 |- | '''7''' || 21 August 2006 || 8 September 2006 || 15 |- | '''8''' || 7 January 2008 || 20 January 2008 || 10 |- | '''9''' || 5 January 2009 || 25 March 2009 || 15 |- | '''10''' || 22 August 2016 || 26 August 2016 || 5 || rowspan="12" |BBC One |- | '''11''' || 10 April 2017 || 11 August 2017 || 15 |- | '''12''' || 6 August 2018 || 24 August 2018 || 15 |- | '''13''' || 5 August 2019 || 23 August 2019 || 15 |- | '''14''' || 17 August 2020 || 4 September 2020 || 15 |- |'''15''' || 14 December 2020 || 18 December 2020 || 6 |- |'''16''' || 9 August 2021 || 27 August 2021 || 15 |- | '''17''' || 8 August 2022 || 25 August 2022 || 15 |- | '''18''' || 7 August 2023 || 25 August 2023 || 15 |- | '''19''' || 12 August 2024 || 23 August 2024 || 10 |- | '''20''' || 16 December 2024 || 20 December 2024 || 5 |- | '''21''' || 28 July 2025 || 15 August 2025 || 15 |} Some episodes from series six and eight have been re-edited into 15, 25, 30 and 45-minute programmes to be repeated and used as schedule fillers.

===''Animal Park: Wild in Africa''=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Series<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qtz9/episodes/guide|title=BBC Two - Animal Park: Wild in Africa - Episode guide|access-date=30 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602234147/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qtz9/episodes/guide|url-status=live}}</ref> !! Start date !! End date !! Episodes !! Channel |- | '''1''' || 4 April 2005 || 6 May 2005 || 10 || rowspan="2"|BBC Two |- | '''2''' || 27 February 2006<ref>{{cite web | url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7ffe0b72190b4f9d854171229e67a6d8 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520181542/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7ffe0b72190b4f9d854171229e67a6d8 | url-status=dead | archive-date=20 May 2022 | title=BBC Programme Index }}</ref> || 17 March 2006<ref>{{cite web | url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d0762fc38bb44f6cbda6e8e9c9c36e19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520181640/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d0762fc38bb44f6cbda6e8e9c9c36e19 | url-status=dead | archive-date=20 May 2022 | title=BBC Programme Index }}</ref> || 15 |}

===''Animal Park: Wild on the West Coast''=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Series<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008ttgx/episodes/guide|title=BBC Two - Animal Park: Wild on the West Coast - Episode guide|access-date=30 May 2021|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603034607/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008ttgx/episodes/guide|url-status=live}}</ref> !! Start date !! End date !! Episodes !! Channel |- | '''1''' || 23 July 2007 || 6 August 2007 || 10 || BBC Two |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{BBC programme}} *{{IMDb title|id=0424601|title=Animal Park}} *[http://www.longleat.co.uk/explore/safari-park Longleat Safari Park's official website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090202191502/http://longleat.co.uk/animal-park.html Longleat - As featured on BBC's ''Animal Park''] (archived in 2009)

Category:BBC television documentaries Category:2000 British television series debuts Category:2000s British documentary television series Category:2010s British documentary television series Category:2020s British documentary television series Category:Films set in zoos Category:British television series revived after cancellation Category:English-language British television shows Category:Television shows set in Wiltshire