Bosses of Wolds Wildlife Park in Horncastle confirm it will reopen after maintenance works are complete despite announcing closure hours earlier

Owners of an award-winning wildlife park have confirmed it will return after maintenance work is completed — despite earlier announcing its closure.

Wolds Wildlife Park in Horncastle announced on social media today that it will not reopen as it has “very few viable options remaining” to help keep the venture going.

However, co-founder Andrew Riddle has now said it will welcome visitors “as soon as the behind-the-scenes maintenance work is complete”.

A Facebook post that the business shared just after 11am today, said that Andrew and his business partner Tracy Walters have “irreconcilable differences in the future direction of the park” and therefore could not carry on, leaving hundreds of people in the comments distraught.

One Facebook user said: “This is absolutely heart-breaking to hear, this park was my happy place”.

Another added: “Devastated. Such a lovely place with well-cared-for animals.”

However, Andrew has said this is not the case, adding: “We are looking forward to opening up the gates in 2024 - the staff and animals have missed seeing you all.”

The wildlife park first opened in 2019 and in 2021 won the Great Day Out Award, the Visitor Attraction Visit England award and the Platinum award for 'Loo of the Year'.

It is also ranked as one of the best zoos to visit in the UK and Europe based on TripAdvisor and Google reviews and featured on an ITV documentary with Ross Kemp ‘Britain’s Tiger Kings’ that same year.

Have you visited this zoo? Let us know in the comments…