The past 12 months have been filled with advances for rare and endangered species and enhanced opportunities for the public to connect with wildlife and enjoy its magical appeal.
Here are 12 of the best pictures from the year spanning each month according to the park:
9. Summer Lion Country YWP 3.jpg
The sunny summer brought record numbers of visitors while staff made sure the 450 animals, from 60 rare endangered species, chilled out with an ingenious set of treats ranging from fish blood ice pops to frozen carrots. Photo: YWP
10. September- Red pandas.jpg
The Three As – Alice, Ariel and Aurora – made a stunning sight at the Himalayan Pass in September. The Red Panda sisters, born in June 2019, have favourtie spots to sleep high up in the reserve’s trees but they also love visitors. The species is, despite their name, most closely related to Weasels and Racoons. Photo: YWP
11. October Giant Otters.jpg
These otter-ly fabulous triplets ventured out into the reserve in October, three months after their birth at the park. The giant otter pups, who have yet to be named, plunged into their pool and rolled around on the grass under the watchful gaze of parents Alexandra and Orimar and the delight of visitors. Photo: YWP
12. November.jpg
Love is in the air! Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s breeding pair of Eastern Black Rhinos, Najuma and Makibo, – saw eye-to-eye as they were reunited in their home on the Into Africa reserve. The park is part of an international breeding programme to help secure the future of the species, whose population declined by 96% between 1970 and 1992, caused primarily by poaching. But global conservation efforts, including work by the park’s Wildlife Foundation, helped numbers grow by 12% Photo: YWP