Harewood House in Leeds announces closure of its bird garden after worries it is 'not up to par' with other zoos

A statement published to Harewood House’s website read: “The last few years have been especially difficult, particularly in light of Covid-19, and as we enter 2023 we are all acutely aware of the financial pressures that we face. Harewood’s Bird Garden is now over 50 years old and, as visitors have pointed out to us consistently over the past few years, the birds’ environment is not on a par with more up-to-date zoos.”

The statement went on to say that after researching options to maintain the Bird Garden, a huge £4 million investment would have been needed to sustain the site’s physical infrastructure. As a result of this, the Harewood House Trust said it had to make the “incredibly difficult decision” to close the garden.

Emily Shard, chair of Harewood House Trust, said: “Harewood and the Lascelles family have long been committed to the care and conservation of wildlife and nature, but the wellbeing of the birds is paramount. The investment needed to create a modern zoo and maintain this each year is too much for the Trust to afford.”

Over the next six months, all of the birds will be rehomed at various locations across the UK, with the official closure date to be published later in the year. In its place, a new woodland garden will be opened, where members of the public can observe woodland and wildlife.

The Trust has also stated it will recreate some historic walks in the new woodland garden, including expanding the South Park walk that opened in 2021.