OUR HISTORY

Steve Nichols founded the Parrot Zoo Trust in the early 1990s after many years studying the behaviour of parrots and realising there were very few sources of information about these special and endangered creatures. The organisation was rst developed to help parrot owners in and around She eld, but quickly developed into a service that o ered practical guidance around the globe.

Within 12 months, Steve's work was recognised by national and local animal welfare bodies such as the RSPCA and RSPB. Steve soon became the rst and only port of call for anyone needing help with parrot-related issues.

During the next two years Steve travelled over 100,000 miles, visited over 200 people, and helped over 600 parrots. It was apparent that however good a person's intentions were towards their parrot, not everyone was able to o er them a secure, long-term home.

Steve took in a small number of parrots that needed extra help and travelled across the UK giving educational talks and information about the advantages and disadvantages of having a parrot as a family pet.

The next step was to nd a suitable location and build a sanctuary where Steve could dedicate his time and e ort to o ering long term care and rehabilitation for birds and to create a safe environment for people to visit and learn. The perfect site was identi ed in rural Lincolnshire. The land was a at, featureless one-acre piece, and the perfect blank canvas.

In June 2003, the Trust, now based in Friskney, Lincolnshire, was granted a Licence and opened its doors to the public. And, as they say, the rest is history.

The Charity still has Steve at the helm guiding us, along with a team of dedicated and enthusiastic Trustees. We have expanded to cover an area of over 25 acres and receive more than 300,000 email and telephone enquiries, and 80,000 visitors each year. The Parrot Sanctuary remains truly unique and is the largest facility of its kind in the UK, it is the most important part of the Trust's work and the core reason we exist.

The Trust celebrates twenty years as a Charity in 2023 and has changed beyond all recognition over the years; now supporting and providing sanctuary for a variety of mammals and birds including the largest collection of Bengal Tigers in the UK.

We remain committed to providing a forever home to exotic animals, with over 99.8% of our residents having been rescued. Steve remains at the helm, dedicating over 30 years of his life to the care and wellbeing of animals. Steve still provides information and guidance to parrot owners across the UK and beyond. He works every day on site, dedicating his time and energy to its residents.