WILDHEART ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Formerly known as the Isle of Wight Zoo, the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is one of the Island’s most loved destinations, set within the ruins of a Victorian fort and ideally situated overlooking the glorious beaches of Sandown Bay.

The Sanctuary provides a wildlife haven for a host of exotic animals from Tigers and Lions to Monkeys and Cockatoos. All its animals have an amazing story to tell, including new arrivals Softi and Toph, and our expert animal carers love to share these with you. Our daily animal talks and animal encounters are where you can hear these incredible rescue stories, experience feeding some of the animals, and get to see our minibeasts and reptiles up close.

For a really personal encounter with the animals, why not sign up for a private VIP experience which allows you to go behind the scenes with your very own guide to meet and feed rescued big cats and other animals.

And for those who are not afraid of a little bit of hard work, you can extend your experience and become an animal keeper for the day, spending the whole day working alongside our staff to provide for the animals’ needs.

The Sanctuary’s new Primate rescue Domes, erected just over a year ago, have provided a wonderful home for its lemur rescues. The main dome is open to visitors over the summer meaning you can walk through the lemurs’ habitat, immersing yourself in their space as you enjoy watching them up close. These iconic domes have marked a new era in animal habitat design and are certainly worth a visit.

This summer, by popular demand, Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is delighted to announce the return of its Twilight Safaris, a firm favourite for the holiday calendar. Twilight Safaris are a unique opportunity to enjoy the Sanctuary and its animals after closing. Enjoy behind-the-scenes tours and special encounters with big cats, lemurs and farm animals as the sun sets over the island. Then, as Casper begins to roar, you can relax with a bite to eat and a glass of something cold as the animals settle down for the evening. It’s a special opportunity to enjoy the Sanctuary in a completely different light. Twilight Safaris will take place on Wednesday evenings, from the 26th July — 6pm to 8.30pm — and booking will be essential. More details can be found on their website wildheartanimalsanctuary.org.

Added to all of this are two adventure play parks suitable for ages two upwards; quiz trails and loads of activities for the kids; an amazing café with views out to sea; a shop with loads of local eco-friendly products and, for the history enthusiast, there is a historic Palmerston fort to explore, which houses the last pump used to provide fuel to the D-day landing.

With all this on offer, the Sanctuary really does promise a truly wild and wonderful day out with something for the entire family!

Dog owners and their dogs love living in the countryside! Very often, when showing prospective buyers around some of the amazing rural properties BCM sells, the subject of pets comes up in conversation. The island has miles of multi-use paths for dog-walking, but there is another side to owning a dog which can easily become a passion!

The Island is lucky enough to have its own Isle of Wight Canine Association Club, offering ringcraft training once a week, with monthly matches and open shows throughout the year. The club trainers and committee members give their time, training, and expertise on a voluntary basis. The club currently has 182 members supporting various dog breeds from across the island, with many success stories in the show circuit, including a recent best-of-breed at Crufts 2023 for the Bolognese.

Crufts is the greatest dog event in the world, organised by The Kennel Club. The show celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives, bringing together breeds from around the world for a special four-day event each year.

I was welcomed into the showing world in 2022 after collecting our Welsh Terrier puppy, Isla, from a well-established breeder in Wales. We qualified for Crufts in 2022 and 2023 after attending several championship shows across the UK.

The Welsh Terrier originates from Wales and is known for its typical terrier qualities: being happy, lively, and stubborn at times but also devoted and loving. The breed standard colour is black and tan and it is characterised by its small and sturdy size with a two-layered rough coat. The breed competes in the terrier group at Crufts, which includes 27 other terrier breeds.

Hundreds of hours of training and grooming are spent by every entrant in advance of the annual competition. It is a wonderful atmosphere on the day to appreciate the well-presented dogs from all over the world, together with spectators that all share a love of dogs.

Each dog is judged by a breed specialist who will look for all the typical qualities of the breed individually on the table, before watching the dog move on the ground. There are several classes within each overall breed class, with the winners of each class going up against each other to compete to win “best of breed” for the group. There are seven groups in total: Terrier, Gun dog, Pastoral, Working, Utility, Hound and Toy. The winners from each group are judged against each other and a final winner of Crufts is announced. The 2023 trophy was awarded to the Lagotto Romagnolo from Croatia.

I have a passion for showing and spend a lot of my spare time hand stripping and training both our Welsh terrier and Wire Fox Terrier puppy so they are ready for competitions. It’s hard work and takes dedication but offers great rewards in being part of each show and seeing them do so well.

I plan to continue my showing journey with my Welsh Terrier and am fortunate enough to have qualified for Crufts 2024 after winning our Post Graduate class this year at Crufts and recently qualifying our Wire Fox Terrier at just seven months old.