Rare Species Conservation Centre

The Rare Species Conservation Centre once stood in the Kent countryside just outside Sandwich. It began in 2006 as a small children’s zoo called The Monkey Rainforest, showing lemurs, cats, birds and reptiles. By 2010 the park could no longer stay open every day and closed for a while. It reopened in 2011 with fewer visitors, then closed again the same summer. In 2014 it returned with new animals such as tarsiers and cuscus before finally shutting in August 2015. The centre specialised in lesser-known rare and endangered species from around the world. Its collection included the Bali starling, Victoria crowned pigeon, clouded leopard, cotton-top tamarin and Malayan tiger. Visitors could see mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians grouped by continent. The site aimed to teach people about the plight of these animals and to support their conservation. Inside, a covered rainforest housed animals from Australasia and the Americas. A stream wound through the exhibit past two waterfalls and two large ponds. Outside, one area focused on Madagascar’s wildlife and another on South-East Asian species. The whole site covered 1.5 acres, with plans once proposed to expand to five acres.