TV and movie zoo set to close

A private zoo that starred in dozens of films and TV shows, including the Harry Potter films and episodes of Doctor Who, is closing.

Heythrop Zoological Gardens, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire zoo, announced it would shut at the end of this month when its owner retires.

Jim Clubb founded the zoo and its film and TV arm, Amazing Animals, in 1977. It has also become known for offering animal encounters and has taken penguins on the road to visit care homes and hospices.

Now 71, Clubb said the decision to close "has not been taken lightly" and thanked people for their support over the years.

He established the zoo with his late ex-wife Sally. By 1988, work on a dedicated location for film and television was underway.

"It was always my dream to have a private zoo but I had to be able to support it.

"It has been my entire life. I have enjoyed every moment," he said.

Clubb explained Heythrop was designed as an exaggerated version of a classic zoo with modern animal care at its heart, making it the perfect film or TV location.

It became one of the largest animal training centres for the audio-visual industry, with films, including The Legend of Tarzan and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, shot at its studio.

"The zoo was unique, it was the only the only one of its kind in the world.

"I loved the classic zoo architecture, I designed the giraffe house based on London Zoo's, which is a listed building," he said.

The zoo also featured in numerous TV dramas, including A Touch of Frost, while its staff worked on Hollywood blockbusters including Stardust, Jurassic World and Mission Impossible.

Clubb said: "I enjoyed doing the film Fierce Creatures, with John Cleese, and Our Zoo for the BBC."

The last film he worked on was Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which is due to be released in July.

The zoo was never open to the public but welcomed visitors in for encounters, parties and open days. In recent years, it became known for its penguins and monkeys visiting care homes.

"The joy it gave residents was enormous. We were inundated with requests, even after we announced the closure," Clubb said.

All of the zoo's animals have been found new homes at zoos or private collections across the country.

The penguins are due to be transported to a private collector next week.

Clubb said he has many plans for his retirement including caring for his reptiles and tropical fish and continuing to write historical animal books with his son Jamie.

He said the site and its Cotswold stone buildings will be repurposed as storage units.