A new jungle learning experience in Pudsey Park is set to open next month, the company behind the initiative has revealed.
WLD reported in April that Junglebox Ltd has started work to convert the former park glasshouse into a rainforest and cafe, which will be called The Really Wild Zoo.
The glasshouse at Pudsey Park has been derelict for six years, but is now set to reopen as The Really Wild Zoo on 10 July 2026.
A central clearing in the rainforest site is set to include a dedicated teaching space.
Junglebox director Andrew Stephenson provided an update on progress on social media this week. He said: “This greenhouse was shut down and wasn’t watered for quite a long time, years in fact.
“In the area we are using for our cafe, the plants had died because they were sitting on a kind of plastic sheet.”
He said some of the other plants in other areas have put roots ‘down and out of the greenhouse. And that means from our point of view, having watered consistently since then, most of the plants have recovered’.
He added: “Once we remove all the leaves and the dead branches we think that this is pretty much good to go. We’ll put some other stuff in and there’s new stuff growing as we speak. So I’m very excited about this.”
A full-size orange tree was growing in the glasshouse, and he was confident of getting bananas growing again.
He said ‘lots of work’ was needed to get rid of dead trees, leaves and plants and appealed for volunteers to help with the work.
A special behind-the-scene evening will be held at The Really Wild Zoo this September where attendees can enjoy a night of animal action, delicious food and drink and VIP treatment while helping the restoration of the buildings. Tickets are available on the crowdfunding page here.
Check out the Really Wild Zoo’s Facebook page here.
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