A cherished Oxfordshire wildlife attraction has shut its gates for the final time, with its proprietor calling the closure the conclusion of a significant chapter.

Heythrop Zoo, operating under the name Amazing Animals, revealed this week that operations would cease at the month’s conclusion.

Founding the business in 1977 alongside his spouse Sally, owner and co-founder Jim Clubb had aspired to establish one of Britain’s foremost providers of trained animals for screen productions.

Clubb expressed that discussing the matter proved challenging, as the situation brought considerable sadness to everyone involved. Approximately two years prior, the couple arrived at the decision due to his retirement, acknowledging his son’s disinterest in assuming control, which he fully comprehended given the venture originated as his personal ambition.

Both Clubb and his wife possessed backgrounds in animal training, establishing their animal training enterprise roughly a decade prior to constructing Heythrop Zoological Gardens.

Constructed in 1988 as a purpose-built filming location for European television and cinema work, the facility subsequently provided creatures for acclaimed productions including the Harry Potter franchise, Mission: Impossible, The Mummy Returns, Stardust, Nativity, Sweeney Todd and The Golden Compass.

The venue’s final shoot involved director Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film Odyssey, for which the company provided a tiger, leopard and black panther.

All residents have now been relocated, with the remaining animals departing the following week following a two-year rehoming process.

Clubb noted that some creatures found destinations in the local area, while numerous others went to fellow collections or zoological establishments run by individuals previously connected to their programme. Many remained relatively close by, permitting future visits if desired. After decades of operation, the occasion carried profound sadness for the family, and among the workforce, discussing the matter openly proved challenging as it marked the conclusion of an era.

The half-century venture represented a considerable accomplishment for its proprietor, though he detailed how trading conditions had been severely affected by the health crisis, which compounded the gradual reduction in employing genuine animals for filming as computer-generated imagery and technical innovations advanced.

Escorting creatures to residential care facilities and educational establishments constituted one of the proprietor’s most treasured aspects, with such excursions forming a substantial component of the operation.

The establishment assisted employees in transitioning to alternative positions within the sector, numerous remaining in the vicinity, and Clubb indicated his enthusiasm for unusual species would persist indefinitely. He intended to maintain personal collections of reptiles and exotic fish as recreational interests, ensuring he would never be entirely separated from the animal world.