Battle · 8 companies
Zoos
Conservation charities with a ticket office. Who's thriving?
Twycross Zoo leads on pre-tax profit, profit margin and growth; London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) on turnover and net assets. London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) is the biggest by turnover at £93m, against £71m at Chester Zoo. Twycross Zoo keeps the most of every £100 it takes, £18.22 as pre-tax profit.
The year ends are up to 12 months apart, so this compares each company's most recent filing rather than the same twelve months. Chester Zoo, Port Lympne and Howletts, Marwell Zoo, Bristol Zoo Project and Banham Zoo file group accounts that include subsidiaries; Twycross Zoo files for a single company, which flatters the groups on size.
Accounts compared: London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) to Apr 2025 · Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) to Dec 2025 · Chester Zoo to Dec 2025 · Port Lympne and Howletts to Dec 2025 · Twycross Zoo to Dec 2025 · Marwell Zoo to Dec 2025 · Bristol Zoo Project to Dec 2025 · Banham Zoo to Dec 2024
The Numbers
| # | Company | Turnover | Change | Pre-tax profit | Margin | Employees | Pay per head | Turnover per head | Net assets | Bank and cash | Accounts to | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)Zoological Society of London (London Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo) | £93m | +11.3% | £1.8m | 1.9% | 957 | £41,000 | £97,000 | £95m | £25m | Apr 2025 | n/d |
| 2 | Chester ZooNorth of England Zoological Society (The) | £71m | +11.7% | -£0.7m | -1.0% | 684 | £44,000 | £103,000 | £65m | £5m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 3 | Port Lympne and HowlettsThe Howletts Wild Animal Trust | £31m | +14.2% | £0.7m | 2.3% | 422 | £37,000 | £73,000 | £0.2m | £9k | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 4 | Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS)Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (Edinburgh Zoo, Highland Wildlife Park) | £26m | +6.5% | -£0.3m | -1.1% | 336 | £31,000 | £78,000 | £34m | £5m | Dec 2025 | n/d |
| 5 | Twycross ZooTwycross Global Conservation Society | £23m | +51.5% | £4m | 18.2% | 181 | £27,000 | £129,000 | £24m | £2m | Dec 2025 | Single company |
| 6 | Marwell ZooMarwell Wildlife | £12m | +0.6% | -£1.5m | -11.8% | 186 | £35,000 | £67,000 | £16m | £3m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 7 | Bristol Zoo ProjectBristol Clifton and West of England Zoological Society Limited | £10m | +26.6% | -£0.3m | -2.7% | 146 | £34,000 | £66,000 | £44m | £2m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 8 | Banham ZooThe Zoological Society of East Anglia Limited | £6m | -14.1% | -£0.5m | -8.1% | 172 | £14,000 | £36,000 | £2m | £52k | Dec 2024 | Group |
Ranked by turnover. Click any column to sort. The leader on each measure is highlighted. Movements are against each company's own prior year. Pre-tax profit is filed except where marked (est.).
Category winners
Biggest by turnover
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)
£93m
Most pre-tax profit
Twycross Zoo
£4m
Highest profit margin
Twycross Zoo
18.2%
Fastest-growing turnover
Twycross Zoo
+51.5%
Biggest employer
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)
957 staff
Highest pay per head
Chester Zoo
£44,000
Most turnover per head
Twycross Zoo
£129,000
Largest net assets
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)
£95m
Most cash
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)
£25m
The Takeaway
- Twycross Zoo converts the most of its turnover. Of every £100, £18.22 reaches pre-tax profit, against a loss of £11.81 at Marwell Zoo.
- London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) is the largest on the top line, £93m of turnover, 1.3x Chester Zoo's £71m.
- Twycross Zoo is growing fastest, turnover +51.5% on its own prior year. Banham Zoo went backwards.
- London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) is the biggest employer with 957 people; Chester Zoo pays the most per head, an average staff cost of about £44,000.
- London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) has the largest balance sheet, net assets of £95m.
Who keeps the most of every £100 of sales?
Twycross Zoo keeps the most: £18.22 of every £100 of turnover becomes pre-tax profit. Marwell Zoo does worst, losing £11.81.
Financing bites hardest at Twycross Zoo: £3.70 of every £100 goes on interest.
Every profit figure here is the one the company filed.
The chart splits each company's turnover into £100: what goes on people, on interest and on everything else, and what is left as profit.
Out of every £100 of turnover
Each bar is £100 of that company's own turnover, so companies of any size compare on one scale; the figures are pounds out of each £100, not millions. Companies run from the best margin to the worst. Payroll is staff costs, financing is interest paid, other running costs are everything else, and profit is pre-tax profit, filed or estimated as marked in the table. A loss is not an extra cost: it is the part of the costs that runs past the £100 line, marked with a red bracket. Hover over any segment for its figure.
Who is the biggest, and does the comparison hold?
By turnover the order is London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) (£93m), Chester Zoo (£71m), Port Lympne and Howletts (£31m), Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) (£26m), Twycross Zoo (£23m), Marwell Zoo (£12m), Bristol Zoo Project (£10m), Banham Zoo (£6m).
By headcount, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) leads with 957 employees.
The comparison holds with the dates stated plainly: London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) to Apr 2025, Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) to Dec 2025, Chester Zoo to Dec 2025, Port Lympne and Howletts to Dec 2025, Twycross Zoo to Dec 2025, Marwell Zoo to Dec 2025, Bristol Zoo Project to Dec 2025, Banham Zoo to Dec 2024. The bases differ: group accounts include the businesses a company owns, single-company accounts do not.
Turnover on the latest filing
Who is growing fastest?
Twycross Zoo grew fastest, turnover +51.5% on its own prior year, ahead of Bristol Zoo Project (+26.6%), Port Lympne and Howletts (+14.2%), Chester Zoo (+11.7%), London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) (+11.3%), Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) (+6.5%), Marwell Zoo (+0.6%), Banham Zoo (-14.1%).
Turnover change on each company's own prior year
Who employs the most, who pays the most, and who brings in the most per head?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) employs the most, 957 people, against 684 at Chester Zoo.
Chester Zoo has the highest average staff cost, about £44,000 a head; Banham Zoo the lowest, about £14,000.
Twycross Zoo brings in the most turnover per employee, about £129,000, against £36,000 at Banham Zoo. It says as much about the business model as the workforce: a marketplace or a wholesaler needs far fewer people per pound than a restaurant or a gym.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL)
957
employees, about £41,000 pay a head, £97,000 turnover a head
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS)
336
employees, about £31,000 pay a head, £78,000 turnover a head
Chester Zoo
684
employees, about £44,000 pay a head, £103,000 turnover a head, +3.0% on the year
Port Lympne and Howletts
422
employees, about £37,000 pay a head, £73,000 turnover a head, +3.2% on the year
Twycross Zoo
181
employees, about £27,000 pay a head, £129,000 turnover a head, +6.5% on the year
Marwell Zoo
186
employees, about £35,000 pay a head, £67,000 turnover a head, +1.6% on the year
Bristol Zoo Project
146
employees, about £34,000 pay a head, £66,000 turnover a head, +3.5% on the year
Banham Zoo
172
employees, about £14,000 pay a head, £36,000 turnover a head, +47.0% on the year
Who owns each one?
Ownership as recorded on the Companies House register of people with significant control, in the bands the register uses.
A Royal Charter charity
Charity incorporated under Royal Charter (registered charity 208728; Royal Charter RC000749). It has no shareholders and publishes its accounts in an annual report, not at Companies House.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) · annual reportA Royal Charter charity
Royal Charter society (instituted 1913) and Scottish registered charity SC004064; not registered at Companies House. It has no shareholders and publishes its accounts in an annual report, not at Companies House.
North of England Zoological Society (The) · 00287902No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control. 2 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Chester Zoo →
The Howletts Wild Animal Trust · 04711904Held by Mr John Damian Androcles Aspinall
An individual recorded as a person with significant control. 3 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Port Lympne and Howletts →
Twycross Global Conservation Society · 01060956No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control. 6 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Twycross Zoo →
Marwell Wildlife · 01355272No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control. 2 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Marwell Zoo →
Bristol Clifton and West of England Zoological Society Limited · 05154176No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control. 7 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Bristol Zoo Project →
The Zoological Society of East Anglia Limited · 08250951No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control. 3 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Banham Zoo →
What does the full ledger show?
| Measure | London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) | Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) | Chester Zoo | Port Lympne and Howletts | Twycross Zoo | Marwell Zoo | Bristol Zoo Project | Banham Zoo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered name | Zoological Society of London (London Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo) | Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (Edinburgh Zoo, Highland Wildlife Park) | NORTH OF ENGLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY (THE) | THE HOWLETTS WILD ANIMAL TRUST | TWYCROSS GLOBAL CONSERVATION SOCIETY | MARWELL WILDLIFE | BRISTOL CLIFTON AND WEST OF ENGLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY LIMITED | THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF EAST ANGLIA LIMITED |
| Company number | Not a company: annual report | Not a company: annual report | 00287902 | 04711904 | 01060956 | 01355272 | 05154176 | 08250951 |
| Incorporated | n/d | n/d | 1934 | 2003 | 1972 | 1978 | 2004 | 2012 |
| Accounts filed | 19 February 2026 | 30 April 2026 | 21 September 2026 | 29 September 2026 | 7 October 2026 | 2 July 2026 | 13 October 2026 | 30 September 2025 |
| Turnover, prior year | £83m | £25m | £63m | £27m | £15m | £12m | £8m | £7m |
| Pre-tax profit, prior year | n/d | n/d | £2m | £19k | -£1.4m | -£0.4m | -£2m | -£1.2m |
| Staff costs | £39m | £10m | £30m | £15m | £5m | £6m | £5m | £2m |
| Payroll share of turnover | 42.6% | 39.3% | 42.9% | 50.1% | 20.6% | 51.5% | 50.6% | 38.5% |
| Employees, prior year | n/d | n/d | 664 | 409 | 170 | 183 | 141 | 117 |
| Dividends paid | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d |
| Charges outstanding | undefined | undefined | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d; a zero in a filing is treated as not disclosed. Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, above that to the nearest million.
Zoos: common questions
Who is the biggest of London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS), Chester Zoo, Port Lympne and Howletts, Twycross Zoo, Marwell Zoo, Bristol Zoo Project or Banham Zoo?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m in the year to April 2025.
Which makes the most profit?
Twycross Zoo: £4m pre-tax in the year to December 2025.
Which employs the most people?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with 957 employees in its latest accounts.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS): which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £26m at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) on their latest filings. On margin, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Chester Zoo: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £71m at Chester Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Port Lympne and Howletts: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £31m at Port Lympne and Howletts on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Twycross Zoo: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £23m at Twycross Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Marwell Zoo: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £12m at Marwell Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL), with turnover of £93m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, London Zoo and Whipsnade (ZSL) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Chester Zoo: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £26m at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) on their latest filings. On margin, Chester Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Port Lympne and Howletts: which is bigger?
Port Lympne and Howletts, with turnover of £31m against £26m at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Twycross Zoo: which is bigger?
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS), with turnover of £26m against £23m at Twycross Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Marwell Zoo: which is bigger?
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS), with turnover of £26m against £12m at Marwell Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS), with turnover of £26m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS), with turnover of £26m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Chester Zoo or Port Lympne and Howletts: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £31m at Port Lympne and Howletts on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Chester Zoo or Twycross Zoo: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £23m at Twycross Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Chester Zoo or Marwell Zoo: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £12m at Marwell Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Chester Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Chester Zoo or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, Chester Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Chester Zoo or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Chester Zoo, with turnover of £71m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Chester Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Port Lympne and Howletts or Twycross Zoo: which is bigger?
Port Lympne and Howletts, with turnover of £31m against £23m at Twycross Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Port Lympne and Howletts or Marwell Zoo: which is bigger?
Port Lympne and Howletts, with turnover of £31m against £12m at Marwell Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Port Lympne and Howletts or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
Port Lympne and Howletts, with turnover of £31m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Port Lympne and Howletts or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Port Lympne and Howletts, with turnover of £31m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Port Lympne and Howletts keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Twycross Zoo or Marwell Zoo: which is bigger?
Twycross Zoo, with turnover of £23m against £12m at Marwell Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Twycross Zoo or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
Twycross Zoo, with turnover of £23m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Twycross Zoo or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Twycross Zoo, with turnover of £23m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Twycross Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Marwell Zoo or Bristol Zoo Project: which is bigger?
Marwell Zoo, with turnover of £12m against £10m at Bristol Zoo Project on their latest filings. On margin, Bristol Zoo Project keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Marwell Zoo or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Marwell Zoo, with turnover of £12m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Banham Zoo keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Bristol Zoo Project or Banham Zoo: which is bigger?
Bristol Zoo Project, with turnover of £10m against £6m at Banham Zoo on their latest filings. On margin, Bristol Zoo Project keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Where do these figures come from?
Each company's latest accounts filed at Companies House. Each links to its full Spark Intel profile, which names the filing it comes from.
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