4th November 2025
Today, we’re sharing some incredibly difficult news with you. Eagle Heights is temporarily closing to the public, effective immediately, in order to protect our birds from the increasing threat of avian influenza (bird flu).
This wasn’t a decision we made lightly. Following urgent discussions with our veterinary team and careful monitoring of the situation across the UK, we’ve concluded that closing our doors is the only responsible action we can take to safeguard the lives of our birds.
Our Birds Are Currently Healthy
Please be assured — all of our birds are currently healthy. This closure is entirely preventative.
We’re not reacting to an outbreak at Eagle Heights. We’re taking proactive steps to ensure there never is one. Because if even a single bird were to contract avian influenza, the devastating outcome would likely be the euthanisation of our entire collection. We simply cannot — and will not — take that risk.
Why This Matters So Much
As you know, our birds are the heart of Eagle Heights. As a family-run organisation, these birds aren’t just animals in our care — they’re part of our family. Many of them have been here for over 20 years. Phoenix, our beautiful bald eagle. Mr Butthead, our cheeky Striated Caracara. Our majestic Barn Owl,Thelma and our Great Grey Owls. They are, in many ways, irreplaceable.
We could not take the risk of waiting until it was too late.
What This Means for Visitors
All bookings for November — both general admission and booked experiences — have been cancelled. If you had a booking with us, you’ll be receiving an email from our team with full details.
We will be contacting everyone directly once the situation becomes clearer regarding rebooking opportunities. There’s no need to contact us in the meantime — we’ll reach out to you as soon as we know more.
When Will We Reopen?
That’s the question we wish we could answer with certainty. Whether we can reopen later this year or early in 2026 depends entirely on the avian flu situation. We’re monitoring the threat closely, staying in constant contact with our veterinary team, and will make decisions based on the safety of our animals first and foremost.
We will announce our reopening as soon as it is safe to welcome you back.
The Reality We’re Facing
We want to be honest with you about what this closure means for Eagle Heights. November falls during our most financially challenging time of year — winter is always tough for us. Closing our doors means we’ll have no income at a time when we still need to cover the £38,000 monthly cost of caring for our 50+ animals.
Our birds still need feeding. Our huskies still need exercise. Our meerkats, alpacas, pigs, and all our residents still depend on us for their daily care. The bills don’t stop just because our doors are closed.
Despite the financial strain, we know this is the right thing to do. Our animals’ lives are worth more than any amount of income.
How You Can Help
If you’d like to support Eagle Heights during this incredibly challenging time, here are a few ways you can help:
Adopt an animal — Our animal adoption programme directly supports the care of our residents and includes a photo, certificate, thank-you letter, and your name on our adoption board.
Share our story — Help us reach people who might be able to support us through this difficult period.
Stay connected — Follow us on social media where we’ll be sharing updates from behind the scenes as we continue caring for our animals.
Be patient with us — We will get through this, and we will welcome you back when it’s safe to do so.
For more ways to help see our support us page.
Thank You
To everyone who has visited Eagle Heights, supported our work, and fallen in love with our animals over the years — thank you. Your understanding and support during this difficult time means everything to us.
Our birds, huskies, meerkats, and all our residents depend on us to make the tough decisions that keep them safe. That’s exactly what we’re doing.
We’ll be in touch as soon as we have more clarity on the situation. Until then, please know that we’re doing everything in our power to protect the animals we love.
With warm regards,
The Eagle Heights Team
For updates on our reopening, follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter.
If you have a booking that has been affected by this closure, please check your email for full details. If you haven’t received an email within 48 hours, please contact us at office@eagleheights.co.uk or call 01322 866 577.
