Pippa Middleton doesn't often make public appearances, but Princess Kate's sister—who lives with husband James Matthews and their three children in Berkshire, England—is busy making changes at the expansive farm park she owns. In 2020, Pippa and James paid $1.9 million for Bucklebury Farm, a 72-acre property featuring a petting zoo, glamping pods and a play area. Now the farm is receiving accolades from one animal welfare organization for its efforts to "create a more welfare-conscious experience."
Bucklebury Farm is located minutes away from Carole and Michael Middleton's home, Bucklebury Manor, where Pippa, Kate and their brother, James Middleton, grew up. The farm's petting zoo is a popular family attraction in the area and was visited by a young Prince George before it was owned by his aunt Pippa.
On October 29, the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund shared a post on Instagram featuring photos of Bucklebury Farm's rabbit areas, including signs that read "We don't bug bunnies at Bucklebury."
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews, seen at the 2023 Together at Christmas concert, own Bucklebury Farm.
Bucklebury Farm shared a photo of its new pumpkin patch on Instagram.
The organization praised Pippa and James's farm for its efforts, writing, "Earlier this year, we launched our Don’t Bug Bunnies campaign to highlight the issues of Pat a Pet sessions & poor living conditions at Farm Parks. Farm parks might look like fun family days out but behind the scenes, many animals, especially rabbits and guinea pigs, are suffering and are often kept in tiny hutches."
The organization shared that it has "been working with @bucklebury.farm to revamp their rabbit area to phase out pat-a-pet sessions and create a more welfare-conscious experience." This includes "spacious, enriched housing," which the group deemed "amazing."
"We're also launching the new Farm Park Welfare Standards with them and together we will educate other farm parks and rabbit owners," the post continued.
In addition to protecting animal welfare, the farm is said to be making additional changes. This summer, the Daily Mail reported that Pippa and James were granted permission to build a nursery serving "children aged between nine months and five years" on the property.
