Website: Twycross Zoo
Address: http://www.twycrosszoo.org/
A CLASSIC summer tourist destination, Twycross Zoo has attracted families from Burton and South Derbyshire for generations.
The zoo opened in 1963 with a relatively modest collection originally, and has since grown into one of the leading zoos in the country, attracting 450,000 visitors each year.
Since 1972 the zoo has operated as a charitable trust focusing on conservation and education, taking part of breeding programmes for endangered animals, which account for around two thirds of the zoo’s inhabitants.
There are more than 1,000 animals at Twycross – everything from an aardwolf to a zebra finch.
For those with an interest in finding out more about the various creatures, the zoo’s website includes a page for each, complete with a picture, description and details of its habitat, size and diet.
Those who want to take their interest further have the opportunity to ‘adopt’ an animal, with details of how to do so included here.
The site includes all the information you’d expect, such as opening times (it’s open every day except Christmas day), admission prices, directions and map.
There are individual sections on the zoo’s conservation work and opportunities for research projects, as well as current vacancies.
The zoo’s gift shop also has a page, but surprisingly there doesn’t seem to be any option to buy online, which is perhaps something of a missed opportunity.
Essentially of course, it’s all about the animals, and the site could make more use of photographs and even video to highlight the cute (and not so cute) critters which live at the zoo.
If you run a website which features content relating to Burton and South Derbyshire, or know of one which you think should be featured here, please email the details to tim.fletcher@burtonmail.co.uk