Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo is a 40-hectare zoo near Norton Juxta Twycross in Leicestershire. It is run by the East Midlands Zoological Society and holds one of Europe’s largest primate collections. The zoo began in 1963 when Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans opened it on the grounds of a former rectory. Their early work turned stables and gardens into animal enclosures. Today the site includes eight themed zones and welcomes around 700,000 visitors each year. The zoo is recognised as a World Primate Centre and the only UK zoo to exhibit all four great apes. It has recorded first British births for thirteen species and contributes to international conservation programmes. The founders pioneered primate breeding and training for films and adverts. Recent exhibits focus on naturalistic habitats and enrichment for the animals. Conservation remains central, with 37% of species classed as threatened by the IUCN. Visitors follow paths through Conservation Way, home to Amur leopards and siamangs. Wet and Wild displays Humboldt penguins and Chilean flamingos beside a longhouse aviary. Kingdom of the Apes shows bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas in spacious surroundings. Life in the Trees features gibbons and orangutans in tall enclosures. Gruffalo Discovery Land offers a storybook trail and a 600-square-metre butterfly house. The Himalaya Visitor Centre overlooks snow leopards, and the Nature Reserve shelters native wildlife.