Ex-servicemen to help build Telford zoo

The Exotic Zoo has begun work on its new home at the Lakeside Plant Centre in Priorslee, and is preparing to move from its current base in Donnington in the summer.

It has teamed up with veterans mental health charity Combat Stress to use the skills of ex-servicemen and women with mental health problems.

As well as offering therapeutic benefits for the veterans, it will also use their skills to help the community and build the zoo enclosures.

Diggers moved on site at the start of the year, with the charity being involved from the beginning.

Paula Berry, regional operations manager at Combat Stress said: "This is an ideal opportunity for veterans to transfer the skills they have been taught in the armed forces to the good of their local community.

"Helping to build an exotic zoo will be both challenging and inspiring at the same time and will no doubt give the veterans something to be proud of in the future."

The new zoo will be home to monkeys, crocodiles, fennec foxes, meerkats and more. There will even be a farm area for petting farm animals and a vintage tractor called Daisy.

With the aim of being accessible to the whole community, the new zoo will offer low entry fees and as a non-profit organisation profits will go back in to community work.

Director Scott Adams said: "It has been amazing to see Exotic Zoo grow as a popular community company offering its services through education and animal assisted therapy, but we have always had the call to be open to the public.

"Getting the chance to rebuild the animal site at Lakeside plant centre is a dream come true and I cant wait for all our amazing animals to arrive."