Beauty queen visits Telford zoo
An international beauty queen paid a visit to a Telford tourist attraction.
The Exotic Zoo at Lakeside Plant Centre in Priorslee visit on Sunday from beauty queen Tanya Collins who is Galaxy UK 2017, United Kingdom
Tanya will be flying out to the USA in July to compete in the International Beauty Pageant.
An animal lover and volunteer with her local RSPCA, Tanya speaks in schools abou the work of the animal charity, which she has been involved with for eight years.
Visiting Shropshire from her home in Kent, she heard about the Exotic Zoo and dropped them a message on Friday to see if she could arrange a visit.
The zoo does lots of work in the community and for local charities, taking some of its animals into schools and care homes where they work as therapy animals.
Tanya had a full guided tour of the zoo, which is still under construction after moving from its base in Donnington. It will fully open to the public on Sunday.
Mel Garton, zoo keeper and the Exotic Zoo's secretary said: “It was such a lovely surprise when we were contacted by Mrs Galaxy UK, after hearing of the charity work and volunteering work that she does we where only too happy for her to visit us.
"Tanya was very kind and very encouraging with the work that we do, she loved meeting our wide range of exotic animals and has said she is looking forward to re-visiting when the zoo is complete, we wish her all the future success in the international pageant."
