Hettie and Hamish the tortoises getting ready for wildlife centre's reopening next week

Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre at Eccleshall has been shut to the public since Christmas Eve, but re-opens on Wednesday, January 15 - and will then be open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

The centre is home to more than 150 animals and has been providing a sanctuary for more than 30 years.

Among those creatures looked after at the centre are peregrine falcons, small pin monkeys, raccoons, cats, and a host of birds including barn owls and others such as the caracara.

Jen Morgan, who runs the centre, said they were excited about reopening and allowing people to see the host of animals being looked after.

She said: "We have got just over 150, a lot of them who have been with us for many years now so we have quite a mixture."

She explained that the animals had come to the centre via a range of different paths.

She said: "The majority of our residents are either zoos that have closed down, a lot of ex-pets where they have grown too big or their owners simply don't want them any more - quite a mixture we have!"

For information about the zoo and its residents visit https://www.facebook.com/gentleshawwildlifecentre or https://gentleshawwildlife.uk/.