Cotswold Wildlife Park is the ultimat 'classroom out of the classroom experience, with the chance fo visitors to get close to the wild animal s and plants that are to be seen in its 15 acres of landscaped parkland and gardens.

It is the ideal venue for students of all ages and abilities and for those wit special educational needs With more than 300 species of animal s - ranging from the very large whit rhinoceros to the very small poison dart frog - there is something to enthra everyone.

When a number of Morelet s crocodile s hatched last October it was the first successful breeding in the UK Cotswold Wildlife Park is very proud of this achievement and staff are hopefu that a number of the young crocs will b on view to the public by Easter, if no before, in the newly-refurbished Reptile House, currently the only place in the UK you can see this type of crocodile.

At the moment the youngster are about six to seven inches long, but the male s can grow to ten feet in length while the females reach seven or eight feet Another exciting development during the past 12 months has been the revitalisation of a an area of the park a the bottom of the walled garden, creating the Madagascar area .

The new exhibit has been designed t introduce visitors to the fauna of thi s unique island. Black and white ruffed ring-tailed, collared and black lemurs share this large, planted area with bird s such as night herons, Madagascan tea and purple gallinule.

Visitors walk through the enclosure t view these species at close range as the y swing through the vegetation and sho more than a little interest in the visitors By allowing visitors and animals t interact, it is hoped that people will leav not only having had a memorable experience, but with a bette r understanding of these species and the uniqueness of the environmentally endangered island of Madagascar.

Education is a priority and Cotswold Wildlife Park hopes that the occupants of this area can act as ambassadors for thei r wild relatives Within this area are enclosure s containing the endangered Lac Alaotra gentle lemurs and Verreaux s crowned sifaka, both of which are declining rapidl y in the wild.

The park is one of just a few centres in Europe to keep sifaka, and on-going research and conservation projects are in place to try and secure them in their wild habitat Cotswold Wildlife Park is part of the European Endangered Specie s Programme (EEP) committee for sifak and hopes that what it learns here can b of benefit to this species both in captivity and in the wild.

The centre also supports the Lac Alaotra gentle lemur conservation project , which aims to preserve the biodiversity of Lac Alaotra and its surroundings in Madagascar - the only place on eart where these critically-endangered animal s can be found.

Other walk-through areas include the Tropical House, the lake area, a children s farmyard and Invertebrate House, all bringing animals into close proximity wit visitors The beautiful gardens and landscaping of the enclosures are a delight and during the summer months many sub-tropica species, not usually seen in this part of the UK, can be found.

The facilities are excellent, with plenty of picnic areas, a large self-servic cafeteria, award winning toilet blocks and free coach and car parking. There i s excellent access for wheelchairs to all exhibits and throughout the park.

Schools can arrange talks for groups often given outside, by members of the park keeping staff, the gardeners o education officer Bob Joiner. Call 0199 3 825720 or e-mail education@cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk Rates are very competitive and teachers can arrange a free preliminary visit. For more information, visit the website: www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

10:19am Tuesday 29th January 2008

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