Zoo's new £25m centre 'will act as conservation hub'

A new £25m Global Conservation Centre is being developed at Twycross Zoo, which bosses say will act as a hub for scientific research and conservation work.

The centre will include a new Indonesian-themed area, 200-seat lecture theatre, a science lab, as well as accommodation for visiting experts and students.

Part of the Indonesian-themed area will become a habitat for the Bornean orangutan, as well as other threatened species from the country.

Construction is due to start at the end of the month and the new centre is expected to generate 90 jobs after its estimated opening date in late 2026.

Twycross Zoo has said the centre will not only be a conservation hub, but a space to inspire and train "the next generation of conservation leaders".

The centre will also include three indoor classrooms with wildlife gardens nearby, along with 24 bedrooms to accommodate visiting researchers and students.

About £18m of the total project cost came from the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund and the Leicestershire-based zoo has committed the additional investment.

The zoo published its first public-facing conservation strategy in 2023 which pledged to scale up its actions to "fight the biodiversity crisis that our planet currently faces".

It has pledged to expand its existing conservation projects in Indonesia, in partnership with Borneo Nature Foundation, and Action Indonesia.

Dr Rebecca Biddle, chief conservation officer at Twycross Zoo, said: "We believe that being alongside the species we are working to save will offer unrivalled opportunities to study, learn and develop real-world solutions for endangered wildlife."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.