OFFICIAL OPENING OF BLACKPOOL ZOO’S WOLF RIDGE DURING 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
Press invite and press release…. Press invite and press release
A new £500,000 enclosure will be unveiled at Blackpool Zoo on Wednesday 18th July.
The Mayoress of Blackpool Ms J Massey and Councillor John Jones will officially open Wolf Ridge, which is home to a pack of four Iberian Wolves, at 10.00am.
Parents Diago and Dora have moved in with daughters Reina and Diamante, who were given names with a regal ring in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.
Reina, which is Spanish for Queen and Diamante, which means Diamond, can be seen, along with their parents, from a specially elevated walkway that has been built to overlook the spacious paddock and huge wolf den.
It is the first time that Blackpool Zoo has housed any wolf species and keepers visited zoos across the country to assist with planning the enclosure and preparations for the arrival of the pack.
Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Co-ordinator at Blackpool Zoo, said: “We are delighted to be introducing wolves to our ever expanding list of residents and when we found out the two cubs were yet to be named we wanted to ensure they had a ‘royal ring’ to them!
“As Iberian Wolves hail from the forest and plains of northern Portugal and north western Spain we wanted to give them Spanish names but with a nod to the momentous weekend when they arrived in Blackpool.
“After giving them a few weeks to settle in we are now officially opening Wolf Ridge and everyone is looking forward to hearing what our visitors think of our new arrivals.”
-Ends
Notes to editors:
Pictures show: One of Blackpool Zoo's latest arrivals (please click on link below to download image or email paula@icgonline.co.uk
More information about Blackpool Zoo:
Blackpool Zoo celebrated its 40th anniversary on Friday 6th July 2012. It was in 1972 when 3543 visitors attended the launch, which saw TV’s Johnny Morris ride in front of the Mayor’s car on Tower Circus elephant Katsula.
Blackpool Zoo’s visitor numbers continued to hit record highs in 2011, with the year being hailed as the busiest in the zoo’s 39 year history.
Blackpool Zoo is owned by Parques Reunidos, the second largest European leisure parks operator and a leading world-wide player. The zoo is home to over 1,500 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates set amidst thirty-two acres of mature woodland and lakes.
The zoo’s signature animals include elephants, giraffes, big cats, gorillas, orang-utans, sea lions, primates, zebras and kangaroos. It is open every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, from 10am.
For further information please contact:
Paula Holden, Julie Hackett or Denise Dawson at ICG on 01772 679383 or email paula@icgonline.co.uk julie@icgonline.co.uk or denise@icgonline.co.uk
Out of office hours contact: Paula Holden on 07772268378
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