An immersive new attraction featuring animatronics of extinct creatures alongside some of the surviving species from the last Ice Age is set to open at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World near Telford this half term.
Visitors to the Shropshire attraction can come face to face with a Wooly Mammoth, Wooly Rhinoceros, the terrifying Andrewsarchus and a range of other formidable creatures from the Ice Age. The new attraction is located in part of the zoo’s natural coniferous woodland, with native trees and plants providing a naturalistic backdrop for the experience.
The family run attraction is already home to one of the UK’s largest collections of animatronic dinosaurs, with ‘Land of the Beasts’ forming a key part of the zoo’s commitment to improving visitor experience. Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World was recently rated as the second best zoo in the United Kingdom by popular travel organisation, Trip Advisor.
The new attraction is unique as it not only features some of the country’s most realistic animatronics, but the woodland exhibit is also now home to the zoo’s family of Eurasian Lynx. The Eurasian Lynx were believed to have been present across the United Kingdom at the end of the last Ice Age and a new habitat for brothers, Cain, Lucifer, Amenadiel and Zadkiel forms part of the new ‘Land of the Beasts’. In a separate habitat, visitors will be able to see a herd of native Fallow Deer, which are modern day relatives of the pre-historic Irish Elk, Megaloceros Giganteus.
“My son and I have had great fun putting together the concept for Land of the Beasts. We spent hours looking through books and researching the formidable creatures which we wished to be a part of the attraction. My personal favourite is the Andrewsarchus, but I know that our guests will be amazed by the sheer size and spectacle of the Wooly Mammoth,” said Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World owner, Will Dorrell.
“As a conservation focused attraction, we are also delighted to be able to educate our guests about the modern-day descendants from the Ice Age. The woodland surrounding the attraction is also home to native insect species including rare dragonflies and butterflies. Our family of four Eurasian Lynx brothers and the addition of the Fallow Deer, allows guests to make direct comparisons between species which roam the UK and Europe today, compared to those creatures which would have resided in the UK thousands of years ago.”
‘Land of the Beasts’ will be open for visitors to Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World from Saturday 25th May, with an official opening weekend event offering visitors the chance to meet BBC presenter and dinosaur expert Nigel Marven, taking place on Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd June.
