DUDLEY Zoo's guinea pigs have been busy exploring the turrets of their new castle hideout, which was made by a group of crafty pensioners.

The new addition to the zoo's farm barn was carefully crafted by talented members of the Senior Citizens Enterprise Woodwork Group, based at the Meadow Road Youth Centre in Dudley.

Section leader, Lesley Lewis, said: “We’re really pleased with the castle, which looks great in the new barn and we’re very thankful to the group for their hard work.

“The woodworkers have also made us a hotel for our rabbits, so we can’t wait for that to be installed in the barn soon too.”

The new-look barn, which opened earlier this month as part of the zoo's 80th anniversary revamp programme, has proved popular with visitors.

It is home to a range of animals, including the guinea pigs, leopard geckos, a plated lizard, a blue tongue skink and a Syrian hamster called Wilma.

A dedicated teaching area and a conservation corner to highlight upcoming animal projects and awareness weeks will also be added in due course.