Zoo celebrates a successful summer (From Dudley News)

Zoo celebrates a successful summer

11:40am Wednesday 12th September 2012 in News

DUDLEY Zoo is reporting its most successful summer in more than 20 years.

Throughout the school holidays 82,000 visitors were clocked passing through the Castle Hill attraction’s turnstiles.

Chief executive Peter Suddock, said: “Despite the unpredictable weather those numbers are 24,000 up on last year’s for the same period and we are over the moon.

“We have to go back more than two decades to match those figures and given the current economic climate we really didn’t expect to see such an increase, but we are truly thrilled.”

During the last few months, the zoo, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has launched the £40,000 Penguin Bay walkthrough experience, welcomed two highly endangered young tigers and brought back its popular chairlift.

 

• The news of the zoo's success comes as The Black Country Living Museum announces plans to axe 70 jobs and close two-days a week from November until Easter due to a low visitor turnout over the summer months and cuts in funding. Read the story here .