Peak Wildlife Park
Peak Wildlife Park is a zoo in central England. The nearest towns are Leek, Ashbourne and Stoke-on-Trent.
Date opened | 1991 (as Blackbrook Zoological Park), 2015 (as Peak Wildlife Park) |
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Location | Winkhill, Staffordshire, England |
Coordinates | 53°03′40″N 1°55′25″W |
Land area | 75 acres (30 ha) |
No. of species | 17 |
Website | www |
The zoo was originally known as Blackbrook Zoological Park, but entered administration in 2014 and closed. It was purchased by Jake Veasey and Colin MacDougall and reopened under its current name in 2015.[1]
History
Blackbrook Zoological Park was established in 1991 by Diana Holloway and her son, Mark Rubery.[2] Holloway was already experienced in running a wildlife visitor attraction, having owned and run Hillside Bird Oasis in Mobberley, Cheshire since 1974. Blackbrook quickly developed into a large bird collection in its own right. Following Diana Holloway's death in 2006, running of the zoo passed to her son Mark. Development and expansion continued in subsequent years: in 2006, a new entrance, gift shop and café were constructed, and in 2008, a £500,000 penguin exhibit was added. Hillside Bird Oasis was forced to close to the public in 2002 following complaints from local residents over increasing traffic levels, but it was still maintained by the owners as a private breeding facility. In 2008 the zoo became a charity and begun to focus on conservation and education. The zoo received no government grants.[3]
Blackbrook held over 200 species of bird and around 40 mammals and reptiles. It had large collection of cranes, pelicans, and waterfowl. Some of the animals that were exhibited are listed below:
Birds
Notes
- Hargreaves, Belinda (1 April 2015). "The site of Blackbrook Zoological Park is set to re-open as Peak Wildlife Park". Leek News. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- "Park History". Blackbrook Zoological Park Website. Archived from the original on 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- "Award-winning tourist attraction forced to close". This is Cheshire archive. Retrieved 2008-08-30.