Blackbrook Zoological Park

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Coordinates: 53°03′40″N 1°55′25″W / 53.06111°N 1.92361°W / 53.06111; -1.92361

Blackbrook Zoological Park
Logo
Date opened	1991
Location	Winkhill, Staffordshire, England
Coordinates	53°03′40″N 1°55′25″W / 53.06111°N 1.92361°W / 53.06111; -1.92361
Land area	75 acres (30 ha)
Website	www.blackbrookzoo.com

Blackbrook Zoological Park is a zoo in central England which exhibits the largest collection of birds in the country. It is known for its breeding of rare bird species, with over 300 successfully breeding species to date.^[1] The zoo also has a growing collection of mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. It is a rural zoo, set in 75 acres (30 ha) of farmland and moorland at Winkhill in Staffordshire, England. The nearest towns are Leek, Ashbourne and Stoke-on-Trent.

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 has continued in recent 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 is still maintained by the owners as a private breeding facility. In 2008 the zoo became a charity and has begun to focus on conservation and education. The zoo receives no government grants.^[3]

Animals

Blackbrook currently holds over 200 species of bird and around 40 mammals and reptiles. It has a large collection of cranes, pelicans, and waterfowl. Some of the animals exhibited are listed below:

Birds

Pelicans at the zoo in winter

Humboldt penguin
Secretary bird
Openbill stork
Maguari Stork
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Great Argus
Siamese fireback
Boat-billed Heron
Magellanic steamer duck
African spoonbill
Hammerkop
Ostrich
Cassowary
Red-crowned Crane
White naped crane
Sarus crane
Wattled crane
Demoiselle crane
Black-necked crane
Sandhill crane
Pink-backed pelican
Chilean brown pelican
Australian pelican
American white pelican
Milky eagle owl

Mammals

Meerkat
Bennett's wallaby
Black and white ruffed lemur
Parma Wallaby
Mongoose lemur
White-fronted lemur
Chapman's Zebra
Nilgai
Sitatunga
Blackbuck
Visayan Warty Pig
Dwarf Mongoose

Future developments

Future projects at the zoo will include the development of the country's largest river aviary.

Notes

↑ "Park p-p-picks up eight new penguins". www.yourleekpaper.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
↑ "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.

External links

Media related to Blackbrook Zoo at Wikimedia Commons
Official website

v t e Zoological gardens in the United Kingdom

Those listed in italics contain more than 5000 animals

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Permanently closed	Belle Vue Zoo Glasgow Zoo Coventry Zoo Manchester Zoological Gardens Southport Zoo Windsor Safari Park

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Types of zoos	Animal sanctuary Animal theme park Aquarium Aviary Bear pit Butterfly zoo Dolphinarium Herpetarium Insectarium Nature center Marine mammal park Menagerie Night safari Oceanarium Penguinarium Pheasantry Petting zoo Reptile centre Safari park Serpentarium Virtual zoo Vivarium Zoo

Conservation	Biodiversity Endangered species Extinction Ex-situ conservation In-situ conservation

Lists	Aquariums Conservation topics Dolphinariums Zoos Zoo associations

Animals	Amphibian Bird Fish Invertebrate Mammal Reptile

Other topics	Animals in captivity Animal training Behavioral enrichment Captive breeding Frozen zoo Immersion exhibit Nocturnal house Wildlife conservation Zookeeper Zoology

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