The new £4 million Zoological Educational Centre will open for September 2019. The current animal buildings will be demolished and the wildlife, ranging from iguana to meerkats, South American llamas and tropical birds, given time to settle into their new surroundings.
Shuttleworth has worked with the Zoological Society of London, to create an environment where students can train to work anywhere in the world.
Centre manager Carl Groombridge said: “It is a state of the art development, an Eden for fauna and flora, a living classroom where students can learn how to care for creatures in an environment which is close to the real world.”
Conservation and care for the animals is the key priority while allowing students to learn how to support endangered species. Shuttleworth College has already won international recognition for helping to breed from an endangered iguana.
Mr Groombridge said: “We are already part of an international conservation and educational network, but this new facility will put us firmly on the world map. For me is a dream come true.”
