Zoological Education Centre Taking Shape

Students, staff and special guests attended a special ceremony to celebrate the work that has already been completed for the foundations and steel structure for the brand new £3.65m Zoological Education Centre on the Shuttleworth site.

Guest of honour, Owen Craft, General Manager at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, was joined by student ambassadors, CEO and Principal Ian Pryce CBE, Centre Curator Carl Groombridge and College Governor, Alasdair Simmons to tighten one of the structural bolts for the steel frame that is quickly becoming a significant facility based at the campus on the Old Warden Estate near Biggleswade.

The new centre will bring the Amazon and the Outback to the campus which will be able to boast the only specially designed biome to house tropical creatures and plants from across the world for a further education college.

Students will be able to learn about even more animals once the new centre opens after Carl Groombridge and his team have worked alongside the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to create an environment where animal welfare is paramount.

The highly specialised ZEC will allow students to prepare for specialist careers for prestigious zoos and conservation centres after having the opportunity to care for animals from the Malaysian Jungle Nymph to Mississippi alligators which will have their own pool!

For more information about the exciting new centre, visit www.shuttleworth.ac.uk and select the Zoological Education Centre section.