New Gruffalo discovery attraction set to open at Twycross Zoo

ITV News Central Reporter Dani Crawshaw went to see the Gruffalo Discovery Land

Children will soon get to meet the gruffalo as well as fox, snake, owl and mouse at a new attraction set to open at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire.

The Gruffalo Discovery Land aims to breathe new life into the beloved storybook, and give children a chance to meet its characters.

Set across four acres, it takes the form of a trail that families can follow, and includes a real life snake. Starting with foxes underground house, the attraction ends with children meeting the gruffalo.

The zoo are hoping the new attraction will boost visitor numbers after a challenging few years, with falling numbers of visitors due to COVID-19 restrictions meaning that, at one point, it had to ask the public for support.

First published in 1999, the gruffalo was written by Julia Donaldson and has since sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages.

A sequel, The Gruffalo's Child, was published in 2004.

Henry was the first child to be let into the attraction ahead of its official opening on Saturday April 9th. "There was an owl over there!" he said, pointing.

"And there were so many buttons, and then, it talked to us.!"

The zoo is also recruiting for up to 45 new positions to help run the attraction, and are expecting it to drive up visitor numbers. In a statement the zoo's head of retail, Sam O'Connor, said "our new recruits will have the opportunity to work in a truly unique environment surrounded by more than 400 animals from over 80 different species."

"It's an opportunity not to be missed."