A meerkat family and some tortoises have found a new home after their future was in doubt when Tropical Wings Zoo closed.

The animals were left with nowhere to go after the popular attraction, in South Woodham Ferrers, closed its doors in December.

The three Giant African Spurred tortoises and 20 Slender-Tailed meerkats were cared for by the owners of the zoo until a new home was found.

But now the animals are set to move into their new home at the brand new WILD attraction at Sea-Life Adventure in Southend.

Rona Strong, who owned Tropical Wings with husband Dennis, said: “We’re delighted our much-loved meerkats and tortoises from Tropical Wings have gone to a wonderful new home.

“We know the team at Sea-Life Adventure will really look after and cherish them as much as we have.

“It was sad to see them finally go but it is lovely they are staying in Essex.

“I’m sure many of our regular visitors will want to see them at WILD, as will we, so it’s great that they will still be nearby.”

Echo:

Most of the animals were easily relocated to other wildlife parks but Mr and Mrs Strong postponed their retirement until they found somewhere for the creatures to go.

Building work is underway at the WILD attraction and is due to be completed in the next few weeks.

Marc Miller, the managing director of Stockvale Group which owns Sea-Life Adventure, said this is the start of an exciting time for the attraction.

Mr Miller explained: “When we heard the owners had to retire due to ill health at the end of 2017, we wanted to help as they had such wonderful animals at Tropical Wings.

“They told me they like what we do at Sea-Life Adventure and, because we already have meerkats here, they were reassured that their family of twenty would be expertly looked after and wouldn’t have to travel far to their new home.

“The owners then very kindly agreed to continue looking after them, along with the tortoises until the first phase of building WILD was complete.”

The meerkats and the tortoises will be kept in the same enclosure at the Southend attraction with five other Leopard tortoises from elsewhere also set to join them.

For more information visit www.sealifeadventure.co.uk or visit @sealifeadventure on Facebook and @SealifeAdv on Twitter.