Twycross Zoo is building success, brick by brick

Twycross Zoo is already an internationally-recognised World Primate Centre but now it is also home to a totally different type of creature.

The attraction, on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border, is hosting the Great Brick Safari – a trail of more than 70 life-sized animals made entirely from Lego bricks, until January 7, 2019.

The brick creations, which include everything from a lion and elephant to panda cubs and an armadillo, are scattered throughout the zoo waiting to be spotted.

In some cases, the Lego animals are just a stone’s throw from the real thing and the number of man-hours which have gone into each one is impressive.

More than 60 years since the first Lego brick was made in Denmark, the toy is showing no signs of waning in popularity among children and grown-ups alike.

However, you don’t have to be a Lego fan to enjoy a day out at Twycross Zoo.

Although it may lack some of the larger animals which prove to be a big draw to visitors – the zoo’s all-female elephant herd moved to Blackpool to find love earlier this year - there’s still plenty of variety.

For those who like big cats, there is a family of snow leopards plus the rare and elusive Amur leopard with tigers due to join the Twycross family in 2019.

Other species include giraffes, Humboldt penguins, meerkats and lemurs but it is the primates which are the real jewel in the Twycross crown. It is the only zoo in the UK to house all four of the great apes – orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.

There is also a myriad of monkeys plus four different types of gibbons swinging their way through the trees.

Add to that a timetable of feeding times and keeper talks with a smattering of outdoor play areas to tire out little legs and there’s all the ingredients for an enjoyable family day out.