South West

Animal Collections Manager, John Meek, says it's taken Newquay Zoo several years to prepare its new animal enclosure.

There have been many consultations with experts and other zoos to make sure they are getting it right.

Up close and personal with a Wildebeest.

And now they are finally happy enough to introduce indigenous animals to their Cornish patch of African grassland or savannah.

Normally you'd expect to find Zebra, Antelope and Lions in this sort of habitat.

But the zoo already has these animals so it's introducing a selection of new and rare creatures.

Wild and rare creatures

The new arrivals are Black Wildebeest - two males and two females - and they will be the very first of their breed in this country which is why everyone is so excited that they are coming to Newquay.

They are now completely extinct in the wild as they have been hunted out in their homeland and now exist only in the controlled environment of the big African game parks.

These new arrivals, however, have travelled from a zoo in the Czech Republic rather than all the way from Africa.

So everyone at the zoo is on tenterhooks as they finally arrive at 5am one cold winter's morning.

Warthog - surviving decline and disaster.

The truck is a bit too big to get right down to the pens by their enclosure so Plan B is brought into action.

A forklift truck is used to lift the two containers gingerly down from the truck, being careful not to tilt them at all.

Even then it is a tight squeeze and they only just make it through the gate into the enclosure - with about two inches to spare either side!

And once the Wildebeest are safely in their pens everyone heaves a huge sigh of relief.

Settling in

While they settle in, Mike Dilger takes the opportunity to visit some of his favourite animals, the very pretty Ring-tailed Lemurs, and their new baby.

As Mike says, zoos have come a long way in recent years.

Gone are the depressing, cramped cages with bored looking animals.

Today zoos like Newquay are all about fantastic enclosures for the animals and proper breeding programmes - which is what they have in mind for the Wildebeest.

Lemur - visitor favourites.

But in order to make sure they are in tip top condition for breeding, zoo vet Stephen Philp first has to run some tests, including a blood test for 'Blue Tongue'.

This is a routine check required by DEFRA.

The animals are darted with a tranquiliser, carefully measured out for each individual animal.

And although the tranquilised animals can't move, they are aware of what's happening around them so everyone must be very quiet and calm as they carry out the tests.

Hearing a sudden loud noise and not being able to move could cause the animals such severe stress it could even kill them.

Cornish Savannah

All goes well, however and while the animals are still drowsy, the team decide to put the two females together for the first time.

After the initial shock and a bit of tearing about they settle down peacefully and don't seem at all unhappy to have some company.

Just a few days later the zoo is delighted to hear the Wildebeest have been given a clean bill of health and they are let out into the fresh air for the first time.

Waterbuck - future arrival.

Now they are making the most of their freedom and, basking in the spring sunshine, they seem quite at home in their bit of Cornish Savannah.

Very soon they will be joined by Ostrich, Nyala Antelope, Warthogs and Waterbuck and then this little patch of Africa in Cornwall will be complete.