Year long anniversary celebration kicks off at Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Zoo is marking 45 years of really wild days out with 12 months of super celebrations, which will include the launch of its biggest ever investment – Project Elephant!

The award winning attraction, which opened on 6th July 1972 will dedicate each month of the year to different celebrations, from the 100th birthday of its oldest resident to the 15 millionth visitor.

However, the opening of the zoo’s most ambitious and biggest ever-single investment, a brand new elephant house, looks set to eclipse them all.

The building, which is one of the UK’s largest indoor elephant facilities, is well under way and work has begun on the three-acre outdoor area. It will include a huge pool as well as grassed and sandy paddocks.

The packed timetable of 45th anniversary celebrations includes:

• The 100th Birthday of its oldest resident Darwin the tortoise
• Celebrating 10 years under the ownership of Spanish leisure giant Parques Reunidos
• Raising a glass to 10 years since the Pride of Blackpool development
• Welcoming the 15 millionth visitor
• Recognising the support of local visitors

Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Executive at Blackpool Zoo, said: “It will be celebration central here at Blackpool Zoo this year and, with so much to shout about, we will be dedicating each month to loads of different festivities.

“We are particularly looking forward to our actual birthday in July and the opening of our biggest and most ambitious project to date, our new elephant house, which is especially poignant as elephants were the first animals to arrive at Blackpool Zoo a whole year before we opened to the public.

“We’d like to share other people’s significant dates this year, too, so please let us know if you’re celebrating anything at all, big or small!  If it matters to you, it matters to us!  Drop us an email to [email protected].

“Here’s to an amazing 2017!”