Dudley Zoo is halfway to achieving its £800,000 target to build a new orangutan enclosure - but still needs your help!

Less than two years after launching its ambitious appeal to build a separate outdoor environment for four critically endangered Bornean orangs, they’ve hit the midway milestone reaching £412,041.Zoo Director Derek Grove, said:

"This is great news as we’re right on track with our fundraising efforts for work to begin in winter 2020 and by next year the zoo will also be in a position to put in the rest of the money."

As well as individual visitor donations, the zoo has been busy raising funds by allocating all income from purchases of zoo keeper days and animal encounters to the appeal, as well as selling exclusive merchandise in the Safari Shop, including a limited edition canvas of orangutans, Benji, Jorong, Jazz and Sprout by award-winning artist David Skidmore and a greetings card by Hannah Dale, founder of Wrendale Designs.

The outdoor extension, which will be shared with the lar gibbons, is expected to take up to six months to build and will see the wild dogs relocated on site and their paddock incorporated into the design.

The enclosure, which will be encompassed by a woven net, will also include telegraph poles, hammocks and ropes to encourage the arboreal primates to climb high.

Anyone wishing to donate towards the project can contact andrea.marketing@dudleyzoo.org.uk for more details, alternatively contributions can be sent via Justgiving by texting DZ0037 then the amount to 70070.