Fota Wildlife Park celebrates it's 40th anniversary today.
Over 12 million people have visited the park since it's opening in 1983 and the number of animals has grown from 172 to 1,096.
The park which is located in East Cork generates money for the local economy through the conservation, education, research, and breeding of endangered animals
Fota Wildlife Park has given €4 million euro to Irish and international conservation programmes and has over seen the births of hundreds of endangered species.
Speaking to RedFM News, Director of Fota Wildlife Park Sean McKeown, says they're always looking at new ideas to improve the wildlife park:
"The big thing is the building and construction of a new education conservation research centre. We want to grow the number of students coming on our ecology, biodiversity and conservation modules. they're part of leaving cert, Junior cert programmes and to expand that into more corporate audience, but also using it to build on the links that we have with families that families are a core and people's enjoyment of the place."
