College builds zoo and eco centre

A Shropshire agricultural college is building a new zoo and eco centre - where the animals will play a part in generating power.

The state-of-the-art Animal Care and Horticulture Centre is being built at Walford and North Shropshire College near Baschurch.

The college is also applying for a zoo licence to house a number of animals including monkeys and meerkats.

A number of eco-technologies will be housed at the £2.7m centre.

Students versus cows

The boiler will be fed with used animal bedding and wood waste while the water will be heated via a ground source heat pump.

Electricity will be generated by photovoltaic cells, a wind generator and an anaerobic digester - which will convert methane from the college's 200 cows.

There will also be a bicycle which generates power so that students can pit themselves against the cows, with rodents also joining in on their wheels.

A new animal compound and aviary is also being built to complement the college's existing animal and reptile collections.

Work on the building is expected to start early next year.