TIMOTHY KIRKHOPE, the Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and The Humber visited Flamingo Land, Malton, to better understand the work there and about zoos in general.

He met Gordon Gibb, owner of Flamingo Land, and Dr Andrew Marshall, who is jointly funded by the University of York and Flamingo Land as director of collaboration for integrated research, conservation and learning and director of conservation science respectively.

Timothy said: "It is some years since I have been to Flamingo Land and I was deeply impressed by both the developments in the leisure park and particularly in the tremendous care and attention taken by the staff of the many animals in the zoo area.

"It was particularly good to learn from Dr Marshall about the conservation work in the Udzungwa Forest Project in Tanzania, which is fully funded by Flamingo Land from here in Yorkshire and is a good example that other zoos should follow nationwide."