The Wild Place Project, Bristol’s new family attraction, that displays eco-systems from around the world, has opened to the public.

The new attraction, located just off junction 17 of the M5, invites guests are invited to visit some of the animals from Madagascar, east Africa and the Congo.

The Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society was given planning consent for the National Wildlife Conservation Park in 2010 and the opening of the Wild Place Project is the society’s first step towards what it hopes will become a "world-class visitor attraction".

Among the first exhibits to open is Discover Madagascar, a home to three different lemur species: Mongoose lemur; Ring-tailed lemur; and Red-bellied lemur. It also features guinea fowl and African pygmy goats.

Elsewhere, the Edge of Africa exhibit allows visitors to see zebras and eland roaming in the grassland.

The final exhibit is the Secret Congo, which was given its name because it features Okapi, one of the last large mammals to be discovered.

Other highlights include the 150m long barefoot trail and gardens with unusual trees and plants from around the world.

Dr Bryan Carroll, CEO of the Society says, “The park encourages families to get outdoors and get back to nature by providing adventure, fun and learning. This is an extremely exciting first step on a wonderful journey towards creating the world-class National Wildlife Conservation Park.”

Bryan added, “We are still very much committed to expanding and evolving the site over time to establish the National Wildlife Conservation Park and the Wild Place Project is demonstrative of this.”

Guests who visit the Wild Place Project will be helping to conserve and protect endangered species and habitats – the admission prices include a 10 per cent voluntary donation, which is used to support conservation projects both in the UK and abroad.