VISCOUNT Weymouth is to officially open Longleat’s major new animal attraction Koala Creek next Wednesday March 27 at 11am.

The Viscount, Ceawlin Thynn, is patron of the International Koala Centre for Excellence. In some parts of Australia, koalas are listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’.

He will be joined by representatives of the South Australia Government and Cleland Wildlife Park in Australia, where the koalas came from, to unveil the new area.

Wildlife expert and TV presenter Nick Baker, who visited South Australia last year, will also attend the launch.

Opening to the public on Friday (March 29), Koala Creek is home to a group of southern koalas.

It features a running stream, climbing poles, naturally-themed indoor and outdoor habitats, viewing areas andinterpretation boards. as well as a Koala Care unit.

The new feature is also home to a pair of southern hairy-nosed wombats and group of potoroos, a type of miniature kangaroo-like marsupial.

Longleat is the only place in England where people can see koalas. It is the only one in the whole of Europe to look after southern koalas.

The International Koala Centre of Excellence (IKCE) and Koala Creek are part of a ground-breaking joint initiative with the Government of South Australia and Cleland Wildlife Park to support research and raise funds for koala management and conservation.

They are particularly passionate about this project as it enables valuable research into conservation that will help protect the koala population in South Australia as a preventative measure against becoming endangered.

Longleat will also act as the European hub for IKCE whose headquarters will be at Cleland.