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Moss Bank Animal World Closure Sparks Fury
Written by Cyrus, Matthew and Samee
Moss Bank Park is a popular greenspace in Bolton that has been open to the public for 140 years. The unique Animal Park within the grounds is possibly the main attraction, gathering over half a million visitors each year. The butterfly house, which was moved locally from Queens Park to Moss Bank in 1999, is the host to a vast array of tropical butterflies and exotic fish. Despite being a very popular destination, dense with tourists it is difficult to pay for the all the wildlife, costing a huge £100,000 a year. Due in part to budget cuts, the park has gradually been removing animals and parts of the gardens. Greenspace released information that in December, they were planning to close Animal World and the Butterfly House. Since then many Boltonians have been on a crusade to keep the park open but hopes are diminished. The hard truth is that it plainly costs too much to keep going, especially for a park which is completely free to enter, but this will soon change: it will be 50p to enter from the 1st April. Another reason for the closure is the heavy competition. There are several more parks in Bolton providing, more features such as water sports and horse riding. Matthew interviewed Malcolm Russell, a member of the Greenspace organisation. Q: Is Animal World a major attraction in Bolton? A: It’s a major attraction for people in Bolton but not for the people outside Bolton. Q: If the Animal World closed down, would it have an effect on the tourism in Bolton? A: Animal World would not have a big impact on Bolton tourism in the future. Q: What would Moss Bank Park put in place to replace Animal World? A: Moss Bank has other attractions like the Model Railway.
We also discovered that the Butterfly World will be replaced by a Café, but Animal World will stay open for the summer until further notice. |