IT is the single biggest centre Marwell Zoo has ever developed.

And it certainly shows looking down into the paddock to see animals roaming around that people would only expect to see somewhere in the Serengeti.

It has been one of the biggest challenges - and certainly the most expensive - that zookeepers have faced, yet they have successfully saved, housed and made comfortable three separate species from Africa - all of whom live together in harmony.

The brand new Wild Explorers exhibit, which houses the mighty white rhino, the beautiful Grévy's zebra and the impressive scimitar-horned oryx, opens to the public today, in line with the start of the summer holidays.

The multi-million pound complex includes three individual homes for the five zebras, two rhinos and 11 oryx, and starts inside a brand new interactive area which introduces visitors to the species.

From there children and parents can walk along the wooden walkway which overlooks the four hectares of paddock containing the African treasures seeing them roam around freely together.

The £3.6 million centre contains 78,000 litres of water in the main water feature, with the help of 400 tonnes of rock. Around 2,500 new plants have been built into the landscape as well as over 1,000 tonnes of type one aggregate - a pink-coloured stony type of tarmac.

Daily talks at 1pm are held on the makeshift safari truck that's been built into the rock, giving visitors a closer glimpse at the oryx's long horns, the zebra's many stripes, and huge rhino horns.

Head of hoofstock, Ian Goodwin, has been at Marwell for nearly 25 years and even went out in 1999 for two months to help take 14 oryx to a new reserve in Africa. He was joined by zookeepers and their oryx from numerous other European countries before they set off from Belgium to help re-integrate the animals back into a semi-wild existence.

It's proof of the hard work Marwell workers - many of whom are currently based in Africa today carrying out conservation works - are doing in a bid to keep these wonderful animals alive, by teaching locals about their lifestyles, eating habits and re-educating poachers.

Mr Goodwin said: "I have been a zookeeper since 1986 and I've seen the full circle as to why I started my career. For me it's all about helping people to see animals that they no longer can in the wild and helping get these animals back out into a semi-wild reserve, where we can.

"It's a fantastic building. All the species that are here were already being monitored in the wild or on the reserves but this is about making a space for them here, where people can see them."

FACTFILE: The scimitar-horned oryx were once widespread across northern Africa and the historic population numbered at least a million animals. Now unfortunately classified as extinct in the wild, these amazing creatures can now only be found at zoos like Marwell and specialist reserves. Funfact: they can go several months without drinking water. Their population is currently being monitored in four national parks across Tunisia.

Share article The colossal white rhinos - the males of which can grow to be 18 tonnes in size - are found in grasslands, savannahs and shrub lands across southern Africa. The gestation period for the females is around 16 months, and they are classified as 'near threatened' in the wild.

While the endangered Grevy's zebra is found in habitats such as dry scrublands, plains and the semi-desert grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They are the largest of the three species of zebra, noted for their unique black and white stripes.