Bristol Zoo Gardens in south west England has unveiled plans to develop a new conservation action centre on the outskirts of the city.

The £50m facility would be the first conservation-led animal visitor attraction development of its kind in the UK and would link geographical regions and conservation programmes in the wild with animals on show to the public.

The 55-hectare site, to be called the National Wildlife Conservation Park NWCP), will include a number of zones depicting regions from around the world, including the African Savannah and a Central American swamp.

The Savannah zone will be linked to a conservation area in Tanzania and would include animals such as giraffe, rhino, zebra and wild dogs all roaming free in the same space while the swamp would inlclude viewing pools featuring rare creatures.

The park is to be developed and managed in an environmentally sustainable way, with emphasis placed on low carbon emission, recycling, on-site energy generation and a green access and transport policy.

Jo Gipps, director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “Our aim is to take conservation action and education onto a new level in the UK by showcasing the key role that modern zoos can play in helping to save wildlife.

“Our vision is that, once inspired, visitors can see how they themselves can help make a real difference to the big issues of species loss, habitat destruction and wildlife and human conflict.”

The NWCP is scheduled to open to the public in 2011.