SCHOOL holidays might be at an end but that's no excuse for not visiting the Cotswold Wild Life Park at Burford.

The millennium sees the Oxfordshire park, which is set in 160 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland, celebrate its 30th anniversary.

It is open every day except Christmas Day - when the vast array of animals presumably get to open their presents away from the glaring eyes of the public - and with easy access is a must for visitors both young and old.

The award-winning venue is home to some 200 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and invertebrates, raging from leaf-cutting ants to White Rhinos and attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year.

There is plenty on offer for a full day's entertainment once the gates are thrown open to the public.

The ever-popular penguin feeding times are a huge hit with the children. They are also informative as the keepers are prepared to answer any questions from an admiring audience.

If our unpredictable climate permits, then visitors can roam around the vast expanse of parkland only separated from zebras, camels, Amur leopards and Asiatic lions by moats and fences.

If the weather turns nasty then there is always cover available in the Tropical, Reptile and Insect Houses but do take an umbrella and make sure you catch up on the antics of the monkeys, meerkats and otters.

If the children become restless then they can be well catered for in the restaurant and sandwich bars.

The best way to build up an appetite is to send them off to the adventure playground or the farmyard while parents rest their weary legs.

A trip on the narrow gauge railway is the lazy option, while mementoes of the visit can be fulfilled in the gift shop and in the brass rubbing centre.For more information ring 01993 823006 and arrange to see for yourself a fascinating collection of animals right in the heart of the Cotswold countryside.