ONE of Crow Country’s most prominent tourist attractions is enjoying a double celebration this week after being commended with two prestigious awards.

Shepreth Wildlife Park scooped the award for Best Education Project at the national British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) awards, at a ceremony last week.

The park then followed this up with the award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year at the East of England Tourism Enjoy England Awards.

The first gong was for the park’s free of charge sessions which allow school children to enjoy encounters with hedgehogs, owls and reptiles.

It was presented to Shepreth’s, Head of Education, Lainie Bazzoni by Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, near Paignton Zoo, where the ceremony was held.

Rebecca Willers, Animal manager at Shepreth said: “We have been simply over-whelmed this week, and we were so delighted to hear we had won the BIAZA award for education.

“Lainie works tirelessly to provide all schools with a fun and dynamic way to learn about the natural world, so she truly deserves this recognition.”

Dr Miranda Stevenson, Director of BIAZA said: “These awards recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that Shepreth are making to conservation and education each year.”

The second award, presented at a ceremony at Bury St Edmunds’ Ickworth House by Olympic canoeist David Florence, recognises the “excellent standards being achieved within the tourism industry throughout the region,” according to the awards’ chair Bev Hurley.

Mrs Willers said: “To win the very next day at the Regional Enjoy England Awards for Excellence was just sensational. “The team at Shepreth are exceptionally passionate about their jobs, and this reaffirms that what we do to conserve and educate our visitors is worthwhile and obviously works.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Willers confirmed that the park is relieved to see one of its tigers, Amba, on the mend after an operation to remove a tumour.

“The real award this week was seeing our beautiful tiger fit and well again,” she said.