Kent Family Wanted A Petting Farm, Ended Up With A Welsh Zoo

There are probably a handful of children around the world compiling their Christmas wish list already.

At the risk of sounding like my dad, things have come a long way from when I was young and you asked for a GameBoy, a PlayStation or an Action Man.

However, one animal-loving family came up trumps when dad Dean Tweedy purchased a zoo for his wife and three daughters.

Dean, 48, has bought the Animalarium Borth Zoo in Wales, alongside his wife Tracy and daughters Paige, eight, Sarah, nine, and Sophie, 13.

Credit: Caters

Credit: Caters

They are now the proud keepers of snakes, meerkats, wallabies and lions at the zoo in Ceredigion, after moving from Milton Regis in Kent.

As if there weren't enough animals on site already (over 300 to be precise), the family have 30 pets of their own, and wanted somewhere with the option of a petting zoo so Tracy can expand her psychotherapy work.

They spotted the zoo for sale online and made the bizarre buy, moving almost 300 miles to start life as zookeepers.

Some of you are probably already thinking that Dean, an artist, has partially mirrored Matt Damon in the self-explanatorily-titled film We Bought A Zoo. Bit more cheery, mind.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

"We were looking for a petting farm but prices in Kent were expensive," Dean said. "We started looking further afield and that's when we found the zoo.

"It was everything we wanted plus lions so we couldn't resist.

"We already have 30 pets so we're used to living with animals but this is obviously on a new level. It's a dream come true for the kids, they're loving every minute.

"When we tell people what we've done, we often have to repeat ourselves a few times before they realise they haven't misheard us."

Credit: Caters

Credit: Caters

Credit: Caters

The family will now set about caring for the animals and keeping the zoo running.

They'll have to go a long way to make the attraction as entertaining as one LAD at Los Angeles Zoo.

His stroke of genius saw him post absurdly entertaining fake facts about animals at the zoo.

Credit: Facebook/Obvious Plant

Your move, Dean.

Featured Image Credit: Caters

Topics: kent, Zoo, Wales

Michael Minay

Mike Minay is a trending journalist at LADbible. He’s co-ordinated interviews with some of the big names from the world of news and sport including ITV’s Robert Peston, Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling and darts champion Michael van Gerwen. His reporting days began on University radio in Birmingham, before moving to BBC Sport Online – creating content for large events such as Wimbledon and the FA Cup final. Mike still commentates on Football League matches at the weekend. A Manchester LAD at heart.

@MikeMinay