Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens has unveiled plans to build a US$25m (€22.1m, £17.1m) teaching facility to offer educational programming for young students up to college-graduate level.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the new teaching unit will include an open range with a variety of exotic animals, such as giraffes, zebras and gazelles on display.

The circular open area will be surrounded by four buildings made up of a veterinary teaching hospital, a learning centre, auditorium and an animal shelter, according to preliminary design plans presented to Seminole County commissioners.

In order to fund the development, the zoo must first generate US$2m (US$1.8m, £1.4m) through private donations or from local government funding. This money will be used for clearing land and installing utility lines on the 69,000sq m (740,500sq ft) area adjacent to the zoo’s main facility.

The zoo has an existing education programme that serves around 191,000 children annually. The new area will expand its education programme from children in the first to fifth grades, to include training and education at middle school, high school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

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