WATCH: New home ready for meerkats after Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre fire
A new enclosure has been built at a fire-hit wildlife centre after the public rallied round to raise more than £20,000.
Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre in Eccleshall was closed for three days after the blaze in March, which killed three giant tortoises, a meerkat and around 15 fruit bats.
Volunteers worked to clear the damage caused by the fire, which ripped through three enclosures after being started by a fault in the electrical heating system.
WATCH: Enclosure rising from the ashes
And now one of the enclosures which was destroyed or damaged have been rebuilt after more than £24,000 has been raised.
Jenny Morgan, director at the centre, said the finishing touches are being put on the new enclosure for the meerkats which cost £15,000.
She said: "It's very almost done now, it'll be done in a couple of weeks.
"Work started on the enclosure in mid April.
"We raised £24,000 in total and the first enclosure cost £15,000.
"We have two more to build but we've got most of the materials so the funds will pretty much cover it."
Jenny added: "The footfall has been up and down with the British weather.
"I would like to say a massive thank you to the people who have volunteered and donated as they've allowed us to built a better enclosure than we had before."
Basil the meerkat died in the fire while his partner Sybil escaped and the sanctuary has now found a new mate for her.
Jenny said she was contacted by the owner of a male meerkat who needed a new home, and so Derry was introduced to Sybil after she was fully recovered.
"Derry is getting on brilliantly, he's settling in ever so well," she added.
