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Wickid Pets has some new additions

?A mongoose family, a banana-munching porcupine and a pair of friendly armadillos are among the latest additions to a bustling Black Country menagerie.

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?A mongoose family, a banana-munching porcupine and a pair of friendly armadillos are among the latest additions to a bustling Black Country menagerie.

Wickid Pets, off the A449 Stafford Road in Dunstall, Wolverhampton, has taken in the creatures at its exotic wildlife centre.

Dillon and Florence the armadillos are among the new favourites.

They join Holly the wallaby, micro pigs Jess, Alice and Laura, snowy owl Hedwig, and meerkat Sebastian.

Fruit bats, a ground squirrel and two sets of twin monkeys have also been born during the boom.

Meanwhile Ringo, an eight week-old Corsac fox, was recently taken in by the venture after being abandoned by her natural mother.

As well as the more exotic breeds there are also hedgehogs and squirrels hand-reared on site.

The site, which has an exotic pet licence, also includes enclosures and a refreshment area, while brothers Jimmy and Ben Wick are developing a nocturnal animal house and pirate-themed aquarium.

Jimmy, aged 40, has run Wickid Pets for the past 12 years. He takes care of the wildlife and also offers classes in how to cater for rare or exotic animals.

"There was nothing like this in the heart of Wolverhampton and we wanted to give people the chance to get up close to the animals," he said.

"A lot of people buy exotic pets but don't know what to feed them or how to take care of them, which is one of the reasons why we run these classes."

Admission to the park is £1.50.

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