It's hard to believe that a plot of boggy land that's now home to graffitied walls, dilapidated enclosures and roofless buildings once housed one of Wales' most popular tourist attractions. But over the course of almost three decades, Penscynor Wildlife Park welcomed huge crowds keen to feast their eyes on a variety of animals - from snakes to sea-lions, meerkats to monkeys, as well as penguins without ever having to leave the region.
At the height of its popularity, it would attract some 250,000 visitors a year and drew people from across south Wales and beyond from its opening in 1971 right up until its closure in 1998.
The demise of the venue, which had been a staple location for school trips year-after-year, was hugely felt by people across Wales but none more so than its devastated owner. Welshman Jon Quant had spent years revitalising the wildlife park, which began as a private collection of birds that Mr Quant's grandfather Idris Hale had first put together.
