https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-46780645multimillion-pound plans to build a new zoo in Greater Manchester.
The "Manchester Zoo" project is being developed by Johnpaul Houston who is in advanced talks with Trafford Council.
Mr Houston, a former assistant head keeper at Blackpool Zoo, hopes to be able to announce the precise location of the site by the end of April.
He hopes the zoo will open by the end of 2021, while an education centre for schools could be completed next year.
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Mr Houston, 32, from Ormskirk, told the BBC he had managed to secure private funding for the zoo, which will cost at least £8m to get up and running.
"I think people just get so inspired by zoos and nature," he said. "Zoos are ultimately responsible for the conservation of species."
Mr Houston, who holds positions with a number of global zoological associations, said he had identified two potential sites for the zoo in Greater Manchester.
One is about 90 acres in size while the other is about 250 acres.
Describing it as a 20-year project, Mr Houston said the new zoo would need time to grow.
If it gains planning permission, it would be the first the first zoo in Greater Manchester since the closure of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in 1977