A new butterfly house at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire has opened its doors to members of the public for the first time.

Launched on 23 May, the Chrysalis-shaped exhibit is home to a vast array of butterflies, including 30 different species from across the world.

In a video released by ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to coincide with the opening, Alex Cliffe, deputy team leader at the zoo said: I think its wonderful because there are no barriers here. Its well-supervised but it gives that immersive engagement with the animals. And I think thats one of the key things that Whipsnade Zoo has strived upon is looking at feedback as to how we can improve visitor experience with the animals. And this has been a great success.

Visitors will also be able to visit the metamorphosis zone, where they will be informed of every stage of the caterpillar/butterfly life-cycle, including butterflies hatching from their chrysalises.

Video courtesy of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo