€4.5m Fota Wildlife Park development being opened today

A new €4.5m development at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork is being officially opened by President Mary McAleese today.

The development includes new enclosures for cheetahs, monkeys and meerkats, as well as a new education centre and entrance.

The park has witnessed a 10% increase in visitors in the past year.

Its director Sean McKeown said they hoped the park - the only one of its kind in Ireland - would attract even bigger crowds this summer.

"If we can get the new weather, we'd expect a lot more this year," he said.