The number of people visiting Dublin Zoo reached an all time high last year.

2014 saw over a million people passing through the Zoo's gates making it Ireland's most popular family visitor attraction.

It is the fourth year in a row that visitor numbers have exceeded the million visitor mark with the final figure surpassing last year's figure to reach an all time high. The final figure for 2014 was 1,076,876.

Leo Oosterweghel, director of Dublin Zoo said; "We are absolutely thrilled to have reached the one million visitor mark for the fourth consecutive year and recorded the highest visitor numbers in the Zoo's history."

Over the course of 2014 Dublin Zoo welcomed over 30 new arrivals including red pandas, giraffes and meerkat pups. The birth of two endangered Asian lion cubs Kuno and Kyna was hugely significant for the Zoo.

The highlight was the birth of three Asian elephant calves within a 10 week period along with the birth of two endangered Asian lion cubs. To coincide with the event the zoo put together the biggest PR and marketing campaign in its history, naming October 'The Month of Elephants.'

Mr. Oosterweghel said: "The recent baby boom has helped to attract more visitors. The birth of three Asian elephant calves was the absolute pinnacle. The successful births of the elephant calves can be attributed to the elephants living very natural lives, eating, sleeping and exploring with minimal human interference and by respecting the animals for what they are, highly intelligent and social".