Brad Pitt has built a petting zoo for his six children.

The 'Moneyball' star and his fiancée Angelina Jolie's children - Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne - are all animal lovers so Brad has created a private menagerie at the family's Chateau Miraval estate in Provence, France.

Creatures in the zoo include goats, llamas, geese, ducks, emus and lop-eared rabbits, although Brad's brood wanted him to get more exotic animals like lions but he sensibly only chose beasts that can be petted.

A source told The Sun newspaper: ''Maddox and Pax are safari mad and they wanted Brad to buy them lions and tigers, even crocodiles.

''Brad decided to go with a mini farm/petting zoo theme that the twins, Knox and Vivienne, can enjoy looking after as well. They're in a penned-off area in a field with little huts that the animals live in.

''Brad thinks it is good for them to learn to look after other living creatures.''

Brad and Angelina have started planning their wedding, which is believed to be taking place at the end of May at Chateau Miraval, and they want animals to play a big part in their big day.

The couple plan to have ''leaping'' Shetland ponies greet their guests as they arrive and will have topiary elephants cut into the grounds, with each one representing a member of the family.

Brad got a wedding licence at the end of February which means he must marry within 90 days.