Chester Zoo

09/11/2024

Saving REAL-LIFE Paddington Bears! 🐻

It's marmalade for Paddington, but honey that's helping his cousins in the wild 🍊🍯

A few years ago we hatched a plan to keep Andean bears in Bolivia safe, while helping the communities that live alongside them to thrive.

How? By training Bolivian families to beekeep! 🐝 The sale of honey provides families with a boost of income and new skills, while bears avoid sticky run-ins with farmers by no longer raiding crops or attacking cattle.

It’s a sweet story of coexistence 🌎

One zoo. Endless stories.

07/11/2024

Big news! 🚨 Our brand-new International Centre for Zoo Science just opened its doors and it’s about to shake things up for wildlife conservation! 🌍

What’s inside? 🧬
🦏 A super high-tech lab to track hormones and boost endangered species breeding programmes
🧪 Tons of space for scientists, students and conservation heroes to make discoveries together
❄️ A "genetics freezer" at -196°C (yep, it’s chilly) where we’re preserving the DNA of the world's rarest animals to safeguard their future on the planet

And that's not even the coolest part! We’ll be diving into the scientific mysteries of animals that have never been studied before... so watch this space 👀

06/11/2024

Big news for BIG cats! 🐅

Imagine coming face to face with a leopard or a tiger. Well that’s a reality for people living in parts of India 🇮🇳

In the past, some would react by shooting, attacking or poisoning them out of pure fear. But thanks to huge conservation efforts, big cats that wander into villages are now given safe passage and move on peacefully.

Proof that that people and wildlife can thrive together with a little understanding 🌏

One zoo. Endless stories

05/11/2024

You may notice things are starting to look a little different around here... 👀

Today marks the start of an exciting new era! We’re bringing together everything that Chester Zoo stands for, from our world leading zoo to our international conservation, education and science work. 🌏

At Chester Zoo, conservation starts with you, so join us in creating a future where nature can survive and thrive. 🌱❤️

01/11/2024

Not one, not two, but THREE baby spider monkeys! 🐒🐒🐒 Meet the trio: our eldest, Olive, followed by Herb, and then little Hazel!

Just look at their adorable little faces 😍

30/10/2024

Ten years ago we helped release THOUSANDS of GIANT spiders back into the UK! 🕷️🇬🇧

The fen raft spiders were bred right here at the zoo, and we're super happy to report there are now more than 10,000 breeding females... and they've just had the biggest mating season on record! 👀

You can't miss them, they grow to be the size of your hand! Honestly, you're so welcome 🥰

28/10/2024

Exciting news! 🌟 Rumple the Sulawesi crested macaque is now a proud mama 🐒❤️

With fewer than 5,000 of these critically endangered primates left in the wild - Rumple’s adorable, wrinkly-faced arrival is a big win for the species! 🌏

25/10/2024

🌍 Happy World Lemur Day! 🐒 Today we’re celebrating Madagascar’s incredible lemurs and the amazing work being done to protect their future!

With our partners, Madagasikara Voakajy, we’re helping local communities there take the lead in lemur conservation. Since 2015, the Mangabe Protected Area has served as a safe haven for nine lemur species, and our goal is to have it fully managed by local communities by 2040! ✨ By empowering future conservationists with tools and training, we’re helping ensure these unique animals are protected for generations to come 🌎

24/10/2024

🦇Let’s give bats some love this Halloween! 🦇 It’s , and FYI - these incredible creatures are the unsung heroes of our ecosystems 🌍

Rodrigues fruit bats, just like these, were nearly wiped out in the 1970s, leaving just 70 left in the wild! Thanks to conservation efforts by our friends at Mauritian Wildlife Foundation- their population is now over 20,000. 🙌 Not only are they thriving, they’re also helping rebuild forests by spreading seeds and pollinating plants! 🌳✨

And seriously, who wouldn’t want to join that cosy bat huddle? 🥰

21/10/2024

Watch the INCREDIBLE moment some of the world's rarest crocodiles hatch - and listen to their little chirps! 💚🐊

Two years ago, our team were asked to help with international efforts to save the critically endangered Siamese crocodile from extinction.

Guided by our knowledge and expertise, developed through working closely with crocodile species here at the zoo, we’ve been able to further boost the success rate in breeding centres in Cambodia by more than 500% 🥚💥

More crocs are now being released into Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains by our conservation friends Fauna & Flora - with the goal of adding another 150 to the wild population by 2025! 🌍

What better way to celebrate 🙌

15/10/2024

Autumn is in the air and baby Kasimbar is loving her first outdoor adventure! 🍁

With just 2,500 anoa left in the wild, we are SO excited to have such a special new arrival💚

Have you seen her out and about yet? 👀

07/10/2024

She was a ✨snow leopard✨Who by the way, can jump up to FIFTY feet 🤯

07/10/2024

04/10/2024

The perfect day doesn’t exis… oh wait, it’s International Zookeeper Day AND World Animal Day! 🌍🐾 So today, we’re giving a massive shoutout to our incredible team of keepers at Chester Zoo, who care for over 37,000 animals (yep, that many) – from mammals and birds to fish and reptiles – and even thousands of plants! 🌱 Their passion and dedication go way beyond daily care; they play a vital role in wildlife conservation, safeguarding endangered species, and protecting our planet’s future. Let's celebrate all the amazing work they do for our animals every single day! 👏❤️

01/10/2024

We’ve planted a WHOLE woodland to help save UK Wildlife!🌳🐝

Planting 19,000 trees is seriously hard work! 😮‍💨 But this special place will be a thriving sanctuary for hundreds of species including bees, birds, badgers, foxes, harvest mice and a whole of variety of butterflies and plants 🦋🌿This is the BIGGEST habitat we’ve ever created and we can’t wait to see it blossom... 🌱

30/09/2024

6 WEEKS TO GO until we light up the zoo for Christmas! 🎄🎆

More LIGHTS, more LANTERNS, more ANIMAL PUPPETS, more Christmas MAGIC, more of EVERYTHING you love... Tag someone you’d love to go Lanterns & Light with👇🎅

Tickets are selling fast, grab yours now: https://www.chesterzoo.org/lanterns-and-light/

28/09/2024

Our brand new BEASTS experience is now open! Prepare to come face-to-face with untamed mythical creatures in a fully animated 360-degree digital journey - the first of its kind in the UK!🕸️✨ Plus, complete our giant pumpkin trail challenge to collect your sweet treats! 👻 🍬

24/09/2024

Who knew that running 10K could help save rhinos? Well, YOU incredible people have raised £140K by taking part in our Run For Nature event.

Here’s how you’ve made the world of difference (for chubby unicorns)👇

1) Help to boost the number of highly threatened rhinos through conservation breeding programmes. The most recent birth of Eastern black rhino calf Lumi, right here in Chester, is incredibly special as just 650 now remain on the planet 📈

2) Develop and roll out the innovative technology and research techniques, pioneered here at the zoo over 15 years using hormone monitoring, to provide crucial insights into the health of rhinos both in zoos and Africa 🌍

3) Continue to support the translocation of rhinos to the wild. This calf was born just five years after we spearheaded efforts to move five Eastern black rhinos from zoos in Europe, to a protected national park in Rwanda 🦏