Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is the most visited wildlife attraction in Britain outside London and one of the finest zoos in Europe, covering approximately 125 acres and housing over 35,000 animals representing some 500 species in naturalistic habitats that represent some of the best zoo exhibit design in the world. The zoo was founded in 1931 by George Mottershead, who was refused entry to a zoo as a child for wearing clogs and resolved to build a zoo without bars where all visitors would be welcome, and that founding philosophy of openness and accessibility has shaped the zoo's development across nine decades of continuous growth and improvement.
The zoo's approach to exhibit design has been consistently innovative. The Islands development, which recreated six habitats from the islands of Southeast Asia, won widespread acclaim when it opened in 2015 and demonstrated that zoological gardens can create immersive natural environments that benefit both the animals and the visitor experience. The Monsoon Forest, a tropical rainforest habitat housing Asian elephants in a climate-controlled environment that replicates the humidity and temperature of their natural range, opened in 2019 and represented a capital investment of extraordinary scale.
Chester Zoo's conservation work extends well beyond its boundaries. The zoo contributes to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme for numerous species and manages field conservation projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The zoo's research into reproductive biology, nutrition and veterinary care for captive species has made contributions to conservation knowledge that benefit wild populations as well as those in human care. The Orangutan programme has been particularly significant, with Chester having been a major contributor to the captive breeding and research that supports conservation of this critically endangered species.
The zoo's position near the historic city of Chester allows visitors to combine a zoo visit with the Roman walls, the medieval cathedral and the unique black and white architecture of the city.