'Chester Zoo' is a Zoological Garden located in the North of England. It was opened in
1934 by George Mottershead
[1] and is the UK's largest zoo at 111 acres.
[2] The zoo has a total land holding of approximately 400 acres.
The zoo is currently operated by the North of England Zoological Society, a
registered charity founded in
1934. The zoo receives no government funding. The current zoo director is Gordon McGregor Reid.
History
Early history
The Mottershead family market garden business was based in
Shavington, Crewe. George Mottershead would collect the animals - lizards and insects - that arrived with exotic plants from abroad to the market garden. In
1903 his interest in creating a zoo was further developed by a visit to
Belle Vue Zoo in
Manchester.
Mottershead was injured in
World War I and spent several years in a wheel chair. Despite this, his collection of animals grew and he began to search for a suitable home for the zoo. He chose Oakfield House in
Upton, a suburb of Chester. The house had nine acres of gardens and provided easy access to the railways and to Manchester and
Liverpool. There were local objections, but Mottershead prevailed, and Chester Zoo had its public opening in
1931.
[2]
Rapid expansion followed after
World War II. ''Always Building'' was the zoo's slogan of the time. Mottershead received the
OBE, an honorary degree of MSc, and served as President of the International Union of Zoo Directors. He died in
1978 aged 84.
Zoo design
Mottershead wanted to build a zoo without the traditional Victorian iron bars to cage the animals. Mottershead was influenced by the ideas of Carl Hagenback, who invented the modem zoo concept, and by Heine Hediger, a pioneer of
ethology.
At Chester Mottershead took Hagenback's idea for moats and ditches as an alternative to ironwork, and extended their use throughout the zoo, often with species that Hagenback had not considered. For example, when
chimpanzees were released into their new enclosure at Chester in
1956, a group of grassy islands separated the apes from visitors by no more than a 12 foot (3.6 metre) strip of water. Nobody knew then if chimps could swim. It turned out that they could not, and today the chimp islands are a centrepiece of Chester Zoo.
In
1986 the zoo was enclosed with a fence in line with the
Zoo Licensing Act 1981.
[4]
Management structure
The zoo is split into three separate directorates under the management of the Director General, Gordon McGregor Reid:
★ Conservation and Education
★ Corporate Services
★ Commercial Services
Species and animals
The following information is valid at the end of
2006[5]
| Number of species | Number of animals |
|---|
| Mammals | 69 | 1553 |
| Birds | 166 | 1118 |
| Reptiles | 55 | 258 |
| Amphibians | 20 | 571 |
| Fishes | 84 | 2902 |
| Invertebrates | 30 | 1200 |
| 'Total' | '424' | '7602' |
Animal exhibits
Elephants of the Asian Forest
Chester was the first
zoo in the UK to successfully
breed Asian elephants in captivity. The most famous of these was "Jubilee" (
1977-
2003), so named as he was born in
1977, the year of the Queen's
Silver Jubilee. The zoo has a breeding herd of ten elephants,
[6] including three calfs: Tunga (male, born
2004), Sundara (female, born
2004) and Raman (male, born
2006). Another recent arrival to the herd was of female Birma in 2006. The Elephant House also used to house African Elephants, Rhinoceros, Hippos and Tapirs. A Hybrid between the African and Asian elephants was born but died soon after birth.
A £2 million breeding facility modelled on an
Assam rainforest called ''Elephants of the Asian Forest'' opened at Easter
2006. In the elephant house other indigenous species are exhibited, including
great Indian hornbills,
azure-winged magpies,
green peafowl, Red billed blue magpie, Red Junglefowl,
Prevost's squirrels,
red-bellied squirrels,
spiny turtles and
northern tree shrews. There is an aquarium for
Pla Eesok,
Pig-nosed Turtles Clown Loach and
Asian arowana fish.
[7]
Spirit of the Jaguar
''Spirit of the Jaguar''
[8] was opened in
2001 and is sponsored by
Jaguar cars. The exhibit is split in four sections. The two inside are a rainforest, and a dry and arid savannah, and the two outside contain rivers and pools so that the cats can exercise their swimming skills. There are five
jaguars - four spotted and one black. A male and female named Salvador and Sophia had cubs in
2005 that died soon after birth. As well as jaguars, the exhibit also contains a colony of
leaf-cutter ants,
poison arrow frogs,
emerald tree boas and numerous
rainforest fish including
butterfly goodeid.
Realm of the Red Ape
''Realm of the Red Ape'' is a £3.5 million extension to the existing orangutan house, home to
Bornean and
Sumatran orangutans, and is the most expensive capital project in the zoo's history. The exhibit opened to the public on 26 May
2007 after a two-year construction period. It comprises a new two-story building linked to the existing orangutan house with three indoor and two outdoor enclosures, providing accommodation for a larger number of apes. The outdoor areas have a mesh roof supported by tree-like structures which act as climbing frames for the orangutans. Two outdoor enclosures can be viewed from a first floor public gallery as well as from other outside vantage points. Inside, the exhibit has been themed as an Indonesian rainforest and also houses a wide variety of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals such as a family of four
lar gibbons as well as indigenous plants, trees and shrubs. Reptiles on display include the
crocodile monitor, mangrove monitor,
reticulated python, red tailed racer,
emerald tree monitor and
green tree python. Birds include the
Timor sparrow,
Chestnut-backed Thrush, and
orange-headed thrush. Others include surplus male
tree shrews from the elephant house,
White's tree frogs, giant walking sticks,
leaf insects, giant orb-weaving spiders and
king ratsnakes.
The Chimpanzee Breeding Centre
This pavilion was opened in
1989 by HRH the
Princess of Wales and is home to 30
chimpanzees. This is the largest colony of chimps in Europe, housed in a conical indoor enclosure (the Roundhouse) linked to an outside moated island. The island is planted with many bushes and has large pole for the chimps to climb on. The inside area has a climbing frame that allows the chimps to stay close together on several levels of platform. There are seven interconnected off-show dens. Dylan is the current dominant male of the Chester Zoo colony.
The Two Okapis at the zoo
Tsavo Rhino Experience
The zoo's
black rhinoceros exhibit, modelled on the
Tsavo national park in
Kenya, was opened in
2003 at a cost of £2 million. The zoo has a successful rhinoceros breeding programme and currently keeps a herd of 7 animals.
Meerkats are kept in a small enclosure nearby, and the surrounding paddocks are home to
red lechwe,
banded mongoose and
warthog.
Twilight Zone Bat Cave
''Twilight Zone Bat Cave'' is the largest free-flying
bat cave in Europe. The cave holds three species of bat:
Rodrigues fruit bat,
Livingstone's fruit bat and
Seba's short-tailed bat. It is also home to a various collection of other species which are freshwater fish,
Madagascar hissing cockroaches,
Turkish spiny mice, and
blind cave fish.
Monkey Islands
''Monkey Islands'' was opened in
1997 (replacing the old monkey house) and is currently home to five monkey species: Colombian black
spider monkeys,
mandrills,
lion-tailed macaques,
Sulawesi crested macaques and
Campbell's guenons.
Porcupines were housed with the guenons and mandrills until
2001. Visitors enter the monkey house and view the animals from a central corridor. Each species has a glass-fronted indoor enclosure with climbing apparatus and an outdoor enclosure, moated and heavily planted.
Miniature Monkeys
''Miniature Monkeys'', opened in May
2004, is a walk-through exhibit consisting of two enclosures. The first is home to a female
pied tamarin and the second is shared by a family of
Geoffroy's marmosets and a pair of
black lion tamarins. The Marmosets have successfully breed. Until
2006 a male
Azara's agouti was also housed here. The zoo plans to bring in a new pair of Pied Tamarins.
Bears of the Cloud Forest
''Bears of the Cloud Forest'' opened in
2004 and is home to a pair of
spectacled bears and other South American animals. The purpose-built exhibit is designed to mimic the bear's natural habitat by providing trees and a rocky terrain. Sharing the bears' enclosure with them are a group of
ring-tailed coatis. Nearby are paddocks housing
vicuña and
guanaco (wild relatives of the
llama),
capybara,
Brazilian tapirs and
common rheas.
Secret World of the Okapi
Formerly the camel house, this enclosure was remodelled in
2006 to house
okapi. Initially two males were kept, but one has since left and been replaced by a female as part of a breeding programme. Other animals that can be seen here include the
giant pouched rat,
African dormouse, several species of
cichlid from Lake Barombi Mbo in
Cameroon,
gaboon viper and Mesic Four Stripped Grass Mice.
Islands in Danger
The fountain and gardens in front of ''Islands in Danger''
This exhibit is primarily a
herpetarium for the zoo's
Komodo dragons, originating from the
Lesser Sunda Islands. It was opened in
1998 and extended in
2003 to include an outdoor enclosure used by the dragons in the warmer summer months. In 2007 several young baby Komodo Dragons were put on display after one of the zoos two females had a virgin birth.
The ''Islands in Danger'' exhibit also houses various Indonesian and Philippine rainforest birds, such as
red birds of paradise,
Palawan peacock-pheasants, Pheasant Pigeons and
Victoria crowned pigeons. Recently added was a small group of Mindanao bleeding heart
doves which have successfully bred. Chester has also recently acquired 8 pure bred tarictic hornbill, two pairs of which are displayed in here.
Childrens Farm and Marmot Mania
This includes a collection of domestic animals such as
goats,
rabbits,
pigs,
sheep,
guinea pigs and
poultry to be met and petted. The nearby ''Marmot Mania'' houses
black-tailed prairie marmots, and features tunnels beneath the enclosure which allow children to crawl through, popping up thir heads into plastic domes to give them a marmot's eye view of the world.
Sea Lion Beach and Penguins
The pool for
California sea lions was recently restyled ''Sea Lion Beach''. There is now a larger 'beach' area, more naturalistic planting and softer barriers. In the summer of
2006 a pup named Sophia was born.
In the neighbouring enclosure a large group of breeding
Humboldt penguins have their own pool, and visitors can watch the birds from an underwater viewing window.
Tropical Realm
Chester's ''Tropical Realm'' is Britain's largest tropical house at over 26,000 cubic metres. Opened in 1964, most of the interior is an open-plan space extending to roof level and themed with pools and mature tropical plants, with pathways for visitors through the undergrowth. The top row of aviaries were designed for housing Birds of Paradise in the 1960's. Here, more than 30 species of birds are free-flying, including
Nicobar pigeons, various species of
starling and ground birds such as
roul-roul partridges. Aviaries and vivaria are arranged around the sides of the building.
The aviaries are on two levels and house birds such as the
great Indian hornbill,
rhinoceros hornbill, Two pairs of
tarictic hornbill one pure and one hybrid,
writhed-billed hornbill,
wrinkled hornbill,
red-crested turaco,
Palawan peacock-pheasant,
Congo peafowl,
Bali starling,
blue crowned pigeon,
white-rumped shama,
Montserrat oriole and
red-billed curassow.
The ''Tropical Realm'' is also the centre of the reptile collection. There are
West African dwarf crocodiles in the jungle pools. Close to the entrance and with access to an outside pen, are the
tuatara from
New Zealand. This lizard-like animal is the last surviving species of sphenodont, a prehistoric group of reptiles. There are also many varieties of snake;
anaconda,
boa constrictor, snouted
cobra,
rat snake,
Jamaican boa and
green mamba to name a few. Lizards include the
rhinoceros iguanas,
gila monsters and various species of
monitor and
gecko.
Tortoises are represented by the
Galápagos,
pancake,
radiated,
Egyptian and yellow-footed species. There are more than ten kinds of
poison dart frog and the highly unusual
Puerto Rican crested toad, plus invertebrates such as the
partula snail.
Europe on the Edge
This is the zoo's largest aviary, and is one of the biggest in the UK. It was opened in
1993 on the site of the former polar bear enclosure. It houses a variety of European birds, including the
European black and
griffon vultures and the rarer of the two European storks, the
black stork. There are
spoonbills,
ibis and
egrets as well as a selection of waterfowl. Smaller birds include the
rock dove,
northern lapwing,
red-legged partridge and the native but rare
red-billed chough.
Condor Cliffs
This aviary was constructed to rehouse the zoo's breeding pair of
Andean condors, who have since parent-reared a chick for the first time. It is now also home for the
American black vulture from South America and several species of waterfowl. The aviary is dominated by a large sandstone waterfall, and a fake llama skeleton is used at feeding time.
Rare Parrot Breeding Centre
Parrots on display here include
blue-eyed cockatoos,
red-vented cockatoos,
palm cockatoos,
short-billed black cockatoos,
red-and-blue lories,
yellow-backed chattering lories, Mount Apo lorikeets and
blue and yellow macaws. Most of the birds were moved to the ''Rare Parrot Breeding Centre'' from the old parrot house when it was demolished in
2005 to make way for the ''Realm of the Red Ape'' development.
Mythical Macaws
This enclosure consists of several aviaries housing rare and endangered South American parrots and macaws. These include the
hyacinth macaw,
blue-winged macaw,
blue-throated macaw,
golden conure,
golden-capped parakeet,
blue-throated conure,
green-cheeked amazon and
red-tailed amazon. The first aviary was opened in
2001 and the remainder in
2004. A male
Azara's agouti that used to reside in the ''Miniature Monkeys'' exhibit has now taken up residence here and been joined by a female.
Aquarium
The aquarium is a small and traditional building (one of the oldest at the zoo, built by George Mottershead's daughter and son-in-law in the 1950s) housing a varied collection of freshwater and marine fish, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians. It has had notable success breeding
seahorses and achieved the first captive breeding of the freshwater motoro stingray.
Other notable fish include the
electric eel,
African lungfish, tropical reef fishes and various
Lake Malawi cichlids. Amphibians include the
Surinam toad,
Japanese fire belly newt and
axolotl.
Asian Plains and Paddocks
In the 1990s the zoo opened a new enclosure called ''Asian Plains'' which housed
blackbuck, Burmese brow-antlered
deer and
barasingha, the latter departing in
2003. In
2007 the enclosure was re-modelled and the deer and
antelope were joined by a male
Indian rhinoceros. This paddock was used before this to house a variety of species such as Ankole Cattle and Sitatunga.
Other paddocks on the west side of the zoo support grazing herds of
Grevy's zebra,
sitatunga,
scimitar-horned oryx,
gemsbok,
Pere David's deer and
Przewalski's horse. The sitatunga share their paddock with
ostrich. Australian fauna is represented by
emus and
red-necked wallabies in a mixed exhibit.
Forest Zone
The north-east area of the zoo is where many forest-dwelling species are kept. As well as the chimpanzees, okapi, jaguar and ''Tropical Realm'' there are enclosures for
Congo buffalo,
red river hogs and endangered
Negros Island warty pigs. Nearby is a large paddock for the zoo's six
giraffes.
Buffy-headed capuchins are housed near the exit of the ''Tropical Realm'' as well as a group of native
sand lizards. The main coati group is found here as is an empty enclosure formerly housing Maned Wolves.
Lions and Tigers
As well as jaguars, Chester keeps
lions and
tigers in its big cat collection. The
lions are the Asiatic
subspecies found only in the
Gir Forest in
India in the wild. The zoo is currently home to a male and a female which arrived in 2006.
In
2007 a male
Sumatran tiger called Kepala arrived from
Dudley Zoo to join the two female
Bengal tigers. The zoo hopes to acquire a female within the next year to form a breeding pair of Sumatrans, the rarest subspecies of tiger in the wild. When the female Sumatran Tigress arrives the future of the two Bengal Tigresses is unknown.
Other Exhibits
Other animals exhibited at Chester Zoo include
Bactrian camel and
onager in a large paddock in the centre of the zoo, this paddock formerly housed zebras. Next to this is an empty paddock which formerly housed the Lechwe before they moved to Tsavo. The paddock currently awaits the arrival of Addax. An off show paddock only visible from the motorbus houses Philippine Spotted Deer.
Bordering the paddocks are waterway running north-south along which the water bus travels, past island groups of Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Aloatran Gentle Lemurs,
red ruffed lemurs and a herd of Lowland Anoas. Cotton topped Tamarins were formerly housed on the Gentle Lemur Island.
In the south east corner of the zoo is a second pedestrian entrance, and nearby enclosures housing an assortment of animals including
bongos,
Chilean pudú,
bush dogs,
red pandas,
Asian small-clawed otters,
western grey kangaroos,
southern cassowaries Red Crowned Cranes, Golden Pheasant and an empty enclosure by the kangaroo paddock which over the years has provided home to a variety of animals including Mongooses, Bush Dogs and Bears.
Near the ''Rare Parrot Breeding Centre'' are aviaries holding
Spectacled Owls, this aviary formerly housed Keas and before that Macaws. A variety of bird species such as Derbyan Parakeets, Kookaburras and the zoo’s
owl collection are seen nearby. The owl aviaries were recently modified
Aviarys for Snowy Owls, Rhinoceros Hornbills and
Mauritius kestrels are located behind The Childrens Fun Ark. Flocks of
Chilean and
Caribbean flamingos live in shallow water alongside a large Island housing a group of Ring tailed Lemurs. Pelicans, Storks, Cranes and a variety of Waterfowl are housed in large pens alongside Tsavo the Rhino Experience.
Future Developments
Chester Zoo is working with consultants and local government on its masterplan for development and expansion called 'SuperZoo', with the aspiration of becoming a world-class visitor attraction.
[9] The SuperZoo will be constructed in four phases totalling over £300 million of capital investment, with phase one being in the region of £100 million, and will treble the size of the existing zoo. The plan will divide the zoo into four zones representing African savannah, grassland, forest and island and wetland habitats. The estimated completion date is 2020.
''Realm of the Red Ape'' (expansion of the orangutan exhibit, opened May
2007) and ''Beginnings'' (redevelopment of the main entrance, opened Easter
2007)
[10] both form part of the long-term SuperZoo project.
Over the next 18 months, Chester will be embarking on its next major development, a new aquarium building called ''Origins''. It is scheduled to open late 2008. Addax are due to arrive soon, to be housed in the old Lechwe paddock by the Onagers and Camels but their arrival has been delayed because of disease outbreak in Germany, the arrival of this species is now been doubted. Another development is the additon of
Persian Gointered Gazelles and a female Sumatran Tiger. A Female Indian Rhino is also set to arrive in September as well as a new pair of Pied Tamarins.
Facilities
Chester Zoo Monorail
The zoo has a
monorail transportation system called the Zoofari Railway. A water bus operates on a canal network within the zoo in peak season.
Chester's catering facilities include the Tsavo Café near the main entrance which opened in 2006. The Ark restaurant is located in the middle of the zoo. The Oakfield Restaurant, located in a Victorian mansion house near the lion enclosure, and the Acorn Bar are both used for private functions as well as catering to zoo visitors.
There are children's play areas, shops, kiosks and several picnic lawns sited around the zoo.
Membership and Adoption
The zoo has a scheme whereby people can adopt an animal of their choice. They can also become zoo members. Every three months members and adopters receive the zoo magazine, called Z, which provides updates and information about what is happening at the zoo.
External links
★
Chester Zoo Website
★
Goodzoos Website
References
1. About Us
2. Chester Zoo
3. Chester Zoo
4. The Zoo Estate
5. Chester Zoo Annual Review 2006 - Livestock Summary
6. Elephant calf makes debut
7. Elephants of the Asian Forest
8. Spirit of the Jaguar
9. Chester Zoo Annual Review 2006 - Part 4
10. £1 million face lift for zoo
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