Chester Zoo‘s planning application for a new snow leopard habitat has been approved, and the zoo’s new ‘Heart of Africa’ zone and hotel project are advancing.
The new snow leopard habitat will be built on an existing animal enclosure on the eastern edge of Chester Zoo. It will include an animal holding building, animal enclosures and a public viewing area.
“The plan is designed to enhance our position as one of the world’s best conservation, animal and leisure attractions between now and 2030,” the zoo said in a statement submitted with the plans (via CheshireLive)
New attractions at Chester Zoo
“Building on the success of our groundbreaking islands habitats which first opened in 2015 to bring Southeast Asia to life in Cheshire, the remainder of the zoo will be sensitively transformed through the creation of large-scale themed zones.
“As a leading tourist attraction, it is imperative that we continue to invest and improve our facilities for excellent education, animal welfare and visitor satisfaction.”
The statement added: “The snow leopard is an iconic species with significant public draw and should help drive visitation to the zoo during a period with no other major visitor developments taking place.
“The intention is to construct the enclosure on an existing animal habitat with no increase to staff numbers or traffic as part of this application.”
In a tweet, Chester Zoo’s chief executive officer Jamie Christon confirmed the zoo’s new ‘Heart of Africa’ zone and hotel project are “underway” in addition to the snow leopard habitat.
“That’s over £60m of investment in the next few years,” he wrote. “That’s our commitment to the visitor economy in the north.”
Meanwhile, Blackpool Zoo is working with Chester Zoo’s conservationists in an attempt to turn Blackpool into a sustainable palm oil community. The movement was launched by Chester Zoo in 2017.
