Chester Zoo has announced record visitor numbers for 2014.
The Zoo welcomed 1, 432, 867 visitors in 2014, the highest attendance in its 84 year history.
In addition memberships also increased to record levels at 57, 835, an increase of 7, 827 on the previous year and for the month of December 2014 animal adoptions were the highest ever at 1, 507.
Chester Zoo was also named as the best in the UK, second best in Europe and sixth best in the world by TripAdvisor users in 2014.
Visitor numbers have been boosted by new arrivals such as Rothschild giraffe Zahra:
Commenting on the news, Chester Zoo’s managing director Jamie Christon said, “We’re thrilled that the zoo attracted such a huge amount of interest – locally, nationally and internationally – in 2014, the highest visitor numbers in our history. As a conservation and education charity we very much rely on visitors to help fund the great work we do to protect species around the world and so our heartfelt thanks go to each and every person that has come here and supported us.
“The zoo is constantly evolving and looking to offer new and exciting experiences and with what we have in store later this year, we’re confident we’ll have even more to wow people with.”
Looking forward to 2015, the Zoo’s £30 million Islands project, the biggest expansion in UK zoo history with architecture and landscaping design by dan pearlman, is set to open this Spring.
Christon explains, “Islands is incredibly ambitious. It’s unlike anything ever attempted before in the UK and aims to bring conservation to life – taking visitors on an adventure where, for a few hours at least, they feel like they’ve been transported to South East Asia.
“We’re incredibly excited about the year ahead.”
Image and video: Chester Zoo
