Page 84 - World of Animals - Issue #29

Zoos of the world

The evolving history

of Chessington Zoo

Adding new attractions and
renovating facilities for some of
the world’s rarest creatures
Considering it was founded well over eight decades
ago, in a time before the site bloomed into a full
theme park, it’s not surprising to learn that the zoo
has transformed and refreshed itself many times.
However, it’s in the last decade that Chessington Zoo
has really come into its own, adding new features
and facilities that have transformed it into one of the
biggest zoos in the UK.
In 2005, the park added the Children’s Zoo and
the Peking Heights observational wheel, which
has become incredibly popular with young visitors
(the occasional appearance of Dora The Explorer
and Noddy probably having something to do with
it). Three years later, Chessington Zoo added its
very own Sea Life Centre, with over 20 displays of
wonderful marine life on show to the public. In that
same year, the zoo also welcomed another startling
addition: the first binturong baby to be born in ten
years. A few years on and the zoo created Azteca, an
underwater area for its new blacktip reef sharks. Of
all those fresh additions to the zoo, the introduction
of Zufari: Ride Into Africa has proven to be hugely
popular among visitors.
“It’s an attraction where visitors hop on board
a huge safari-style vehicle and venture through a
22-acre area of the park, themed like the African
Savannah,” says Merrington. “This gives guests
the opportunity to get really close to animals such As well as helping with its
conservation overseas,
as white rhinos, Rothschild giraffes, ostriches and Chessington Zoo also
Grevy’s zebras amongst others. This investment saw plays host to a number of
the zoo almost double in size and allowed us to bring southern white rhinos
in such a fantastic variety of large ungulate species.”

“Of all the fresh additions to the zoo, the introduction of Zufari:

Ride Into Africa has proven to be hugely popular”

Investing in future habitats

Chessington’s own charity is making strides at home and abroad
Like many zoos and animal reserves in the UK, Chessington Zoo
has its own conservation charity, which enables it to sponsor and
promote the preservation of endangered habitats and species
both in the UK and internationally. While still very much in its
infancy, the Chessington Conservation Fund (CCF) has become a
vital part of the zoo and its desire to help stabilise areas of nature
in need of assistance continues to grow.
“One of the biggest projects we have been involved with so far
is our partnership with World Land Trust,” comments Merrington.
“This secured large amounts of land as part of nature reserves
that had been specifically identified as being at risk of destruction.
The first of these is in the south of Ecuador, South America and
is a dry forest habitat.” This effort saw Chessington contribute
£12,800 to save 128 acres of land in this area, as well as providing
£5,000 a year to help fund the recruitment of a local ranger who
can police these protected pieces of natural real estate and help
Located in the Wanyama protect them in the future.
Village and Reserve, the The Chessington Conservation Fund hasn’t stopped there either.
Alaotran gentle lemur Recently, the charity saved 137 acres of delicate tropical rainforest
is a cute addition to the
zoo’s collection habitat in the north of Ecuador, which was at risk of being sold off
for the purposes of gold mining.

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