Really enjoyed my visit down the M56 to Chester Zoo, to meet CEO Jamie Christon and team, seeing the behind-the-scenes work the zoo is doing to prevent species from going extinct.
Fascinating to hear from Angie who leads the team of elephant experts, to understand the significant work the zoo is doing to develop a vaccine for Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus. Sadly the zoo has lost 8 calves to the virus over the last 15 years so their global leadership will benefit the Asian herd in Cheshire and across the world.
Jamie also took me into the new tropical house where the endangered orangutangs are housed.
Chester Zoo has a really ambitious expansion plan underway at the moment which includes the construction of a new hotel and an African savanna enclosure for the giraffes and zebra. The park employs more than 1000 people so is a key part of the north Cheshire economy and is rated as the biggest tourist attraction in the North of England.
