After six years of meticulous planning and construction, we’re so excited to give you an exclusive insider look at one of the most ambitious developments the zoo has seen in its 93-year history! We’re bringing you with us behind the scenes to find out what it takes to bring a huge African savannah to life, ready for the grand opening of Heart of Africa in spring 2025.

A journey INTO THE WILD

The breathtaking grasslands of Africa are home to some of the world’s many threatened animals, where a wide variety of species live side by side. Heart of Africa brings you, the visitor, to the centre of the action where some of our most iconic animals will come together for the first time in an immersive experience that replicates the wilds of Africa as closely as possible.

The huge focal point of the experience will be the African savannah, recreating the experience of animals mixing just like they do in their native home. Our Rothschild’s giraffe herd and Grevy’s zebra, both of which are important conservation species for us here at the zoo and threatened in their natural habitats in East Africa, will be mixed together. They’ll be roaming alongside roan antelope, blesbok antelope and ostriches in their new huge home, coming in at just under 15,000 square metres!

The grassland ecosystem has been carefully landscaped, with 35 huge trees that have been planted in the savannah, with the biggest being 10 metres tall. Visitors will be able to learn more about how vulnerable these wild habitats are to the seasons and climate change, with empowering help on how we can all champion conservation and reduce our individual impact.

Please note that some of the species named in this article and in the video that are planned to live in our Heart of Africa area may change by time of opening.

BAT-EARED fox

Named for their large ears, which can grow up to 5 inches long.
These ears serve multiple functions, including thermoregulation and enhancing their sense of hearing to detect their favourite food: termites.
They are highly social animals, engaging in grooming and playing behaviours to reinforce social bonds within the group.

RED SPITTING cobra

Earns its name from its striking red colour, often with darker markings along its body.
The Cobra displays its hood as a warning to potential predators.
Can accurately spit venom over distances of 2 metres.

SECRETARY bird

Secretary birds are instantly recognisable by their tall, crane-like stature, long legs, and crest of feathers on their heads.
These birds are formidable hunters, primarily preying on small mammals like rodents and reptiles such as snakes and lizards. They employ a unique hunting technique, using their powerful legs to stamp on prey.
They are most often found in East African grasslands and savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. They prefer habitats with short grass, which allows them to spot their prey more easily.

CAPE porcupine

Sharp quills over most of their body are modified hairs that act as a defence mechanism. They’re made of strengthened keratin with tapered ends that will grow back.
They have hollow quills in their tail, which they shake to make a rattling sound to warn predators that they’re dangerous.
Strong claws help them unearth bulbs, tubers and roots. They also eat fruits and gnaw on bark.

Heart of Africa will be a new home to hundreds of animals, many of them threatened. The breeding programmes that this new space will help us to participate in form a vital part of our wider conservation plan, including the Endangered Grevy’s zebra, where we have just introduced a new male in the hope of foals.

Here’s just a few of the other unique African native species that you won’t want to miss.

BAT-EARED fox

Named for their large ears, which can grow up to 5 inches long.
These ears serve multiple functions, including thermoregulation and enhancing their sense of hearing to detect their favourite food: termites.
They are highly social animals, engaging in grooming and playing behaviours to reinforce social bonds within the group.

RED SPITTING cobra

Earns its name from its striking red colour, often with darker markings along its body.
The Cobra displays its hood as a warning to potential predators.
Can accurately spit venom over distances of 2 metres.

SECRETARY bird

Secretary birds are instantly recognisable by their tall, crane-like stature, long legs, and crest of feathers on their heads.
These birds are formidable hunters, primarily preying on small mammals like rodents and reptiles such as snakes and lizards. They employ a unique hunting technique, using their powerful legs to stamp on prey.
They are most often found in East African grasslands and savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. They prefer habitats with short grass, which allows them to spot their prey more easily.

CAPE porcupine

Sharp quills over most of their body are modified hairs that act as a defence mechanism. They’re made of strengthened keratin with tapered ends that will grow back.
They have hollow quills in their tail, which they shake to make a rattling sound to warn predators that they’re dangerous.
Strong claws help them unearth bulbs, tubers and roots. They also eat fruits and gnaw on bark.

Visitors will be able to move from the towering heights of the giraffes to the smaller animals often hidden from sight in Africa’s grasslands. Insects such as locusts and dung beetles will make the ‘Hidden Savannah’ house their home, along with some smaller mammals such as naked mole-rats and elephant shrews. There’ll also be a host of exciting reptiles, including the venomous red spitting cobra, Ethiopian mountain viper and lizards such as the Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard and the Critically Endangered pancake tortoise.

FIELD WORK

A huge part of the work we do here at the zoo is linked to protecting native habitats out in the field and working with local communities on the ground. The Heart of Africa journey will run alongside some of our key projects in Africa and invite visitors to discover more about our wider conservation work out in the wild.

Maasai OLYMPICS

The Maasai Olympics is a way for Maasai warriors to display bravery by taking part in a sporting competition based on traditional Maasai skills such as high jump and rungu throwing. Historically, Maasai warriors would hunt lions to show bravery - a practice that carries significant cultural importance. However, in 2008, Maasai cultural fathers proposed the change to the Maasai Olympics, wanting to preserve these important cultural practices but without the enviromental impact.

Conservation organisations like Chester Zoo supported the development of the Maasai Olympics - sharing educational resources and researching the environmental impact of the games. In 2016, 84% of Maasai warriors expressed their positivity towards the Maasai Olympics as an alternative to lion hunting.

Giant PANGOLIN PROJECT

Four species of pangolins inhabit the African continent, with two species listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The trade of the pangolin’s scaly armour is centuries old, used as an ingredient in alternative medicines, as well as for decoration and fashion. They are also hunted for bushmeat and are dealing with the destruction of their habitat too.

The Giant Pangolin Project involves a 5-year partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Using camera traps and pioneering AI software to monitor giant pangolins at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Murchison Falls National Park, has allowed us to document the lives of individual pangolins as they roam and breed.

Black Rhino CONSERVATION

Our work with the black rhino is a perfect example of our highly collaborative 'One Plan' approach to conservation science. Our team of keepers and scientists work with scholars and practitioners around the world to protect both zoo and wild populations.

The reproduction rates of the critically endangered black rhino had been declining for some time, so we worked alongside a number of other zoos and the Kenyan Wildlife Service to unlock the solutions that would reverse this decline. This resulted in the creation of our ‘conservation physiology toolbox’, the culmination of a five year research project.

This work in zoos has also resulted in the founding of a lab, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Kenya, where we are working with the Kenyan Wildlife Service to consider how our work can be applied with wild populations.

Our unique overnight stays project, which is being developed adjacent to Heart of Africa, is also underway.

Set to open to our first guests in 2025, this project will see the development of 51 savannah-inspired luxury lodges, offering visitors a hotel stay unlike any other.

Each of the lodges will be able to accommodate up to six people and will either overlook a central lake or our giraffe habitat. To further accommodate our guests, it'll also be home to a restaurant and welcome area, and those staying with us will also be able to access exclusive experiences which will help to further connect them with the wildlife that their stay will be helping to support.

This ambitious new development is a key part of our long-term plans for how the zoo will look and will play a huge part in supporting our even more ambitious conservation plan.

Our unique overnight stays project, which is being developed adjacent to Heart of Africa, is also underway.

Set to open to our first guests in 2025 this project will see the development of 51 savannah-inspired luxury lodges, offering visitors a hotel stay unlike any other.

Each of the lodges will be able to accommodate up to six people and will either overlook a central lake or our giraffe habitat, where guests will be able to view a herd of bachelor giraffes from their balconies. To further accommodate our guests, it'll also be home to a restaurant and welcome area, and those staying with us will also be able to access exclusive experiences which will help to further connect them with the wildlife that their stay will be helping to support.

This ambitious new development is a key part of our long-term plans for how the zoo will look and will play a huge part in supporting our even more ambitious conservation plan.