About Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is the UK’s favourite zoo as well as an international conservation charity. Known as the North of England Zoological Society and managed by a board of Trustees.

The zoo was founded by the Mottershead family and welcomed its first visitors on 10 June 1931. Three years later, the zoo was registered as a non-profit organisation to be run as a charitable educational, conservation and scientific institution. Our membership scheme was also launched. In its first year 155 members, whose subscriptions totalled £216, signed up. Today, the zoo has over 165,000 members all helping provide funds for our conservation mission, both here in the UK and around the world.

What began as a family run zoo has grown into a globally-renowned centre of excellence for conservation and scientific research, and one of the UK’s biggest and most popular visitor attractions. We have even been voted the best zoo in the UK on TripAdvisor. The zoo’s 128-acre site in Chester, which is home to more than 37,000 animals and more than 500 species, is where this species-saving work is made possible. Each year we welcome 130,000 schoolchildren and gives away over 30,000 tickets to schools in less privileged areas. Our 2 million annual visitors and huge online communities are vital in helping us create a future where nature can survive and thrive.

We pride ourselves on our global conservation work, the zoo is key part of 139 international conservation breeding programmes, working with 62 conservation partners in 19 countries to protect wildlife and people. Experts from the zoo are recognised by governments and NGOs across the world as leaders within the global conservation community. Currently, the zoo is saving species on behalf of the Bermudan, Spanish and Portuguese governments, among others. 

For all matters relating to Trustees please contact:

Emma Powell
Executive Assistant
e.powell[at]chesterzoo.org
01244 650201

 

The North of England Zoological Society is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England no. 287902. Our registered charity no. is 306077 and our VAT no. is 595 7286 79.

A copy of our zoo license can be downloaded here.