Chester Zoo Chester Zoo news 2025

polarbear said:
Confirmation of Lion move from London Zoo:


A new home for Shanti
Shanti, one of three Asiatic lion cubs born at London Zoo in March 2024, will be moving to a new home at Chester Zoo in the next few weeks, as part of the conservation breeding programme. We can’t wait to see how Shanti settles at Chester Zoo.
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Now confirmed by London Zoo on facebook.

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Taken from the above post


Good luck Shanti

Shanti, one of three Asiatic lion cubs born at London Zoo in March 2024, will be moving to a new home at Chester Zoo later this month, as part of the conservation breeding programme for the big cats.

The birth of Shanti and her brothers last year was a huge boost to the effort to preserve Asiatic lions, which are found only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India. Recent population estimates suggest that 600 to 700 individuals remain in the wild, and due to their reliance on just one habitat, they are particularly vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster.

London Zoo’s Asiatic lion pride are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), to maintain healthy and genetically diverse populations of threatened species and support conservation efforts.

Together, we’re preserving a ‘back up’ population of these Endangered big cats should they be needed to support their wild cousins, while inspiring millions of people to help protect wildlife.

London Zoo’s Asiatic lions are supported by Liontrust Heroes, who helped to name our three cubs last year with a nation-wide naming competition.

We can’t wait to see how Shanti settles at Chester Zoo.

Please share your favourite Shanti pics and memories with us!
 
This is one of them again where we saw the male lion in Cologne last year and just seen the female in London last week. Always nice to then see them somewhere else again that's one of the regular places you visit.
 
Sorry to bring up the *alleged* jaguar move from South Lakes again, but if it is true, could Chester also just be temporarily holding them in an off-show area? Especially as nothing has been said on social media.

However, I admit that if their enclosure at South Lakes was functional and keepers still had access to them, moving the animals for the sake of temporary holdings just seems unnecessarily stressful on them. Though, I suppose the more animals moved from that site ASAP hopefully means it can move on from its past and start anew.
 
London Zoo said:
The birth of Shanti and her brothers last year was a huge boost to the effort to preserve Asiatic lions, which are found only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India. Recent population estimates suggest that 600 to 700 individuals remain in the wild, and due to their reliance on just one habitat, they are particularly vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster.
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I wonder where they're getting that information from since data from earlier this year counts the population at close to 900 individuals and an increased range that moves beyond the Gir Forest. Those numbers are obviously amazing news - I remember when Chester first got Asiatic lions that their were only around 300 left in the wild - so the outdated information seems to paint a slightly disingenuous picture that gives no credit to local efforts.

Asiatic lion population has grown 172% in 25 years
 
Gavinj90 said:
I wonder where they're getting that information from since data from earlier this year counts the population at close to 900 individuals and an increased range that moves beyond the Gir Forest. Those numbers are obviously amazing news - I remember when Chester first got Asiatic lions that their were only around 300 left in the wild - so the outdated information seems to paint a slightly disingenuous picture that gives no credit to local efforts.

Asiatic lion population has grown 172% in 25 years
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That’s really good news, didn’t know about that, thanks for sharing
It does look like they are doing a great job with their conservation in India
Still a good idea to have a backup population in zoos
There was efforts to start a reintroduction program in another part of India but unfortunately it didn’t happen, someone posted on here about it if I remember correctly, can’t remember the details
 
LCPete said:
There was efforts to start a reintroduction program in another part of India but unfortunately it didn’t happen, someone posted on here about it if I remember correctly, can’t remember the details
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There has been talk about this for the last sixty years or so, setting up a second population in another reserve as a precaution. But it has still not happened to date.
 
Thomas said:
What’s the Next Big Project Plan after Heart of Africa?
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An African Forest zone replacing the old giraffe house, okapos, congo buffalos and chimpanzee areas. It will mostly be rehousing the above species in better enclosures, whilst maybe bringing in some new species. It will be built in phases with construction starting in 2028 according to the last annual report. The first phase will likely be moving the chimps to the old giraffe house. That's all we know until planning permission is submitted, likely late next year.
 
God of Mischief said:
An African Forest zone replacing the old giraffe house, okapos, congo buffalos and chimpanzee areas. It will mostly be rehousing the above species in better enclosures, whilst maybe bringing in some new species. It will be built in phases with construction starting in 2028 according to the last annual report. The first phase will likely be moving the chimps to the old giraffe house. That's all we know until planning permission is submitted, likely late next year.
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Are gorillas dropped from the masterplan?
 
FBBird said:
I think gorillas are shelved indefinitely because of the cost of state of the art facilities for them. Chester will have wanted to do it superbly or not at all
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A shame, considering the Chessington group may be available in the near future (unless they’ve been allocated elsewhere)
 
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