Chessington Zoo Chessington World of Adventures 2025

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tennisfan

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
The planning permission for the Project Play redevelopment has been granted in February. This is the redevelopment of the Mexicana area which will create a themed area mainly for the preschoolers. Zoo impacts are the existing. Zoohoo Children's Zoo, the surrounding stables holding goats/Sheep/Donkeys and the Owl exhibits which would need to relocate to other areas of the resort.
Several other existing planning applications yet to be decided would affect other areas of the zoo.
 
Appears that the Zoohoo Children's Zoo has now closed for the redevelopment. Visitors last weekend indicated that the owl aviaries are currently still viewable. The displaced animals are expected to reappear in Wanyama area.

Separately Wild Asia will now no longer reopen for the 2025 season. This means Lorikeet Lagoon will not be open. (The Wild Asia redevelopment is still going though the planning process)
 
Sad news came in yesterday as Male tiger Tsar has passed away at the age of 17. He's been ill for some time now and the difficult descion has been made to put him to sleep
 
Took my daughter today, obviously predominantly for the rides but we did have a quick look at the zoo part, as well as the baby dik dik the porcupine have also had a baby, the farm animals have now moved into the wayama area. They are building a new outdoor area for the giraffe, the zufari ride seems alot longer then previous visits and actually stops at the animals which it didn't do before giving some great close up views of the animals.
 
rhinofan12 said:
Took my daughter today, obviously predominantly for the rides but we did have a quick look at the zoo part, as well as the baby dik dik the porcupine have also had a baby, the farm animals have now moved into the wayama area. They are building a new outdoor area for the giraffe, the zufari ride seems alot longer then previous visits and actually stops at the animals which it didn't do before giving some great close up views of the animals.
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Zufari ride would normally always stop to view animals assuming the animals are out , typically giraffes, blesbok/oryx , rhinos. Often depending on the position of the giraffes they will do two stops for them there so people on both sides of the truck get a view and further stops for the blesbok/oryx and then rhino .This year the rhinos are back in a more viewable field. The cave at the end of the ride has been rethemed this season and hence a longer stay in it than before. If the animals are not out in good viewable positions the ride will be shorter (time wise) , the route Is the same.
Also on a less busy day with shorter queuing times for the ride there is less pressure to go round quickly.
 
The Owls are now back on show on the path from Wanyama village to the Zufari ride. 5 owl aviaries in total, (in two new blocks), The replacement giraffe covered outside shelter has been completed on the site of the old demolished one. The monkey walk thru (Saki/Geoffrey Marmoset) is closed for enclosure improvement. Two of the baby porcupettes were visible and the young dikdik was outside with parents.
 
Chessington have submitted full planning application this month for the new relocated Lorikeet enclosure ( ie replacement for the Lorikeet Lagoon that is lost in the new theme land coming in 2027) . In summary they are planning to utilise the space/pond currently used to house the Flamingos up near the Zufari and Rhino hide lookout . Part of the Rhino hide lookout is affected by the development. The flamingos would move (there is a pond in front of the hotel that was previously exhibiting pelicans that would seem the logical relocation for them)

I post a link to the resort map to aid understanding of the location

https://www.chessington.com/media/3pnhutpz/chessington-2025-resort-map.pdf
 
It always bugged me that an Australian species was in an Asian themed land, and now they are moving them into an African themed land… (Facepalm)
 
Something I noticed they have added the zufari ride to the list of rides open at the winter event, think this is the 1st time zufari will run the whole year round.

I should add for those that don't know zufari is the ride/safari that takes you on a trip around the reserve.
 
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rhinofan12 said:
Something I noticed they have added the zufari ride to the list of rides open at the winter event, think this is the 1st time zufari will run the whole year round.

I should add for those that don't know zufari is the ride/safari that takes you on a trip around the reserve.
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I think you may have misinterpreted their webpages , and looked at a list of all of the rides . it says a selection of rides will be available .. the likely list is listed
https://www.chessington.com/explore/events/christmas/#what-rides-are-open-at-winter-s-tail-this-year
 
What’s going in the Chessington tiger enclosures if they are indeed moving to Jimmys farm? The lions from trail of the kings? More tigers (possibly a breeding pair? Or will it lay empty and that area is next on the chopping block for an ip based land that will further reduce the animal collection?
 
Some observations from a brief visit today.

The Lorikeets ( ex Lorrikeet Lagoon) are now housed up by the Zufari ride ) in an enclosure erected in front of the Rhino lookout there , so that no longer exists.. That means only viewing of the Rhino, Blesbok, Oryx outside would be by going on the Zufari ride itself. Other former inhabitants (ibis etc) of Lorikeet Lagoon appear to be temporaily residing in an enclosure at the bottom of Trail of the Kings presumably until a more permanent enclosure is available/constructed. Wild Asia (where Lorikeet Lagoon was) is a construction site and is mostly now demolished.

Land of the Tiger which borders this particular construction site on one side remains open and both tigers were visible in their respective enclosures.

Elsewhere the monkey walkthru (former saki) enclosure is also being redeveloped with what appears to be significant changes to the height of the fencing etc to the enclosure. It does mean that whilst this construction is ongoing the useful central pathway is closed requiring some detours.
 
SealionLDN said:
What’s going in the Chessington tiger enclosures if they are indeed moving to Jimmys farm? The lions from trail of the kings? More tigers (possibly a breeding pair? Or will it lay empty and that area is next on the chopping block for an ip based land that will further reduce the animal collection?
Click to expand...

From what I observed yesterday the Land of the Tiger exhibit should not be directly impacted by the current planned developments. The new themed land to replace Wild Asia is scheduled to open in 2027. The nature of the outside tiger enclosures (3 on show/1 off show) mean by tiger or keeper choice they could opt not to utilise the enclosure that borders the development.

It does seem that the current stragegy for the park is to separate the zoo and theme park elements which casts a shadow over the future of the Tiger exhibit should they opt to replace the Tiger Rock log flume ride themed that it is integrated with. With opening of the adjoing Wild Asia replacement land planned for 2027 they will need the Tiger Rock ride throughout the 2026 theme park season at least.
 
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