Whether you buy an adoption for yourself or as a gift you’ll be making a vital contribution to help wildlife thrive around the world.
Orangutans are critically endangered. Their major threats in the wild include habitat loss due to palm oil farming, illegal hunting, and natural fires. With your help, we believe our conservation research can influence the sustainability of endangered species and inspire others to join us in our challenge to protect our planet’s biodiversity.
Together we can help save this great species from extinction.
Adopt a Sumatran orangutan today and receive…
A welcome pack
Every adopter gets a certificate, postcard, car sticker and fact sheet about their chosen animal. Choose silver, gold or junior and receive extra goodies!
‘Thank You’ recognition
Every adopter’s name is showcased on a plaque near their chosen animal. Most of our packages include admission tickets to visit the zoo and see how your adoption supports the vital work we do!
Regular updates
Enjoy reading our exclusive magazine, Our Zoo, four times a year, including behind the scene videos and insights into our ground-breaking conservation work.
Your orangutan adoption really helps!
Your animal adoption includes a generous donation that not only contributes to the wellbeing of our animals and support in funding projects across the globe, but also offers you something amazing in return!
Every supporter receives a welcome pack with a certificate, car sticker, animal photo and your name on the animal plaque at the zoo. Upgrade to Silver to also get a zoo ticket and Our Zoo magazine straight to your inbox! Upgrade to Gold for two zoo tickets, Our Zoo, a notepad & pen, and a Tote bag. We also have special Junior packs that include two zoo tickets, a cuddly toy and zoo pencils with an activity sheet.
Choose from four different adoption packages below…
GOLD ADOPTION
As well as helping to support our zoo, your welcome pack will include x2 admission tickets, zoo stationery and a tote bag!
£95.00
JUNIOR ADOPTION
As well as helping to support our zoo, your welcome pack will include x2 admission tickets, a cuddly toy and kid’s activities!
£95.00
Gift an adoption
Treat the animal lover in your life with an animal adoption!
Adoptions makes a huge difference at Chester Zoo! Your contribution will help fund vital conservation work as well as make someone’s day! Choose from our bronze, silver or gold packages and a variety of different animals. Plus select whether you’d prefer a cuddly toy, travel mug or chocolate bar…. all straight from our online gift shop!
How much does it cost to adopt an orangutan?
You can adopt an orangutan with Chester Zoo from just £45. This is a one-off payment for the whole year.
A month before your adoption expires you’ll be given the option to renew for another year. At this point you’re welcome to change the type of animal you adopt.
What happens when you adopt an orangutan?
When you adopt an orangutan with Chester Zoo, your generous donation will fund the work we do to look after our orangutans here at the zoo as well as fund projects out in the field.
After adopting an orangutan you’ll receive a welcome pack from our adoptions team. We’ll also send you updates across the year including exciting animal news and the latest about our vital conservation work.
How does Chester Zoo help orangutans in the wild?
Chester Zoo works with a wide range of people and organisations, across many projects worldwide.
Unsustainable palm oil production is perhaps the greatest threat to Sumatran orangutans in the wild. To help combat this, we run a variety of campaigns on sustainable palm oil alongside partners in the industry and other NGOs and are working to develop realistic and objective strategies to improve criteria for sustainability. By combining the scientific work of our partners on the ground with our knowledge of supply chains and policy within Europe, we have been able to input into and influence UK and European policies. For example, in 2023 a groundbreaking new regulation was adopted that aims to minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products that are placed on or exported from the EU market, which could help to protect the forests in Sumatra where this unique species calls home.
Furthermore, we continue our active participation in the EAZA Ex-Situ Breeding Programme to support conservation breeding programmes for the Bornean orangutan.
Orangutan adoptions provide key funds for these vital efforts and other conservation projects that both support communities and help to prevent extinction globally.
How much of my animal adoption is a donation?
Every animal adoption, includes a donation that goes towards the care of our own orangutan family in the zoo as well as fund projects to protect them in the wild:
31% of a Silver Adoption is a donation.
5% of a Gold Adoption is a donation.
7% of a Junior Adoption is a donation.
70% of a School Adoption is a donation.