National Conservation Zoo

Opening times today: 10am - 4:30pm (Last entry at 3:30pm)

Chester Zoo is a conservation charity deeply committed to fighting extinction and protecting animals, plants and habitats across the globe. Our teams work in labs, in the field, in and beyond the classroom and with politicians, business leaders and decision makers to tackle some of the most complex and pressing conservation issues today.

The zoo’s 128-acre site in Chester, which is home to more 2,500 animal and plant species, many of them threatened, is where this species-saving work is made possible.  

As a not-for-profit, the zoo ploughs everything into its conservation mission. We engage with 140 international animal conservation breeding programmes, which are ensuring the survival of species on the very brink of extinction. We also host five national plant collections, comprising more than 1,000 species.

Experts from the zoo are recognised by governments and NGOs across the world as leaders within the global conservation community. We influence policy both in the UK and internationally, engaging with governments worldwide to take action to halt the biodiversity crisis.  

Zoo teams work with more than 60 partners in more than 20 countries to recover threatened wildlife and restore habitats, including orangutans in Bornean rainforests, elephants and tigers in Indian grasslands, lemurs and frogs in Malagasy forests, rare fish in Mexican lakes and a host of species here in the UK.  

Our millions of annual visitors and huge online communities are part of this educational, scientific and conservation jigsaw, and we work hard to empower people to help create a future where nature can survive and thrive.

More than 1,300 critically endangered snails have been released into the wild after being rescued from the edge of extinction, with a little help from a team of conservationists from the UK and Madeira.

1,300 Tiny Snails 5
A graphic showing a grid of staff profiles. They include names, text and headshots
Meet our team of experts

Scientists, field programmes conservationists, educators, policy shapers and animal experts