Our one millionth visitor is Dawn Islip from Holywell in North Wales.
Along with her family, she was given free entry and a VIP tour of the Dinosaurs at Large! exhibition by the zoo’s resident dinosaur keeper, Lauren Lochrie.
We’re also excited to have welcomed our one millionth visitor almost four weeks earlier than in 2010, after seeing attendance rocket since the opening of Dinosaurs at Large! exhibition in July.
PHOTO: From left to right – Our Dinosaur Keeper Lauren Lochrie, Mia Kadar (9); Emma Islip (7); Jayden Kadar (5); Zara Islip (4) and Dawn Islip (one millionth visitor)
Barbara Smith, our Managing Director, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Chester Zoo has already welcomed its millionth visitor this year.
“Last year, it was late-September before we reached that mark – so this year’s fantastic figures are testimony to the zoo’s success as a tourist attraction.
“Chester Zoo, like all forward-thinking organisations, is always evolving and offering new, bigger and better experiences for visitors. We work hard to make each visit different to the last and as ever there has been a tremendous amount for people to see and do at the zoo this year, including the opening of the Dinosaurs at Large! exhibition – the biggest in the zoo’s history.
“To have already attracted one million visitors is more proof that we are doing things right and we will continue improving the zoo for both animals and visitors. Every visit also helps us add to the already huge number of conservation projects we support in the wild, both all over the world and in the UK.”
After a successful summer, we now have our sights set on the exciting developments planned for the coming months.
We’re building an underwater viewing area at the giant otter enclosure and the Jaguar House is having a huge makeover – including a new aquarium with some exciting new animal species.