A number of new babies – such as Asian elephants Bala and Hari Hi Way – have helped membership reach an all-time high at Chester Zoo
We’re delighted to announce that membership at Chester Zoo has reached record levels.
A grand total of 50,008 memberships were taken out in 2013, beating the previous best of 43,263 the year before.
It is the first time in the our 80-year history that the 50,000 mark has been passed.
Memberships and adoptions manager Karolyn Curwell said:
“We’re absolutely thrilled – never before in the zoo’s history have we had so many members.
“As a registered charity, our members are really, really important to us and their guaranteed support helps us to carry out all of our vital conservation work, helping save species from extinction both overseas and here in the UK.
“The more members we have the more of this good work we can do and so reaching this milestone is just fantastic.”
Benefits of a zoo membership include unlimited entry, invitations to special talks and events, discounts in its shops and cafes and free entry to several other zoos and wildlife parks around the country.
Karolyn added:
“Zoo memberships were really popular at Christmas – I think people saw what a great, slightly unusual and real value-for-money gift idea they can be.
“We have members of all different ages – from three-year-olds to students to families and senior citizens – but this year in particular we had lots of young people buying joint memberships for themselves and their girlfriends or boyfriends. The zoo really is a place that is enjoyed by all generations.”
Find out more about becoming a member of Chester Zoo here.