Chester Zoo has become the first zoo in the UK to be officially recognised as an internationally important Botanic Garden.
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Chester Zoo becomes first UK
zoo to gain international
botanic garden status
National conservation zoo in Chester is only the second zoo in Europe to receive global recognition for its plant conservation work. New accreditation highlights zoo’s responsibility for plants at risk of extinction, both in the UK and overseas. Zoo experts care for hundreds of plant species, some rarely grown anywhere else in the world. Gardens and green spaces highlighted for their role in wellbeing, encouraging visitors to slow down and explore nature
Chester Zoo has become the first zoo in the UK to be officially recognised as an internationally important botanic garden.
The Cheshire-based conservation charity is only the second zoo in Europe to receive a prestigious accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the global organisation dedicated to plant conservation.
Botany and horticulture experts at the zoo said the recognition marked a watershed moment for its plant conservation work, strengthening the role zoos can play in national and international efforts to protect threatened plant species.
Philip Esseen, Head of Plants at Chester Zoo, said:
“This recognition shows that our plant work has real conservation value. We are caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others.
“The accreditation will help us work more closely with other horticultural and conservation organisations and increase the amount of conservation work we can do, particularly to support native species.”
Chester Zoo cares for hundreds of plant species, including both UK and exotic flora, many of which are not normally found at zoos. Alongside the gardens and planted areas open to visitors, the team keep thousands of plants behind-the-scenes for conservation and research.
These include five National Plant Collections, part of a UK-wide scheme to ensure important cultivated plants are not lost altogether. The collections are carefully documented and maintained to safeguard multiple species for the future.
BGCI accreditors assessed the zoo across 22 criteria, including education, sustainability, interpretation, research, communication and the overall conservation value of its plant work.
Richard Hewitt, team manager for Chester Zoo’s plant nursery, said:
“In some cases, we are caring for plants that barely exist anywhere else. For example, there are three species from an island in the Madeiran archipelago which have almost disappeared from botanical gardens. We’ve been entrusted with seeds by the Madeiran government to help prevent their extinction.”
One of those species, Musschia isambertoi, is on the edge of extinction in the wild after its native habitat was destroyed.
“It’s believed to be pollinated by lizards in the wild, and as far as we know it has never successfully produced seed outside its natural habitat,” Mr Hewitt said. “There are no set protocols, so we’re trying to recreate the conditions you’d find on a wild Atlantic cliff. Getting it to flower and set seed would be a major step forward for its conservation.”
The zoo’s plant team is also involved in the propagation and re-planting of threatened UK species, including black poplar, which has been described as the most endangered native timber tree in Britain.
While animals remain the main focus for many visitors, planting plays a crucial role in shaping the zoo experience and supporting visitor wellbeing.
As part of a wider wellbeing campaign, Chester Zoo has been encouraging people to spend more time exploring its gardens and green spaces. This includes an area known as the Plant Project, an indoor habitat featuring cacti, orchids and pitcher plants, many of which are highly endangered in the wild.
Mr Esseen said thoughtful planting helps create calmer spaces for visitors in a busy environment.
“We can have more than 10,000 people a day moving around the zoo,” he said. “The gardens give people places to pause, rest and reflect. They’re important not just for visitors, but for staff too.”
He added that gardens offer a different kind of connection with nature.
“Unlike animals, plants are something people can get very close to. You can touch them, smell them, listen to them in the wind. We plant species that engage all the senses and change through the seasons, so every visit feels a little different. It’s worth slowing down and exploring.”
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) recognises botanic gardens which conform to the highest international standards.
Patricia Malcolm, Head of Membership and Conservation Services at BGCI, said Chester Zoo’s significant contributions to plant conservation led the zoo to become one of only two in Europe to achieve Conservation Practitioner status.
She said: “Our accreditation scheme exists to motivate and empower gardens, large or small, to do more for plant conservation and increase their impact on visitors. It’s fantastic to see Chester Zoo leading by example and using the accreditation framework to elevate its plant conservation efforts within the zoo.”
Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a membership organisation, representing botanic gardens in more than 100 countries around the world. It is an independent UK charity established in 1987 to link the botanic gardens of the world in a global network for plant conservation. Our mission is To mobilise botanic gardens and engage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet.
Bright orange ‘miniature’ monkeys make their debut at Chester Zoo
! VIDEO! Golden lion tamarins George and Leaf make their debuts at Chester Zoo.mp4
Endangered golden lion tamarins are at Chester Zoo
The duo, George and Leaf, are first of their kind to be cared for by conservationists at the zoo
The ‘miniature’ monkeys stand at only 8 inches tall – around the same size as a bottle of pop
Species is a global conservation success story - once nearly extinct in the wild, a conservation breeding programme in zoos has pulled them back from the brink
Zoo experts say they are a "must see" for visitors
Two highly endangered primates have arrived at Chester Zoo.
The pair of tiny golden lion tamarins, named George (7) and Leaf (12), are the first of their kind to ever live at the zoo.
Standing at just eight inches tall, the duo has been caught on camera as they explored their new home for the first time, where they live alongside other species of rare primates.
Golden lion tamarins are named after their luxuriant, vibrantly coloured coat and a distinctive mane-like ruff around their heads.
In the wild, golden lion tamarins hail from the forests of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where only a few hundred remained until zoo conservationists stepped in to help bring the species back from the brink of extinction.
The colourful monkeys are classified as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species - a result of construction, the expansion of livestock farming and logging in their forest home.
James Star, Primate Keeper at Chester Zoo, said:
“Leaf and George have moved in with the titi monkeys, pygmy marmosets, emperor tamarin and a goeldi monkey, and they all seem to be getting along brilliantly.
“Lion tamarins have elongated fingers and hands that allow them to forage for insects in tree crevices that are otherwise out of reach for the other species they live with, and we’ve already seen them using this kind of foraging behaviour. Despite their tiny stature, standing at the same size as a bottle of pop, their distinctive coats and charismatic behaviour make them easy to spot when they’re jumping from tree to tree in their new home.
“Golden lion tamarins are a major zoo conservation success story. There were once only a few hundred remaining in the wild. But a coordinated breed and release programme was initiated across conservation zoos around the globe, and the population quickly bounced back, helping to turn it around and bring them back from the brink.”
The tamarins play a vital role in the health of their native forest, consuming wild fruits and then passing seeds in their faeces as they travel through their range. The seeds they spread effectively land within a packet of premade fertiliser, giving the young trees and other plants in the forest all the nutrition they need to grow.
Nick Davis, Mammals General Manager at Chester Zoo, said:
“Golden lion tamarins are an iconic species with an important conservation story to tell, and it’s great to welcome this highly endangered species to Chester Zoo for the very first time. They really are a must see for our visitors.
“Alongside the conservation breeding programme George and Leaf are part of for these precious primates, we are also supporting primate conservation work around the globe, protecting threatened forests and the species that depend on them, in South America, Madagascar and Southeast Asia."
Tiny ducklings, big milestone: Rare African ducks hatch at Chester Zoo in breeding first
Tiny ducklings, big milestone: Rare African ducks hatch at Chester Zoo in breeding first
A group of endangered Maccoa ducks have hatched at Chester Zoo
It’s the first time the species has ever been successfully bred by bird experts at the zoo
Only 5,000 remain making it the rarest duck species found in mainland Africa
Conservationists hope ducklings will put a spotlight on the threatened species
Four Maccoa ducklings, one of Africa’s rarest duck species, have hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time.
The ducklings mark the zoo’s first ever successful breeding of the endangered African birds and comes as part of the zoo’s growing efforts to help safeguard the continent’s most threatened species.
Experts say only around 5,000 of the ducks remain in the wild, with the birds found in increasingly fragmented pockets across Central and East Africa. Once widespread across the continent, latest surveys found just 14 individuals in Kenya and fewer than 100 in Tanzania - prompting concern over the future survival of the species.
The newly hatched ducklings are the first to emerge within the zoo’s huge new Heart of Africa zone - a 22.5-acre habitat dedicated to supporting the conservation of African species that are disappearing in the wild.
Bird conservationists at the zoo say it hopes the successful hatchlings will contribute towards the long-term protection of the rare ducks.
Andrew Owen, Head of Birds at Chester Zoo, said:
"As one of just seven zoos in Europe, and 12 zoos globally, that care for Maccoa ducks, these ducklings are very special as they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo – making it a really historic moment for our team.
“This success gives a real boost to the future of the species and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count. To see them now out on the water inside our new Heart of Africa habitat, which is dedicated to helping Africa’s most threatened species thrive, makes this milestone even more special.”
Maccoa ducks are diving ducks, known for their stiff tails and deep-blue bills and are often found in nutrient-rich wetland habitats. Their rapid decline is linked to habitat degradation, water pollution and climate change. As a result, the species is listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species – highlighting the need for urgent conservation action.
Chester Zoo is one of just a dozen institutions in the world working with the highly threatened species and hopes to play a vital role in its survival.
Maccoa duck fact file:
· Scientific name: Oxyura maccoa
· Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)
· Native to: Central and East Africa
· Habitat: Freshwater wetlands and lakes
· Population: Estimated 5,000 in the wild
· Known for: Bright blue bill (in males), stiff tail feathers, diving for food
· Main threats: Habitat loss, wetland pollution, and climate change
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