Chester Zoo unveils the UK’s newest luxury safari-style lodge resort

     First look inside zoo’s groundbreaking new conservation experience - featuring 51 luxury lodges and stunning views over a savannah, home to rare giraffes, zebras and blesbok antelope

         A stay that saves: Conservationists say unique hotel experience will help protect threatened species and cement the zoo’s status as one of the UK’s most loved and impactful conservation charities

A “groundbreaking” new UK travel destination, blending luxury with conservation, is set to open at Chester Zoo.

The Reserve at Chester Zoo - a spectacular safari-style lodge resort - will officially open its doors to guests on Monday 18 August, offering one of the UK’s most unique short break experiences. Combining luxurious accommodation with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the zoo’s world-renowned wildlife, the new resort is set to transform how travellers experience conservation in the UK.

The Reserve features 51 beautifully designed lodges, some overlooking a private savannah where giraffes, zebras and blesbok antelope roam, and others nestled beside a peaceful lake. The resort is set to attract an estimated 35,000 additional visitors to the North West each year, drawing nature-lovers from across the UK and beyond.

Guests staying at The Reserve are projected to spend over £10 million annually, with all profits reinvested into the zoo’s charitable conservation work - supporting critical projects in Kenya, Uganda and the UK. These include endangered species breeding programmes, global wildlife protection efforts and cutting-edge scientific research.

Those behind the project say the innovative concept - where every hotel stay directly funds the protection of threatened species - will help strengthen the zoo’s role as “one of the country’s most loved and most impactful conservation charities.”

Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said:

“The Reserve at Chester Zoo is a game-changer - not just for luxury travel but for conservation. Born from our long-standing commitment to protecting African wildlife, we’ve created a truly immersive, safari-style experience right here in the UK, where guests may wake up to giraffes on their doorstep, enjoy unforgettable wildlife encounters and relax in beautifully designed lodges surrounded by nature. But what makes The Reserve truly unique is its purpose.

“Everything we do at Chester Zoo - now including The Reserve - supports conservation. As a not-for-profit, every single stay directly funds our groundbreaking work, here in the UK and around the world. That includes protecting black rhinos in Kenya and Rwanda, using AI to fight poaching of giant pangolins in Uganda and working with communities in Madagascar to save precious species like the golden mantella frog.

“Guests at The Reserve aren’t just going to enjoy a luxury break - they’re going to power our conservation movement for generations to come. This new venture will help strengthen the zoo’s role as one of the country’s most loved and most impactful conservation charities. We believe this is the future of travel, where unforgettable experiences and real conservation impact go hand in hand.”

Awaiting guests at The Reserve

Immersive wildlife stays in beautifully designed lodges (for up to 12 guests) built using sustainable materials. Every comfort is considered including hand-finished interiors inspired by the rich landscapes of Africa, where the zoo works to protect some of the planet’s most threatened species.

Exclusive out-of-hours access to the zoo, providing guests with a rare chance to explore its most iconic habitats before the gates open to the public and when everyone else has gone home – think peaceful morning walks and guided evening adventures, using night vision goggles and infra-red torches on darker nights.

Up-close animal experiences and the opportunity to meet conservation experts who are working on the front line of global wildlife protection – including in Kenya and Uganda where the zoo supports projects to save the eastern black rhino, nubian giraffe, giant pangolin and mountain bongo.

Unparalleled comfort and luxury and curated dining at the new Amboseli Restaurant and relaxed evenings in the Tsavo Lounge, where guests can enjoy a drink on starlit evenings on the lakeside terrace. Each evening, grab a cosy blanket and join Chester Zoo’s expert rangers by the firepit for a sundowner or warming hot chocolate to share stories from the field.

Chester Zoo welcomes rare giant anteater pup

Birth and charming early moments caught by zoo’s hidden den cameras

Tiny youngster measures just 60cm but will grow to more than two metres in length   

Arrival hailed as “incredibly positive news” for the shy species  

Giant anteaters are vulnerable to extinction in Central and South America due to habitat loss and road kills

Chester Zoo’s conservationists are supporting vital research in Brazil to help prevent the high numbers of anteaters falling victim to road deaths and protect both people and wildlife

A rare baby giant anteater has been born at Chester Zoo.           The yet-to-be-named youngster is only the third of its kind to be born at the zoo in its 92-year history.
Hidden cameras in the anteater’s den captured the birth showing the baby born safely onto the ground before climbing onto mum only a few moments later. 

Experts say the pup will now cling to its mum’s back for around 10 months, where its matching stripe on its fur keeps it camouflaged, until it is ready to walk, explore and find food independently.
Currently measuring in at around 60cm, giant anteaters can grow up to 2.1m (7 feet) in length.
Born to Bliss (13) and Oso (nine), the pup is the result of an international conservation breeding programme working to protect endangered and at-risk species.
Giant anteaters are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, with numbers continuing to decline in the wild. 

David White, Team Manager in charge of caring for giant anteaters at the zoo, said:
“Mum Bliss is so far doing an excellent job of looking after her new arrival and seeing the baby clinging on tightly to her back is a really special sight.
“Giant anteaters are truly fascinating animals. Despite their large size when fully grown, they feed mostly on tiny insects and can devour up to 30,000 ants or termites in a day. This diet of little invertebrates means they don’t have any teeth. Instead they use their sticky tongues to feed – these can reach two metres in length and can extend and withdraw at up to 150 times per minute. For the time being though, the baby is feeding from mum’s milk – crawling to her underbelly to suckle before climbing back around to rest on her back. The pup will take up this position for around 10 months as its matching fur helps keep it camouflaged, while also making mum look bigger and therefore more off-putting to would-be predators.
“With giant anteaters being vulnerable to extinction the birth is incredibly positive news for the species. It’s a boost to the safety net population being cared for in conservation zoos like ours, while we’re continuing to learn more about them and, at the same time, create more awareness of the majesty of the species.”

Native to Central and South America, giant anteaters are threatened in both regions, where much of the grassland they depend on to survive has been destroyed, degraded or damaged by fire. In some areas of Brazil, where they once roamed freely, there are now none remaining. 

Research supported by conservationists at the zoo now also points to another major factor in the demise of giant anteaters – road deaths.
Paul Bamford, the zoo’s Field Conservation Manager for South and Central America, said:
“Very few long-term studies of giant anteaters have ever been carried out by the global conservation community, meaning it’s challenging to implement effective conservation actions for these unique-looking animals. It’s not easy to protect a species without an in-depth understanding of what’s happening to them. 

“However, we’re working with our partners in Brazil, the Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS), to carry out vital research to redress this - by assessing the impact of road deaths on giant anteaters over thousands of miles of roads. Such high numbers of collisions with motorists have been recorded that it’s now believed to be one of the main threats to the species after habitat loss.
“GPS collars fitted to giant anteaters are giving us an insight on when and how they cross roads so that hotspots can be identified and strategies can be put in place to help reduce the high numbers of anteaters falling victim to collisions. Camera trap imagery is also helping to provide us with accurate data on population sizes living close to roads. 

“Working together with motorists to understand perceptions and attitudes towards the species is also critical for developing effective protection measures, such as tailored road signs, to minimize collisions and the associated risks to both people and anteaters. 

“This field work, coupled with our care and conservation breeding of giant anteaters at the zoo, is critical to understanding more about this wonderful animal and protecting future generations.”

Giant anteater facts

The baby giant anteater at Chester Zoo was born on 12/03/2023

The giant anteater is aptly named as it is the world’s largest species of anteater

A giant anteater can devour up to 30,000 ants in a day

An anteater's tongue can reach two feet in length, and is covered in sticky saliva, allowing it to trap ants. It can extend and withdraw it up to 150 times per minute

Giant anteaters walk on their wrists

 Males can weigh up to 50kg and reach 2m in length

A single offspring is produced after a gestation period of 190 days. They are carried on their mother's back, aligned with the white stripe, so that they are very well camouflaged

The species is classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which monitors endangered animals