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Chester Zoo plants 19,000 new trees in bid to restore Cheshire’s lost woodlands

Zoo conservationists create “amazing woodland for the future”

New swathe of woodland forms part of new wildlife corridor offering a much-needed sanctuary for animals and plants in Cheshire

Spanning almost 10 hectares, it is the zoo’s biggest ever habitat creation project and one of the largest tree planting initiatives to take place in Cheshire for several years

Woodland will provide a haven for some of the UK’s most precious species, including the green woodpecker, badgers, harvest mice and speckled wood butterflies

Chester Zoo has created a huge new area of woodland in Cheshire.

Almost 19,000 trees have been planted on the zoo’s land in Upton in Chester, transforming a low-biodiversity silage field into a major new sanctuary for UK wildlife.

Spanning more than nine hectares, it's the zoo’s biggest habitat creation project to date and one of the largest tree planting projects to take place in Cheshire in several years. The initiative forms part of a wider wildlife corridor across the region.

Conservationists at the zoo hope the new woodland will provide a home for a variety of plants and animals, as well as improving soil health and carbon storage to help fight climate change. They say the location has been specially selected to link two smaller woods, forming one continuous woodland, which will help to improve habitat connectivity for local wildlife and increase the woodland’s resistance to pests and diseases.

A diverse mix of UK native broadleaf trees species, including oak, beech and hazel, have been planted to provide high biodiversity benefits and resilience to climate change, while the layout has been designed to include meadow rides and glades which will help species such as butterflies, small mammals and birds.

Woodland once covered large areas of Cheshire. However, this important type of habitat has reduced considerably from much of the county due to development projects – namely from the building of houses, growth of infrastructure such as railways and roads, agricultural expansion, pollution, invasive species and disease. Nationwide it is also limited to small patches dotted across the country, making it one of the most endangered habitat-types in the UK.

Dr Simon Dowell, Director of Science and Policy at Chester Zoo, said:

“Woodland cover in Cheshire is significantly lower than the national average. That’s why it’s so important, and so exciting, to have created such a valuable new habitat here at the zoo.

“Once established, this woodland will provide a richer and more diverse habitat for a range of species, drawing in the likes of green woodpeckers, badgers, harvest mice and butterflies such as the speckled wood.

“Its location was carefully chosen to link two existing but much smaller woods, forming a continuous woodland which spans almost 13 hectares in total. With hedgerows adjacent to the woodland edge, it’ll enable wildlife to move through the landscape much more safely.

“Chester Zoo is widely known for its work to protect species in places right across the world but it’s important that we look after nature on our doorstep too. Having already established a nature reserve at the zoo, the creation of this latest large-scale habitat will deliver benefits for wildlife for decades to come, making a vital contribution to reversing the decline in biodiversity we’re facing here in the UK. This really is an amazing woodland for the future.”

The zoo’s tree planting project contributes to Cheshire West and Chester’s Nature Recovery Strategy – a plan to help wildlife thrive, improve the ecological network and target investment in nature in the region.

Tree planting is a key part of the UK government’s plan to combat climate change and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with a target to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland every year by 2025.

The woodland project is also key to the zoo’s ambitious sustainability programme, helping to deliver against its targets to be net zero in scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030 and to achieve net gain for UK biodiversity, with 30% of zoo land managed for UK biodiversity by 2030.

Jennifer Kelly, Chester Zoo’s Head of Sustainability, said:

“The climate and biodiversity crises are intrinsically linked and must be tackled together. Woodlands and forests are critical to this. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as helping us adapt to the effects of climate change. They also have huge benefits to soil health, water and air quality and biodiversity, providing stable ecosystems where wildlife can thrive. It’s estimated that the new woodland at Chester Zoo will store around 2,400 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime, whilst providing a haven for some of our most precious UK species.

“Our new woodland will provide a lasting legacy for future generations. We’re proud to work alongside The Mersey Forest to contribute to national climate action as well as Cheshire’s nature recovery strategy, showcasing what’s possible and helping contribute to a thriving regional environment for both wildlife and people. This is about collaborating across the region, with everyone playing their part to deliver a more sustainable future.”

The woodland planted at the zoo has been funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Nature for Climate Fund, and delivered in partnership with the Mersey Forest.

The Mersey Forest – one of England’s Community Forests – is a growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire, and Merseyside and one of the leading environmental initiatives in the North West. It forms part of the wider Northern Forest, where every tree planted is helping to create a network of woodland that stretches from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast.

Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest, added:

“The Mersey Forest Partnership has planted close to 10 million trees over the past 30 years, but we still lag well behind the national average for woodland coverage. We continue to work with landowners, such as Chester Zoo, to plant more trees and create a rich mosaic of habitats for people and nature, that is helping to boost biodiversity and capture carbon. The planting at Chester Zoo is a great example of how we can support local landowners, and we’re excited to see how successful the scheme has been.”

“Amazing” moment a rare baby rhino is born is caught on camera at Chester Zoo

Zookeepers film the birth of a critically endangered eastern black rhino calf

Newly released images show mum Zuri and her precious new arrival bonding together following 15-month pregnancy

Rhino experts say the pair are ‘inseparable’

The eastern black rhino faces a very high risk of extinction

Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade has decimated rhino numbers – leaving less than 600 in the wild

Zoo conservationists are protecting wild rhinos in Africa where new reports show numbers have increased for the first time in a decade

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have shared their “joy” following the birth of one of the world’s rarest mammals, a critically endangered eastern black rhino.

The female calf was safely delivered onto a bed of soft sand by new mum Zuri on Sunday 12 November at 2:45pm, following a 15-month pregnancy.

Rhino experts say it’s “quite unusual” for a calf to be born in daylight, which gave keepers the unique opportunity to capture the special moment on camera.

Heartwarming images of the new baby during its first few days of life show the new baby sticking closely to mum.

The eastern black rhino is listed as critically endangered by the world’s authority on the state of nature, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning it faces a very high chance of becoming extinct in the wild. Less than 600 are now found across Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Conservationists say the birth of a healthy calf will help global efforts to prevent the species from disappearing altogether.

Rhino Team Manager Emma Evison, who has been closely monitoring mum and calf, said:

“We’d been eagerly awaiting this birth for 15 long months and, as it’s quite unusual for a rhino to give birth in daylight hours, we really didn’t expect it to happen right in front of us as we were going about our day. To be able to witness the calf safely entering the world, in front of our very own eyes, was just the most incredible privilege.

“What’s most important now during these first few days is that mum Zuri and her new baby spend some time bonding and getting to know one another. So far, the pair have been inseparable and the little one is feeding regularly and already gaining in size and weight. She’s very inquisitive and full of energy, which is just brilliant to see.

“Sadly this is a species that, for more than century, has been hunted down and poached for its horn before being sold on the illegal wildlife markets. This precious newborn’s arrival is another positive step in safeguarding the species, which is what the endangered species breeding programme in European conservation zoos that we’re a leading part of is striving to do. This programme has already showed huge success, with a group of rhinos bred in zoo’s in Europe having been translocated to a protected National Park in Africa.”

The illegal wildlife trade – the world’s fourth biggest international crime – is the main driver in thousands of species disappearing from the wild, including the eastern black rhino. The demand for rhino horn, stemming from the traditional Asian medicine market, has seen 95% Africa’s rhinos wiped out by poaching.

However, new figures released this year show that, for the first time in more than a decade, rhino numbers have increased slightly across Africa due to successful conservation efforts.

Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at the zoo, added:

“Our efforts to protect this magnificent species extend far beyond the zoo’s boundaries and, while it’s incredibly positive news that conservation efforts across Africa have led to a small recovery in rhino numbers, giving them some much needed breathing space, we know there’s still lots of work to be done.

“We’re home to the UK’s only zoo-based animal endocrine lab where we’ve developed the skills and techniques to track rhino hormones by closely analysing their dung. This has helped us to massively improve the chances of a successful mating and further increase numbers of this critically endangered species. The technology is so precise that we’re now transferring it to a specialist lab in Kenya which is helping rangers and vets there to support growth of the wild population.

“Zuri and her new arrival is testament to the unwavering dedication of conservationists here at Chester, and around the world, who are working to safeguard these incredible animals and ensure that they thrive long into the future.”

In June 2019 the zoo also spearheaded a project that saw a group of Eastern black rhinos, bred as part of the safety-net population in European zoos, translocated from Europe to Akagera national Park in Rwanda, Africa.

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