Chester Zoo launches 10K Run for Nature… and here’s how you can sign up!

 

Charity zoo reveals official 10K run is set for Sunday 24 September 2023

More than 2,500 fundraisers are invited to sign up and get behind the zoo’s mission to prevent extinction

The 10K circuit will see runners begin inside the zoo

Participants will receive sustainable medal and free entry to the zoo after completing the race

Special children’s one mile fun run also planned for same day 

All funds raised will help continue 

Chester Zoo’s vital elephant-saving work

Chester Zoo is looking for 2,500 runners to take on a charity 10km through the zoo’s grounds in aid of its efforts to save endangered Asian elephants.

The 10K Run for Nature will take place on Sunday 24 September and runners of all abilities are invited to take part.

Beginning inside the 128 acre zoo, participants will race past the elephant, giant otter and giraffe habitats before heading out and around the zoo’s wider countryside estate.

 A special one mile ‘zoom’ fun run around the zoo will also be held for children under the age of 12 years old.

 All funds raised will go towards the zoo’s efforts to find a vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens elephant populations globally, known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). Scientists at the zoo are currently undertaking the world’s first vaccine pilot study to fight the virus.
 
Hannah Wright, Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo, said:

 “We’re so excited to be able to offer places for 2,500 fundraisers to run our first ever 10K Run for Nature later this year. Runners will start in the zoo, heading out to the countryside roads around the wider zoo estate, before crossing the finishing line and enjoying an awe inspiring day out at the zoo.

 “As a charity, fundraising is at the core of this event, but we also hope that it’s a great fun event that the whole family can get involved in – whether running, supporting or sponsoring. All participants will be receive a sustainable medal and top fundraisers will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, which include annual memberships, animal experiences and meal vouchers for our gastro pub, The Oakfield, as well as a selection of animal adoptions.

“All proceeds and the funds raised by entrants to Run for Nature will help us continue our vital species-saving work with Asian elephants. We’re currently underway with the world’s first vaccine trial for the deadly EEHV virus and hope that we can create a future where Asian elephants survive and thrive.”

 Asian elephants are listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. EEHV is a major threat to the long-term survival of the species, of which just 40,000 now remain. Reports of wild elephant fatalities at the hands of the disease are sadly on the rise in India, Nepal, Myanmar and Thailand. More cases have been recorded in five further countries across its native range, as well as in zoo conservation breeding programmes worldwide.

A vaccine that can protect the charismatic species is widely viewed by conservationists as the best hope for tackling the virus.

To enter the Chester Zoo 10K Race for Nature or the one mile Zoom run for children, visit:
 www.chesterzoo.org/run

Rare cotton-top tamarin monkey born at Chester Zoo

Tiny baby primate spotted clinging onto mum at Chester Zoo

Zoo conservationists are “overjoyed” as the new arrival will play a vital role in the survival of the species

Miniature monkey is one of the world’s most endangered primates with only 2,000 left in the wild from habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade

Peekaboo! A fluffy, critically endangered baby cotton-top tamarin is protectively carried around by dad Leo at Chester Zoo

One of the world’s most endangered primates has been born at Chester Zoo.

The rare baby cotton-top tamarin monkey arrived to first time parents Treat (3) and Leo (5), measuring just 10cm from head to tail and weighing a mere 40g.

Conservationists at the zoo say they are “overjoyed” at the birth, with cotton-top tamarins listed as critically endangered on the International Union of Conservation and Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. It’s estimated that just 2,000 breeding animals remain in the wild - tamarins have already undergone a large reduction in their numbers and are predicted to decline by 80% in the next 20 years, making them one of rarest of all primate species.

The mini monkeys are native to a small area in northern Colombia but, sadly, only 5% of their original habitat now remains intact due to mass deforestation, while the illegal wildlife trade is another significant threat to their survival.

Conservationists at Chester Zoo are part of a coordinated international effort, involving the world’s leading zoos, which is aiming to save the species from extinction.

Nick Davis, Deputy Curator of Mammals at the zoo, said:

“The cotton-top tamarin is an exquisite animal but sadly it’s one of the most endangered primate species on the planet.

“It’s a highly threatened species because its wild habitat has been destroyed by commercial logging for the agriculture, paper and timber industries, and these miniature monkeys are also regularly found in the illegal wildlife trade. It wasn’t that long ago that these miniature primates were seen as quite a common species, so their dramatic demise over the last few years shows just how a species thought to be safe can change so rapidly.

“Cotton-top tamarins have an iconic look with their voluminous plume of white fur on the tops of their head. This crest of hair raises up when then they get excited, or feel that they need to warn off danger, making them look bigger and more intimidating. It’s these distinctive looks that tends to draw poachers to them. 

“Due to their complex social and environmental needs, cotton-top tamarins should never be kept as pets. They’re highly intelligent animals that can live for around 25 years when safe in zoos.”

Cotton-top tamarins live in extended family groups of around eight individuals in which a dominant female suppresses the fertility of the other females in the group. When a group grows too large, a pair will then head off to start their own group.

At the zoo, primate experts say new parents Treat and Leo have settled straight into family life.

Siobhan Ward, Primate Keeper at Chester Zoo, added:

“We strongly suspected that Treat was pregnant from our regular monitoring of her weight and seeing her belly swell, but it was a fantastic surprise nonetheless to see a tiny little ball of fluff clinging onto her back one morning.

“The little one weighs just 40g and is around 10cm tall from head to tail, so it’s a little too tiny and a bit early on to determine its gender at the moment. The baby will be carried around by both parents for around the next six months – but it’s actually dad who’s been doing most of the carrying so far, passing it to mum for feeds while he stays protectively close by. Both Treat and Leo have taken to parenthood brilliantly.

“In order to help save the species we only recently started caring them at the zoo again and so this is the first cotton-top tamarin to be born at Chester Zoo in 22 years and we’re completely overjoyed. It’s incredibly special to be able to see the little one so soon after its birth and after opening its eyes for the first time to take in the world.”

Cotton-top tamarins are pregnant for around five months and use more than 38 different calls to communicate to one another, defend their territory, call their young and warn the group of predators. To find out more, visit www.chesterzoo.org