Covering over 60,000 square metres, Islands at Chester Zoo is the biggest development in UK zoo history. Recreating the island habitats of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumatra, Sumba and Sulawesi, the exhibit takes around 90 minutes to cover by foot and showcases the incredible biodiversity of one of the world’s most important conservation areas.
The project was initiated by staff at the zoo as part of their commitment to international conservation. They chose to focus this £40m project on an area where many animals are critically endangered. “We’re really involved in conservation programmes in south-east Asia and across the world,” says Dr Maggie Esson, education programmes manager at Chester Zoo. “From building orangutan bridges in deforested areas of Sumatra, to artificial nesting boxes for the hornbills, telling these stories through Islands makes the science of conservation exciting and engaging”.
Visitors explore Islands on foot, following a 1,150-metre path that winds through each environment and over bridges connecting each island. Instead of being bombarded by signs and guidebooks, visitors are encouraged to learn from their own expedition.
Over the past nine months, more than 50,000 plants have been introduced to Islands by a 12-strong horticulture and botany team. 50 individual mammals have been moved to the site, including tigers, orangutans, anoas, macaques, bantengs and Bali starlings, along with other new residents such as the Sunda gharial crocodile.
The Islands’ site includes the dome-like Monsoon Forest, the UK’s largest indoor zoo exhibit at around the size of 12.5 Olympic swimming pools. Over 30,000 fish are housed in Monsoon Forest, where the temperature reaches highs of 26C (80F), along with south-east Asian plants including star fruit, paw paw, mango, durian and banana. It will rain at certain times each day, and the sound of rolling thunder and the smell of exotic fruit will make guests feel like they have been transported to the tropics.
As well as its natural habitats, Islands also explores the local culture. “The people we work with overseas have lived at community level,” says Esson. “They read the landscape and local people really well. We’ve used that experience to make Islands as authentic as possible, bringing the paraphernalia of daily life in south-east Asia to the fore.” Esson explains that culture and conservation are inextricably linked and visitors need to understand the relationship between humans and animals to appreciate the conservation message – within the attraction you’ll find authentic artefacts, a recreation of a bird market, traditional shops and examples of Indonesian architecture.
Visitors can take a ride in one of 14 boats around the Lazy River, looking at Islands from a completely different perspective – and if the experience has left them feeling peckish, they can try some traditional Indonesian food at Manados Street Kitchen.
Chester Zoo: a rich history
Islands is the latest in a series of groundbreaking initiatives by Chester Zoo:
- George Mottershead, a man who dreamed of a zoo without bars, opened Chester Zoo in 1931. In the beginning the zoo was staffed almost entirely by the Mottershead family
- Now welcoming 1.4 million visitors a year, Chester is one of the largest zoos in the UK, home to over 12,500 animals and more than 450 different species, many of which are endangered in the wild
- A registered charity, the zoo is involved in many conservation projects, working directly with threatened species in the wild and participating in field conservation
- One of the zoo’s key 2015 campaigns is raising £50,000 to help save the orangutan and its forest home
- Islands opened in July 2015 and is included in the cost of normal zoo admission*.
* Check the Chester Zoo website for information about the timetable for phased opening
