Exploring Chester Zoo in wintertime offers many benefits. Shorter queues to enter and lower attendance numbers make for a streamlined and relaxed visit and staff are less busy giving them more time to engage with the public. However, the main attraction of any trip to the zoo are the animals.
With quieter footpaths it’s easier to access clear views, improving animal encounters and photo opportunities. Winter visitors soon find some species at the zoo appreciate the cold and become more active at lower temperatures.
Genetically designed for extreme weather on the Himalayan mountain range, snow leopards have wide paws that serve as snowshoes, dense fur to retain body heat and fluffy tails for warmth. Chester is home to a snow leopard family that includes proud parents Yashin and Nubra and their cub Bheri, and guests can see them prowling the ridges and high ledges of their habitat.
Red pandas also have thick fur suited to life at high altitudes. Using their bushy red tails like blankets to stay warm, they play, forage, groom and mark their territory in the morning, especially when the air is crisp and cool. Fewer leaves in winter means they’re easier to spot in the tree canopy of their enclosure.
Unlike other ursine species, Andean bears do not hibernate. Built for cool conditions, they have dense coats that keep them well insulated. Frosty days at the zoo see them climbing and looking for nourishment, among other activities.
See these species and tens of thousands more on a wintertime visit to Chester Zoo.