Telford business to deliver new African Zone at Chester Zoo

McPhillips (Wellington) Limited is working with the zoo on a new African zone, which will be built on approximately eight acres of existing land at the zoo.

It will bring together a range of different habitats from savannah to bush land to rich plains and will be home to multiple rare and endangered species including giraffes, zebra, ostrich and antelope.

McPhillips will deliver works which include a significant element of earthworks, site re-modelling, drainage, services and site infrastructure to create the landscape of the savannah and the public realm together with back of house access and maintenance facilities.

Additionally, the scope includes the creation of 14 supporting structures.

In line with Chester Zoo’s target for net zero carbon in 2030, alternative sources of heat and power generation are a contributing factor throughout this project.

McPhillips Contracts Director Andrew Dunham said: “We’re really excited by this fantastic project and are looking forward to working with Chester Zoo. We previously worked together to deliver a multi-species conservation breeding area and have forged a very collaborate relationship with the team at Chester.

“Over the past two years we have worked in a consultancy capacity on their new African habitats. Our team has provided value engineering solutions to meet the strict criteria that such a project demands.

"Our level of involvement is testament to our credentials in the animal welfare sector and we’re confident our reputation will be further strengthened by the successful delivery of the project.”

During the next decade, Chester Zoo will continue to develop the zoo, aligning its wildlife habitats to the conservation work that its teams undertake both in the zoo and across the world in support of its mission to prevent extinction.

Kevin Jackson, Project Lead at Chester Zoo, said: “Our new African zone will put a spotlight on a whole host of highly threatened species from the African continent. This important new addition to our zoo will ensure we can continue to attract visitors for years and years to come, which is key to funding our vital species-saving work long into the future.

"At a time when a million species are faced with extinction and global biodiversity under huge threat, these projects will give a major boost to our charity and the conservation work we carry out, here in Chester and right across the world.”