A PAIR of rare snow leopards are set to make the move to Chester Zoo after a planning application for a new habitat has been given the go-ahead.

It will mark the first time in its 92-year-history that the zoo has been home to the animals, which are usually found in the mountains of central Asia in countries such as Mongolia and Nepal.

The zoo – the country’s most visited tourist attraction outside London, with 1.9 million visitors a year – previously applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council to construct an enclosure for the leopards as part of its wider planned Himalayan-themed development.

The animals are among the most elusive species in the world. Habitat deterioration, poaching and climate change are now threatening their survival with only around 4,000 thought to be left in the wild. As of 2017 they were no longer classed as ‘endangered’, but ‘vulnerable’.

Plans are now in place to transport a male and female snow leopard to the zoo at some point in 2024.

The 1,500 sq m area is to be built on part of the zoo which currently houses the blesbok (antelope) habitat and wetland bird nursery, which would be relocated to the Conservation Breeding and Management Area (CBMA) located on Caughall Road.

The plans include a single storey animal building surrounded by a five-metre retaining wall, with a netted enclosure encompassing the whole structure at a height of eight metres to the rear and five metres to the front, with a public viewing gallery also being built.

Cathy Lunn, Chester Zoo’s development director, said: “Snow leopards are threatened with extinction and their population is rapidly declining.

"By caring for the species here at the zoo we’ll be joining the vital conservation breeding programme for these magnificent big cats, while we’re also exploring how we can contribute to projects that preserve snow leopard populations across the high alpine areas of Asia.”

Snow leopards live at high altitudes in steep terrain in the mountains of central Asia and the Himalayas where they are gradually being pushed out of their natural habitat due to destruction caused by climate change, livestock grazing, their prey being hunted by humans and other conflict with people.

Cathy added: “Our exciting new habitat will help us to highlight how these incredible animals are under threat from a range of factors, not least climate change as their snow covered habitat in the Himalayas warm at three times the global average.

"We want to educate and empower our visitors to reduce their personal impact on climate change and help us to create a future where nature can survive and thrive.”

Work on the new snow leopard habitat is expected to begin at the end of April. It is hoped it will be ready to open in spring 2024. 

A design and access statement submitted in support of the plans said, in keeping with the general principles of Chester Zoo’s plans the proposed development will exhibit the snow leopards in naturalistic-themed and planted surroundings with ‘high standards of animal welfare’ and visitor facilities, where the snow leopards can be viewed throughout the year either inside or out.

Chester Zoo is undergoing a number of improvements to its site, with its new wedding and events space due to open this spring, and plans already lodged for overnight hotel lodges overlooking spectacular animal habitats.