This weekend we received some devastating news from Chester Zoo after a fire ripped through the Monsoon Forest area. Tragically, not all of the animals made it out and those that did are now homeless. Our hearts go out to all the staff there who are now working extra hard to get things back to normal at what is already a busy time.
Anyone who has spent any time here in the city knows that Cestrians are very proud of ‘our zoo’; and rightly so, it is a world class visitor experience with a bold mission right at its core to ‘prevent extinction’. I have enormous admiration for this ambitious vision which has been matched in recent years by equally ambitious plans and actions.
Since the zoo launched its fund raising appeal at the weekend, local people have raised more than double the target, with the express desire of getting the animals rehomed and things back to normal. I know how much our pupils love their trips to the zoo, both as part of school trips but also with family and friends. We are lucky to be able to have such a wonderful learning resource right on our doorstep and I have no doubt that our girls and their families will already be part of the fundraising effort.
Chester is a small city with a big heart and like all effective communities, we will pull together to help those in times of trouble.
Please follow the link to the zoo’s fundraising appeal: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/monsoonforest