The secrets of Heart of Africa
Discover the secrets of the savannah and the behind-the-scenes details with our keepers
The secrets of Heart of Africa
Discover the secrets of the savannah and the behind-the-scenes details with our keepers
With Heart of Africa now open and thriving, we hope you’ve had the opportunity to discover the incredible blend of African animals, landscapes, and culture across the 22-acre experience. With more than 50 species to meet and so many details to soak up, we’re going behind-the-scenes with our keepers and curators to delve into the details and secrets that you might not have spotted on your first visit.
When it comes to Heart of Africa’s smaller inhabitants, the Hidden Savannah is a heated indoor haven for a host of species such as naked mole rats, the African bullfrog, and 15,000 locusts! Come and explore what goes into taking care of such a vast and varied array of species.
acres
Discover the blend of African animals, landscapes, and culture across the 22-acre experience.
species
The opportunity to spot over 50 species in Heart of Africa.
timers
The Hidden Savannah is fitted with over 300 timers, which allow the animals to experience the natural shifts of dusk and dawn.
Life with the locusts
The Hidden Savannah is home to 15,000 locusts, with a perfect viewing spot for visitors who can hop into our Land Rover to come even closer to these small but mighty insects.
Although they look harmless alone, locusts go through a dramatic transformation when their numbers grow and food becomes scarce. The legendary swarming adults are bright yellow and pink with powerful wings, capable of flying vast distances. In the wild, these groups can cause devastation to landscapes and crops across parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
When it comes to caring for up to 15,000 locusts, one of the biggest challenges for our keepers is managing the daily poo clean up that comes with thousands of insects. The Land Rover you can hop in to get a closer look is coated with a special sealant to stop peeling paint and to help the keepers on their daily cleaning duties. Luckily, due to the heated conditions, the poo has been easier to clean up than the team had thought.
Can you spot our secure boxes for venomous species?
If you really keep your eyes peeled, you might be able to spot the holes for the secure boxes used in the Hidden Savannah, especially for venomous species. You may be able to spot these in the spitting cobra habitat. The holes have a padlock and are connected to a box which means the venomous animals can be kept safely while the keepers tend to their habitat and carry out any important tasks.
Can you spot our secure boxes for venomous species?
If you really keep your eyes peeled, you might be able to spot the holes for the secure boxes used in the Hidden Savannah, especially for venomous species. You may be able to spot these in the spitting cobra habitat. The holes have a padlock and are connected to a box which means the venomous animals can be kept safely while the keepers tend to their habitat and carry out any important tasks.
FROM DUSK TO DAWN
The Hidden Savannah is also the first time state-of-the-art lighting technology has been used in one of our visitor habitats, allowing us to mimic the animals’ wild conditions as closely as possible.
The lighting works with built-in timers to give the animals the experience of the natural shifts of dusk and dawn, which is especially important for the animals that are most active during these times, known as crepuscular species.
With nocturnal species, such as the wonder gecko, this special lighting system helps to gradually wake them as the lights dim, preparing them for a night of activity.
For species that are awake during the day and asleep during the night (diurnal species), such as the Ethiopian mountain viper, they will retreat as the lights dim on them.
The team can already see the positive impact the specialist lighting is having on the spiny tail lizards and pancake tortoises which gradually come out to bask as the light comes up to certain levels.
Going underground
Naked mole rats are a fascinating species, with a range of biological quirks and unique features. As naked mole rats are blind, they are particularly sensitive to noise, relying on sound to build up a picture of what's going on around them.
Our keepers have been playing a radio channel with human voices 24 hours a day behind their underground habitat to help with their sensitivity to noise. The vibration from the radio means that when the keepers open the door or check the mole rats’ boxes, they won't be startled by a sudden noise.
FLEXIBLE SPACES
The spaces inside Heart of Africa have been specially designed to be flexible and encourage animals to carry out their instinctive behaviours as much as possible. The aardvarks have been given a deep layer of sand and gravel to dig in and the keepers have enjoyed following the progress of them settling in. Oni, the female aardvark has been building her own tunnels as she would in the wild.
Off the tunnel, she has even created a small chamber where she can curl up and sleep. The aardvarks also have a space in their habitat that’s ready to be used when cubs come along, which is all part of the future planning that makes Heart of Africa so flexible.
Other habitats are also built with the future in mind. The porcupine and bat-eared fox habitats have gates which mean they can potentially be opened up to create a larger habitat, should one be needed at some point in the future. The current porcupine habitat has also been built with holes at high levels in the walls so it can be transformed into a home for an arboreal (mostly living in the trees) species if it’s needed in the years to come.
OUT ON THE SAVANNAH
Bringing together the giraffes, zebras, ostriches and roan antelopes was always going to be an exciting adventure, as each of the animals settles in with their new neighbours.
For the giraffes, this has seen female, Tula, shift her role in the herd dynamic and become the watchful guard for her fellow giraffes. Tula had always been a strong character, but she has really stepped into her role as protector since moving into Heart of Africa – you might be able to spot her on your next visit as she’s one of the most active giraffes out on the savannah.
"It’s been fantastic to see the increased number of browse winches being used across the savannah. The browse winches allow us to put the giraffes’ favourite food of willow and other browse up high to mimic how they’d spend their time in the wild, eating leaves and using their dextrous tongues to strip off the bark from the branches."
Erin Roberts, Giraffe Keeper, Chester Zoo
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To the keepers’ surprise, the zebras have been the quietest species on the mixed savannah, with the ostriches actually causing most of the challenges. Their favourite spot to lay eggs is in front of the giraffe house which has meant lots of eggs have had to be transported to a safer spot!
Go behind-the-scenes with the meerkats
Guided by an expert keeper, you'll observe the meerkats up close - watch as they forage and communicate. Discover how these fascinating animals are cared for at the zoo and the important role they play in their ecosystem.
Get your member discount on this experience and book directly by calling Experiences HQ on 01244 389422.
Book now to see these incredible animals from a whole new perspective.
Go behind-the-scenes with the meerkats
Guided by an expert keeper, you'll observe the meerkats up close - watch as they forage and communicate. Discover how these fascinating animals are cared for at the zoo and the important role they play in their ecosystem.
Get your member discount on this experience and book directly by calling Experiences HQ on 01244 389422.
Book now to see these incredible animals from a whole new perspective.
