This coming Saturday, Chester Zoo will open one of the biggest single exhibit complexes ever made in a UK zoo.
Heart of Africa will be home to at least 57 animal species (15 species of mammal, 11 species of ectotherm and 31 species of bird). Among the features are a large mixed paddock for giraffes, Grevy's zebra, roan antelope and ostrich, separate enclosures for black rhino, aardvark, meerkat, yellow and dwarf mongooses, rock hyrax, warthog, painted dogs and crested porcupine, at least five aviaries (one for a variety of vultures, one for Verreaux's eagle owls, one for black-cheeked lovebirds, a mixed aviary for smaller birds and a wetland aviary home to a flock of 107 greater flamingos) and an indoor building for smaller animals such as small rodents, African bullfrogs, lizards, pancake tortoises, elephant shrews, Ethiopian mountain adders, killifish, dung beetles, red spitting cobras and a group of 15,000 locusts viewable from inside a land rover. A second large paddock, viewable from a series of overnight accommodation buildings, will be home to a bachelor herd of giraffes as well as blesbok.
Bat-eared foxes and secretary birds may also end up being included in this area in the near-future (both are already at the zoo, living off-show).
This video shows some of the new area (it is currently open to members only, with the regular public able to enter from the 6th).
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMCD0TG0xmk