Chester Zoo has announced the devastating death of one of its beloved female elephants after a “tragic turn of events”.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo has paid a heartbreaking tribute to its legendary resident.
Sundara Hi Way, who is one of Chester Zoo‘s adult female Asian elephants, suddenly fell ill inside the zoo’s ‘Elephants of the Asian Forest’ habitat last Friday (19 July 2024), and although both the animal care and veterinary teams rushed to help, and did everything they could to try and treat her, this unfortunately wasn’t enough.
A short while later, the hugely well-loved resident – who was born at the zoo in 2004 – very sadly passed away after her condition “deteriorated rapidly”.
Chester Zoo has announced the devastating death of one of its beloved female elephants / Credit: Chester Zoo
In a bid to help understand the exact cause of the unexpected loss of Sundara, Chester Zoo has since undertaken an examination – which went on to reveal that she had twisted intestines.
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Animal experts at the Cheshire-based zoo say this complication can occur in a wide range of mammals, and it is known to onset “very quickly”.
It’s almost “impossible” to diagnose or treat in elephants, Chester Zoo sadly revealed.
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Sundara passed away following a “tragic turn of events” / Credit: Chester Zoo
Paying tribute to Sundara and the brilliant legacy she has left behind, Chester Zoo’s CEO Jamie Christon wrote: “We are all so deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic turn of events.
“Our thoughts are, of course, with our wonderful elephant conservationists who have cared for Sundara since she was born here in 2004.
“In that time, she had given birth to a number of calves, including female elephants Indali and Riva, who are at the zoo today, and played a vital role in the conservation breeding programme for this endangered species.”
Mr Christon also assured the public that the zoo’s other Asian elephant residents, Riva, Indali, Anjan, and Maya “remain in good health” and expert teams will be monitoring them all extra closely in the coming days and weeks as the herd adjusts to this sudden change.
R.I.P Sundara.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Emily Sergeant -
24th July 2024 
