Chester Zoo's much-loved monorail to be axed

Since its installation in 1991, the monorail has transported millions of visitors around the zoo including the Queen, Peter Kay and Gary Barlow.

After being part of the zoo for nearly three decades, the monorail no longer covers the size of the growing zoo and has encountered several engine failures.

In 2009, music mogul Pete Waterman relaunched the service but just a week later eight passengers had to be rescued from the monorail by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The monorail will operate until the end of August.

One of the main reasons for the closure is current expansion plans for the zoo, including the new 'Grasslands' habitat which includes a hotel and lodges overlooking giraffes and zebras.

Its centrepiece would be an open African savannah habitat which would be home to rare species such as Rothschild's giraffe and Grevy's zebra as well as ostrich and antelope.

On the edge of this habitat, Chester Zoo hopes to create a restaurant with balcony views across the savannah.

CGI of what the new Grasslands habitat could look like

The hotel has been described as 'discreet, overnight accommodation' and will boast 42 rooms, including lodges overlooking the savannah, enabling guests to wake up to sunrise views over Grasslands.

The new area would be bordered by the zoo’s large, existing African Tsavo reserve area for Eastern back rhino and African painted dogs.

Visitors could also come face to face with some of the world’s smallest grassland creatures in a specially designed indoor habitat and the zoo hopes to inspire a nation of conservationists by connecting more people with nature offering close-up encounters with species such as cranes, vultures, aardvarks and warthogs.

Grasslands is the latest stage in the zoo’s strategic development plan and is being designed to help the zoo continue to push boundaries of world-class animal care and welfare.