If you’re yet to visit Chester Zoo (really?), you can count yourself amongst the 1.5 million who visited one of the North’s best attractions when you finally make the trip as the long-running landmark has had a stellar year.

An amazing one a half million people stepped through the gates of Chester Zoo in 2013, making it the most visited attraction outside of London. In fact, it even had more people visit than at the Houses of Parliament! It must be something to do with the red pandas…

This continues the distinction for the Upton-based attraction and conservation centre of being massively popular as it has been ousting the capital’s most famous haunts for three years straight now. In fact, Chester Zoo has even been visited 100,000 times more than its supposedly larger cousin, London Zoo!

Perhaps its great popularity boils down to a recent baby boom, as managing director Jamie Christon explains: “We are delighted to take the top spot yet again and I think that’s proof that we’re doing things right.

“Last year we had a host of breeding successes including tiger and cheetah cubs and rhino calves, all of which have been important for conservation but also a big draw for visitors.

“This year we have already seen the birth of a rare Grevy’s zebra foal and the arrival of two new Komodo dragons.”

And the purple patch for the zoo looks like continuing as plans to build the Islands project, on a larger scale than anything seen before in the country, continue to develop: “We’re constantly evolving and offering people new and exciting things to come and experience,” Mr Christon continued.

“In previous years this has included world first attractions such as our display of animatronic bugs and with the opening of Islands fast approaching, we can guarantee that there are very exciting times ahead.”