Chester Zoo has announced that mums can visit for free across Mother’s Day weekend.

To mark the celebratory weekend on March 18 and March 19, mums are invited to explore the zoo to learn more about the conservation charity’s mission to prevent the extinction of endangered species.

The initiative comes after an eventful start to the year for the zoo, which has seen several animal mums welcome new arrivals in a baby boom of rare and highly threatened species. Among the newborns are a Western chimpanzee, a tree kangaroo, a Malayan tapir and Sumatran tiger cubs.

Gemma Wright, senior admissions and membership manager at the zoo, said: "We’ve recently experienced a huge baby boom of some of the world’s most threatened species, including the arrivals of greater one-horned rhino calf Jiya, Malayan tapir Nessa, fossa cub triplets, a baby Western chimpanzee named Jeff, the zoo’s first Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey and Sumatran tiger cub twins – all born as part of vital conservation breeding programmes.

“To celebrate, we want to mark the special occasion of Mother’s Day by offering mums the opportunity to visit for free, to connect with nature, see these incredible animals and their new babies for themselves, and learn all about the zoo’s efforts to prevent extinction.”

To claim free admission, mums simply need to arrive at the zoo during the weekend accompanied by a full paying adult or child, or a valid membership card.

Tickets can also be pre-booked via the zoo’s website at https://www.chesterzoo.org/plan-your-visit/