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Zoo in Bristol, United Kingdom From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bristol Zoo was a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission was to "maintain and defend" biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural world".[3]
Bristol Zoo | |
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51°27′48″N 2°37′20″W | |
Date opened | 1836 |
Date closed | 3 September 2022 |
Location | Clifton, Bristol, England |
Land area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
No. of animals | 7155 (2007)[1] |
No. of species | 419 (2007) |
Annual visitors | 478,126 (2018)[2] |
Memberships | The Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society |
Major exhibits | Zona Brazil, Seal and Penguin Coasts, Gorilla Island |
Website | www |
The mammal collection at the zoo numbered around 300, representing 50 species, including: gorillas, Asiatic lions, goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, and red pandas. Among species on view at Bristol which are rare or absent in other UK zoos were Livingstone's fruit bats, aye ayes and quolls.
The zoo's Twilight Zone was the first of its kind when it opened, there were many other indoor exhibits including an insect and reptile house and aquarium meanwhile outside there were several aviaries and a seal and penguin enclosure. The lakes' islands were home to gorillas, golden lion tamarins, golden-headed lion tamarins, gibbons and squirrel monkeys.
The Zoo announced on 27 November 2020 that after more than 186 years its main centre in Clifton would close in 2022, with its animals moving to its Wild Place Project site close to the M5 motorway and the zoo reopening there in early 2024.[4][5] In the event, it closed its gates for the last time on 3 September 2022.[6] The site is being redeveloped for housing. It was listed as an asset of community value in 2021.[7]
Opened in 1836 by the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo was the world's oldest provincial zoo. It was a Victorian walled zoo located between Clifton Down and Clifton College, near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covered a small area by modern standards, but with a considerable number of species. In the 1960s the zoo came to national prominence by appearing in the UK television series, Animal Magic, hosted by the comic animal 'communicator', Johnny Morris. Morris would play keeper and voice all the animals there.
The zoo's official name was Bristol Zoological Gardens ('Bristol Zoo Gardens' for commercial purposes). This was not in recognition of the flower displays but recognises the first use of that title at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens. Bristol, like its earlier London counterpart, included several original buildings which have been praised for their architectural quirks, despite being unsuitable for the care of animals; the (former) Giraffe House[9] joined the main entrance lodge[10] and the south gates on Guthrie Road[11] as a Grade II listed building. The old Monkey Temple, resembling a southern Asian temple, was home to an exhibit called "Smarty plants", an interactive exhibit which shows how plants use and manipulate animals to survive.
The zoo also has breeding firsts, including the first black rhino born in Britain in 1958, the first squirrel monkey born in captivity in 1953 and the first chimpanzee born in Europe in 1934.
Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) supports wildlife conservation, education and breeding programmes worldwide. For example, Bristol worked with other zoos around the world to breed lemurs in captivity. Native to Madagascar, the lemurs are critically endangered because their forest habitat is being destroyed.
Similarly, BZS supports the UK–US charity Ape Action Africa, which rescues and rehabilitates primates in Cameroon, West Africa.[12] Closer to home, the zoo helped to reintroduce the water vole and the white-clawed crayfish to parts of Southern England. They also had conservation projects for Kordofan giraffe, Agalychnis lemur, Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, Sanje Mangabey and Hogna ingens
In 2021, as part of the Bristol Zoological Society's focus on conservation, the zoo has been involved in the ongoing captive breeding program to rescue two species of critically endangered Madeiran land snail, (Discula lyelliana and Geomitra grabhami). Since the early 20th century, the snails were believed to be extinct, but remnant populations were rediscovered in 2013.[13][14]
The Wild Place Project is designed to house larger animals than the former Bristol Zoo. The zoo is split into biomes, representing species found only in specific habitats. Current areas include: Bear wood, Gelada rocks, Discover Madagascar and Benoue National Park. The species list currently includes red river hog, cheetah, zebra, common eland, meerkat, gelada baboon, reticulated giraffe, wolverine, eurasian lynx, grey wolf, brown bear, Visayan spotted deer, Ostrich and the newest red panda.
The new conservation breeding centre will include Annam leaf turtle, Lesser Antillean iguana, Pancake Tortoise, Radiated tortoise, Roti Island snake-necked turtle, Indochinese box turtle, Agalychnis lemur, Leptodactylus fallax, Marshall's pygmy chameleon, Lygodactylus williamsi, Varanus macraei, Uroplatus, Hogna ingens, Polynesian tree snail, Lord Howe Island stick insect, Socorro dove, Visayan tarictic hornbill, Sumatran laughingthrush, Philippine cockatoo, Javan green magpie, European turtle dove, Mindanao bleeding-heart, Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, pink pigeon, Malagasy cichlids, Malagasy rainbow fish and powder blue panchax, Pupfish and goodeids and White clawed crayfish.
Finally, there will be a new entrance with a new café, new gift shop and new entry exhibits.
The site officially opened on 22 July 2013 as Wild Place Project.[15]
Future plans include a Bristol Zoo-managed conservation breeding centre with climate-controlled enclosures, learning centre and conservation medicine centre.[16]
In 2020, BZS announced that Bristol Zoo Gardens would close in 2022 and the Wild Place Project will become the new Bristol zoo in early 2024 and will be home to new exhibits:
The WOMAD music festival came to the zoo in 2011,[17] with a subsequent event in 2012.[18]
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