Bristol Zoo was a
zoo in the city of
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
in
South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is one of four regions that altogether make up Southern England. South West England con ...
. 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".
The mammal collection at the zoo numbered around 300, representing 50 species, including:
gorilla
Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
s,
Asiatic lions,
goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, and
red panda
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...
s. Among species on view at Bristol which are rare or absent in other UK zoos were
Livingstone's fruit bats,
aye ayes and
quoll
Quolls (; genus ''Dasyurus'') are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Anot ...
s.
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
An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
meanwhile outside there were several
aviaries and a
seal and
penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...
enclosure. The lakes' islands were home to
gorilla
Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
s,
golden lion tamarin
The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia''; ), less commonly known as the golden lion marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is a ...
s,
golden-headed lion tamarins,
gibbon
Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical forests from eastern Bangladesh and Northeast Indi ...
s 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. In the event, it closed its gates for the last time on 3 September 2022. The site is being redeveloped for housing. It was listed as an
asset of community value in 2021.
Animal exhibits
* Seal and Penguin Coasts was a major attraction at the zoo; opened in 1999, it allowed
South American fur seals and
African penguins to be watched both above and below the water. The most notable of these African Penguins being CGP Grey the penguin named after internet personality
CGP Grey
CGP Grey is an American educational entertainment, educational YouTuber, podcaster, and Online streamer, live streamer based in the United Kingdom who creates explanatory videos on subjects including politics, geography, economics, sociology, h ...
, CGP Grey the penguin died in 2017 (No exact date was given but was first reported on 13 May 2017). The two pools contained of salt water, with waves, waterfalls, rocks and pebble beaches to simulate the natural habitat. The exhibit had a large net over the top to allow
Inca terns and
common eiders to be kept in the same enclosure.
* Gorilla Island was home to a family of
western lowland gorilla
The western lowland gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla gorilla'') is one of two Critically Endangered subspecies of the western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') that lives in Montane ecosystems#Montane forests, montane, Old-growth forest, primary and sec ...
s. One silverback, Jock as well as Kera, Kala and Touni. In February 2016, Kera's first baby Afia was born after an emergency caesarean section. In April 2017, Touni gave birth to baby Ayana. In August 2020, Kala gave birth to a baby Hasani. Also in December 2020, Touni gave birth to her second baby called Juni. As well as an indoor house, they had a large island. Despite the gorilla's herbivorous diet, keepers did not enter the same space as the apes. This is because not only is there a great risk of injury with these powerful primates, but they also wanted to let the gorillas socialize on their own without human interference.
* The Top Terrace was one of the oldest parts of the zoo. It was home to a pair of
Asiatic lions,
kea
The kea ( ; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the Family (biology), family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green, with br ...
s,
red panda
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...
s,
Livingstone's fruit bats, and
Greater Flamingos.
* The Reptile House housed a collection of reptiles and
amphibian
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
s. The house itself was heated and gave a sense of the heat of the rainforest. There were three sections to the house: Desert (
Gila monster
The Gila monster (''Heloderma suspectum'', ) is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexico, Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, slow-moving reptile, up to long, and it is the only ve ...
s,
gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from .
Geckos are unique among lizards ...
s and
tortoise
Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...
s), Rainforest (
dwarf crocodiles,
terrapins and snakes) and the Rearing Room where visitors could view the raising of reptiles and amphibian and also learn about the zoo's
conservation work. Outside, but still considered part of the reptile house, was a
giant tortoise and
rhinoceros iguana enclosure where the animals had access to a heated indoor house and an outdoor enclosure.
* The Aquarium had around 70 species of fish. The aquarium had three sections: The
Amazon River (
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
,
pacu
Pacu () is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater Serrasalmidae, serrasalmid fish related to piranhas. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw alignment; piranha ...
and
piranha), Africa (
cichlid
Cichlids ()
are a large, diverse, and widespread family of percomorph fish in the family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families, with on ...
s) and the
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
(
seahorse
A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine Osteichthyes, bony fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meanin ...
s,
coral
Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
s and various species of fish). On the outside of the building there was a water sculpture. There were several exhibits of conservation significance on view. Notably, there was a display of endangered cichlids from
Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon and a display of
goodeids from Mexico and
paddlefish
Paddlefish (family Polyodontidae) are a family of ray-finned fish belonging to order Acipenseriformes, and one of two living groups of the order alongside sturgeons (Acipenseridae). They are distinguished from other fish by their elongated rost ...
and
alligator gar from North America.
* Bug World, was the zoo's collection of
invertebrate
Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...
s, includes species such as ''
Partula'' snails,
stick and leaf insects and
corals
Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
. Other displays included
tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
s,
giant millipedes,
honey bee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...
s,
leaf-cutting ants and
Lord Howe Island stick insects. Bug World also housed the Critically Endangered
Desertas Wolf Spider. Previous displays included
peacock mantis shrimp and
black widow spiders.
* Monkey Jungle opened in 2006 and featured four new exhibits replacing the old monkey house. An enclosure was home to
crowned lemur
The crowned lemur (''Eulemur coronatus'') is a lemur that is long and weighs . Its tail is about long.
Description
The crowned lemur is endemic to the dry deciduous forests of the northern tip of Madagascar. It eats a diet of mostly flowers, f ...
s and
ring-tailed lemur
The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of fiv ...
s where visitors could walk in with the lemurs without any boundaries. The other enclosures were home to
brown spider monkeys and
lion-tailed macaques. There was also a nearby enclosure for
black howler monkeys and
six-banded armadillos. The islands opposite Gorilla Island housed a family of
squirrel monkeys, a pair of
agile gibbons and also
golden-headed lion tamarins.
* The Butterfly House was made up of an undercover walk-through in a sustainably-heated, climate-controlled
polytunnel Species on show included the
Morpho peleides, blue morpho butterflies,
glasswings,
leopard lacewings and
atlas moths. The exhibit was linked to sustainable butterfly producers in Costa Rica. The zoo also supported work to protect the rare
silky wave moth in
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge () is a 1.5-mile (2.5-kilometre) long Canyon, gorge on the River Avon (Bristol), River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles (5&nbs ...
.
History
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
Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...
, near Brunel's
Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covered a small area by modern standards, but with a considerable number of
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
. 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 joined the main entrance lodge and the south gates on Guthrie Road as a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. 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
The black rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis''), also called the black rhino or the hooked-lip rhinoceros, is a species of rhinoceros native to East and Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namib ...
born in Britain in 1958, the first
squirrel monkey born in captivity in 1953 and the first
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...
born in Europe in 1934.
Conservation
Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) supports
wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...
, education and breeding programmes worldwide. For example, Bristol worked with other zoos around the world to breed
lemur
Lemurs ( ; from Latin ) are Strepsirrhini, wet-nosed primates of the Superfamily (biology), superfamily Lemuroidea ( ), divided into 8 Family (biology), families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are Endemism, ...
s in captivity. Native to
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
, the lemurs are critically
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
because their forest
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
is being destroyed.
Similarly, BZS supports the UK–US charity
Ape Action Africa, which rescues and rehabilitates primates in
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
, West Africa. 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.
Wild Place Project

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
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
,
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...
,
common eland
The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large savannah and plains antelope found in East Africa, East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around tall at the shoulder and can weigh up ...
,
meerkat
The meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body ...
, gelada baboon, reticulated giraffe, wolverine, eurasian lynx, grey wolf, brown bear, Visayan spotted deer, Ostrich and the newest
red panda
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...
.
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.
Future plans include a Bristol Zoo-managed conservation breeding centre with climate-controlled enclosures, learning centre and conservation medicine centre.
Closure
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:
* Western lowland gorilla, collared mangabey, African grey parrots, Mecistops, slender-snouted crocodiles, Okapi and Mandrill will be in a new central African rainforest area.
* The Eastern black rhinoceros and Ostrich will join the giraffe,
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...
, eland,
red river hog and
cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
in the Benoue National Park area.
Event hosting
The WOMAD music festival came to the zoo in 2011, with a subsequent event in 2012.
Music festival returns to the zoo
This is Bristol (9 May 2012).
See also
* Ape Action Africa
* Wow! Gorillas
References
External links
*
Panoramic images from the BBC
{{authority control
Tourist attractions in Bristol
Grade II listed buildings in Bristol
Zoos in England
Music venues in Bristol
Buildings and structures in Clifton, Bristol
Educational organizations established in 1836
Zoos established in the 19th century
1836 establishments in England
2022 disestablishments in England
Defunct tourist attractions in England
Grade II listed zoo buildings
Assets of community value