Bristol Zoo

Bristol Zoological Gardens

Main entrance
Date opened 1836
Location Bristol, England
Coordinates 51°27′48″N 2°37′20″W / 51.46333°N 2.62222°W / 51.46333; -2.62222Coordinates: 51°27′48″N 2°37′20″W / 51.46333°N 2.62222°W / 51.46333; -2.62222
Land area 12 acres (5 ha)
Number of animals 7155 (2007)[1]
Number of species 419 (2007)
Memberships The Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society
Major exhibits Zona Brazil, Seal and Penguin Coasts, Gorilla Island
Website www.bristolzoo.org.uk

Bristol Zoo is a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission is "Bristol Zoo Gardens maintains and defends biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural world".[2]

Penguins at Bristol Zoo
South American fur seal seen through the observation windows at Seal and Penguin Coasts, Bristol Zoo.

The mammal collection at the zoo numbers around 300, representing 50 species, including: okapis, which Bristol was one of the first zoos in the world to breed, Asiatic lions, pygmy hippos, and red pandas. Among species now on view at Bristol which are rare or absent in other UK zoos are Livingstone's fruit bats and successful breeding groups of western lowland gorillas and aye ayes.

The zoo's Twilight Zone was the first of its kind when it opened, there are many other indoor exhibits including an insect and reptile house and aquarium meanwhile outside there are several aviaries and a seal and penguin enclosure. The lakes' islands are home to gorillas, tamarins, marmosets, gibbons and pelicans.

Animal exhibits

Chandra and Moti, the Asiatic lions at Bristol Zoo
The South East Asia tank in the zoo aquarium.

History

Opened in 1836 by the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo is the world's oldest provincial zoo. It is a Victorian walled zoo located between Clifton Down and Clifton College, near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covers 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 is Bristol Zoological Gardens ('Bristol Zoo Gardens' for commercial purposes). This is 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, includes several original buildings which have been praised for their architectural quirks, despite being unsuitable for the care of animals; the (former) Giraffe House[3] joins the main entrance lodge[4] and the south gates on Guthrie Road[5] as a Grade II listed building. The old Monkey Temple, resembling a southern-Asian temple, is now 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.

In December 2014, the zoo lost three of its rarest animals after two fatal incidents, including one involving a male warty pig which killed its own baby. The pig also attacked the baby's mother who had to be put down. In a separate incident a few days later, a South American monkey was also eaten by an otter.[6]

Conservation

Eurasian eagle owl and handler, at a flying demonstration

Bristol Zoo supports wildlife conservation, education and breeding programmes worldwide. For example, Bristol works 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.

Bristol Zoo supports the UK/US charity Ape Action Africa, which rescues and rehabilitates primates in Cameroon, West Africa.[7]

Closer to home, the zoo has helped to reintroduce the water vole to parts of Southern England.

Wild Place Project

Main article: Wild Place Project

A number of mammals are kept on a site to the north of Bristol and there are plans to relocate many more species to the Hollywood Tower estate near Cribbs Causeway, as part of a second zoo.

The new site is called the Wild Place Project, and is designed to house larger animals than the existing Bristol Zoo. The zoo is split into biomes, representing species found only in specific habitats. Current areas include: Secret Congo, native European woodland, Edge of Africa and Madagascar. The species list currently includes: okapi, Sudan cheetah, zebra and Eurasian wolf.

Some of the biomes to be included are: Central American Swamp, Sumatra Tropical Forest, Nepal Riverine Forest, Coral Reef and British Wetlands. The species list for each ecosystem has not yet been finalised, but is likely to include manatees, crocodiles, bonobos, bongo, Sumatran tiger, orangutan, giraffe, zebra, warthog, kudu, African hunting dog, rhinoceros and brown bear.

The site officially opened on 22 July 2013 as Wild Place Project.[8]

Event hosting

The WOMAD music festival came to the zoo in 2011,[9][10][11][12][13][14] with a subsequent event in 2012.[15][16][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bristol Zoo Annual Report 2007 Archived 6 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "Bristol Zoological Gardens Strategic Plan 2008-2018". Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society Limited. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Bristol Zoological Gardens, Giraffe House". Images of England. Retrieved 18 December 2006.
  4. ↑ "Bristol Zoological Gardens entrance". Images of England. Retrieved 18 December 2006.
  5. ↑ "South entrance gates and screen walls to Bristol Zoological Gardens". Images of England. Retrieved 18 December 2006.
  6. ↑ http://m.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-31172041
  7. ↑ Bristol Zoo website – Bristol Zoo presents gorilla sculpture to Cameroon school children – 14/04/11 Archived 17 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine.. Bristolzoo.org.uk.
  8. ↑ New Bristol attraction opens 22 July | The Wild Place Project. Wildplace.org.uk.
  9. ↑ Bristol Zoo teams up with Womad for summer spectacular – Bristol24-7. Bristol247.com (17 March 2011).
  10. ↑ AN evening of music from around the world will be staged at Bristol Zoo this summer as it teams up with the WOMAD festival for a unique concert.. This is Bristol (18 March 2011).
  11. ↑ Bristol Zoo teams up with WOMAD to offer a wild music festival – 17/03/11 | Bristol Zoo
  12. ↑ Final acts revealed for WOMAD music festival at Bristol Zoo. Visit Bristol.
  13. ↑ Trio of acts complete line-up for zoo's summer world music event. This is Bristol (24 May 2011).
  14. ↑ Bristol University | School of Biological Sciences | Womad at Bristol Zoo. Bristol.ac.uk (2 June 2011).
  15. ↑ WOMAD Festival returns to Bristol Zoo Gardens for another musical extravaganza – Bristol24-7. Bristol247.com (16 March 2012).
  16. ↑ Music festival returns to the zoo. This is Bristol (9 May 2012).
  17. ↑ At Bristol Zoo 2012 » Festivals. WOMAD (22 June 2013).
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