Bristol Zoo Project Bristol zoo project news 2024

It is worth noting that Bristol was already out of Drills by early 2020, over two years before the Gardens' closure, with the last male having left for Barcelona Zoo (per ZTL), and with the other three animals having already passed away, so as lovely as it would have been to see them at Wild Place / Bristol Zoo Project, whether that is in addition to or as a replacement for the Geladas, it was never really an option. .

The other three Drills aren't dead, they ( a female and her two daughters I believe they were) were sent to Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland. Couldn't understand why they broke up this group after the fanfare of getting them just a few years previously. They may have needed a new unrelated male but that is always possible. But did Bristol not have any idea they were going to need to add to the stock at Wild Place even back then? I don't know the answer to that one...
 
Visited today,

Saw 5 out of the 6 gelada but they all seemed very seperate from one another

The last Aviary is still empty at the end of the walled garden

still haven’t seen the red panda however it seems to be up a very bushy tree a keeper said

saw just one zebra which was odd but the eland and other zebra may have been hiding from the school children

the blue eyed black lemurs were taking a lot of interest in eachother which was good seeing as most visits they pay more attention to the visitors

Finally (not that it will interest most zoo charters) the new adventure playground is set to open in the summer and ground work has begun, although it’s not a new exhibit it will encourage families to visit the zoo

also very minor but they’ve laid down something on a field so that they can have more parking which is better for capacity
 
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Visited today,

Saw 5 out of the 6 gelada but they all seemed very seperate from one another

The last Aviary is still empty at the end of the walled garden

still haven’t seen the red panda however it seems to be up a very bushy tree a keeper said

saw just one zebra which was odd but the eland and other zebra may have been hiding from the school children

the blue eyed black lemurs were taking a lot of interest in eachother which was good seeing as most visits they pay more attention to the visitors

Finally (not that it will interest most zoo charters) the new adventure playground is set to open in the summer and ground work has begun, although it’s not a new exhibit it will encourage families to visit the zoo

Nilo the red panda spent most of the time at Whipsnade hidden high in the main tree in both of the enclosures the pandas have there so he seems to have settled in to Bristol!
 
Visited today,

Saw 5 out of the 6 gelada but they all seemed very seperate from one another

That's because they are all males. Its not a natural grouping though they tolerate it by keeping distance from each other. The two new ones are unfamilar with the others too. In the wild most males would be accompanied by a couple or more females and young. Any unsuccessful/ bachelor males wouldn't seek company with others I don't think.
 
Visited today and have a few updates

one of the giraffes are having a veterinary procedure where they have to go under anaesthetic and the keepers were padding the giraffe house

it looks like the trailer in the eland and zebra service yard is accessible to both to go in which was peculiar

old Sumatran laughing thrush avairy still empty

finally some volunteers were discussing how a male (I don’t know what animal) was joining his sister and another male.
My comments on this are I was unsure whether that means the zoo is gaining any animals or losing them, it seemed like they were talking about a lone male so this is probably either Aron the eland, rufus the mongoose lemur or Ekundu the red river hog

the volunteers were in the lemur walkthrough so it would make sense that it might be rufus however he is probably for regular visitors and the general public the most well known animal currently there as he’s so active and also the other 2 species are both least concern and the zoo has stated that they are having more of a focus on endangered species but time will tell and I will make sure to update the thread if anything comes of this
 
Visited the zoo today

There was red and white tape around a new what looks like electric fence in the red river hogs which i was confused about

No sign of the zebra or eland

The giraffe having the operation is tom and its to do with his hooves

saw the Socorro doves and one was very close to the fence which was nice

no sign of the female tarictic hornbill and saw one pink pigeon
 
it looks like the trailer in the eland and zebra service yard is accessible to both to go in which was peculiar

No sign of the zebra or eland
If the Grant's Zebra and Common Eland are on the way out or have left already I would not be too surprised as it would likely be following through with the species plan that was released in early 2023, showing the endangered Grevy's Zebra and Nile Lechwe instead of the current zebra and eland at the collection. If this is proceeding the arrival of those two species it would be an encouraging step for the collection moving towards more threatened species and promising for development in the near future.
 
If the Grant's Zebra and Common Eland are on the way out or have left already I would not be too surprised as it would likely be following through with the species plan that was released in early 2023, showing the endangered Grevy's Zebra and Nile Lechwe instead of the current zebra and eland at the collection. If this is proceeding the arrival of those two species it would be an encouraging step for the collection moving towards more threatened species and promising for development in the near future.
It's very good news if Nile Lechwe are planned - it would be wonderful to have a new holder of this species in the UK, although I wonder where they plan to import them from, as there are currently only three individuals throughout the country. Presumably they will be imported from elsewhere in Europe.
 
If the Grant's Zebra and Common Eland are on the way out or have left already I would not be too surprised as it would likely be following through with the species plan that was released in early 2023, showing the endangered Grevy's Zebra and Nile Lechwe instead of the current zebra and eland at the collection. If this is proceeding the arrival of those two species it would be an encouraging step for the collection moving towards more threatened species and promising for development in the near future.

I saw the zebra and eland there last Sunday.
 
If the Grant's Zebra and Common Eland are on the way out or have left already I would not be too surprised as it would likely be following through with the species plan that was released in early 2023, showing the endangered Grevy's Zebra and Nile Lechwe instead of the current zebra and eland at the collection. If this is proceeding the arrival of those two species it would be an encouraging step for the collection moving towards more threatened species and promising for development in the near future.
I assume this will be the case and a transition from LR and relatively safe species to endangered and threatened species.

I am glad it seems the Central Africa building project at Bristo Zoo Project will most likely go ahead from June 2024 .... To say Timely is an Under-Statement.
 
Visited yesterday

saw the Socorro doves, there much more confident then they were at Bristol zoo gardens, I don’t know if this is a new pair but they were showing signs of mating

only saw one of the male hornbills (think it was the older one)

there was a small crate in the ring tailed+mongoose lemurs

Saw the new female red river hog (I didn’t know she arrived I just checked the website) which was nice, she seems like an older female, probably just a companion not to breed
 
Just seen that this coming Saturday (18th May) from 14:30-16:00 there is a talk at the park about the upcoming new species plans. I figured I would share it here in case anyone in the area who hadn't heard of it wanted to go - it costs £10 for members and £15 for general admission.

More information, including booking, is included here:
A New Species Plan for Bristol Zoological Society - Bristol Zoo Project
 
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