I recently noticed a brown tourist direction sign for Bristol zoo that, instead of the usual elephant symbol, featured a gorilla. I wonder if this is due to visitors to the zoo expecting to see elephants or whether it is to distinguish the zoo from NAZF down the road. Also, is Bristol unique in this respect? I know bird gardens feature a cockatoo, ‘wildlife parks’ feature a stag head and zoos usually feature an elephant. Do any other UK animal collections have there own symbol?
Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo news 2013
- Thread starter Pertinax
- Start date
Anyone interested in seeing old postcards of the zoo follow link below. type in Ref.no 43207 and the word zoo in the box 'Any text'
Bristol Record Office Online Catalogue
Bristol Record Office Online Catalogue
Not that I am aware of. Afaik those symbols are official/regulation ones to distinguish between Bird Gardens, Wildlife Parks and 'Zoos' as you pointed out. Last time I went to Bristol they still had the Elephant symbol on the brown directional signs so the change may be fairly recent. As you suggest, maybe they requested it to avoid any disappointed visitors.
Completely off topic now but on my first visit to Shaldon, their sign was a cockatoo even though it was far from a bird garden. When last in Devon I noticed they'd been upgraded to elephant status!
I know, but it's far more of an all-rounder than a bird park. If memory serves me correctly then the collection is predominately mammals. As we've established, elephant = rounded collection!
Any idea what the signs for Crocodiles Of The World have on them? I'm going to assume it's not a picture of a reptile.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
At the moment they do not have any brown signs,just there own green A-boards that are put out on days that it is open!I know, but it's far more of an all-rounder than a bird park. If memory serves me correctly then the collection is predominately mammals. As we've established, elephant = rounded collection!
Any idea what the signs for Crocodiles Of The World have on them? I'm going to assume it's not a picture of a reptile.
Now you mention it I remember that Monkey World has a monkey.
Johnny Morris.
Well-Known Member
I remember That's Life doing a story on a zoo having to have a brown, elephant sign, even though they didn't have any elephants back in the 80's. Maybe there ought to be new legislation that states that all zoo direction signs should have a meerkat.
I'm 99% sure there was one when we drove past in November, just before the "Welcome To Shaldon" sign?
Is it Trotters (or whatever it's called now, it's one of those facts in life that I never seem to retain)?
They used to have a gibbon on their sign.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
I was on about Crocodiles of the World!I'm 99% sure there was one when we drove past in November, just before the "Welcome To Shaldon" sign?
My mistake, I thought you were on about Shaldon.
Living Coasts used to have penguin ones (may still do, just its a long time since I lived in Torquay!)
People definitely used to expect Bristol to have elephants because of the signs-it was a fairly common complaint and getting the signs changed because other zoos had their own signs was talked about amongst staff so it could have been requested now there is the second zoo.
People definitely used to expect Bristol to have elephants because of the signs-it was a fairly common complaint and getting the signs changed because other zoos had their own signs was talked about amongst staff so it could have been requested now there is the second zoo.
Phase 1 of the Gorilla House rebuild opens to the public tomorrow (24th August)
£1 million upgrade for Bristol Zoo's gorilla family - ITV News
£1 million upgrade for Bristol Zoo's gorilla family - ITV News
They should do, unless there has been a recent change. As far as I am aware the plan was always to hold the cubs together until a female of appropriate age became available, then one would leave and the other stay to make up a new pair for Bristol (all subject to studbook recommendations of course)