Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo news 2014

I'm not 100% sure of this, but looking at my photos from around that time, I think the gorillas may have been:

Daniel
Jeremiah
Jason
Diana
(possibly Eva and Asante, but I'm not sure for how long they were on loan from Twycross)

I'm sure there will be others on here who know the answer to your question with certainty though.
 
Thanks for the link. I am making progress.

Would you know if there are any photos / prints of the gorillas around 1990? My son visited the zoo in 1990 which started his interest in gorillas. During the visit he sat for ages staring at one gorilla! For a big birthday on the horizon I would like a photo or print. Or do you know of any artists with a particular interest / expertise?
Pam
 
PamP said:
Thanks for the link. I am making progress.

Would you know if there are any photos / prints of the gorillas around 1990? My son visited the zoo in 1990 which started his interest in gorillas.
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From memory and some cross-checking, I think the Gorillas around the date you mention would have been;

Males; Daniel. (born Bristol)
Jason.(ex Chester)
Jeremiah (born Bristol)

Females; Delilah (wildborn)
Diana. ( " " )

Jason and Delilah were probably together in one cage. Daniel & Diana in another. Jeremiah I don't know. These are all long dead now, apart from 'Delilah' who still lives at Belfast Zoo.

A number of other Gorillas have passed through Bristol over the years, before or since then but I think that is pretty much the tally for the date you mentioned. There are a few photos in the Bristol zoo gallery of Gorillas in that house around that time.
 
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That info is really useful and seems to answer my query.

I will now be able to pursue the possibility of obtaining a good quality print or painting of the correct gorillas.

Thanks.
 
longleat diego said:
Bristol should take a leaf out of Bioparc Fuengirolas book
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Sorry to sound grumpy on a Sunday morning, but this is a fairly asinine remark.

What on earth do you mean?

They should close for several years, bulldoze everything, and build an ersatz baobab tree? That they should house animals in enclosures that, though lovely in many ways, are tiny? That they should abandon being a 'house' based zoo and instead be more open? Of what leaf in particular are you thinking?

The two places are about as different as two similarly-sized zoos could be!
 
longleat diego said:
Building up and underground
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So, more or less, Sooty's first suggestion of closing for years and bulldozing everything? This is pretty much what would be required to extend Bristol Zoo underground and upwards - if such a development would be permitted in an urban area in the first place, which I doubt!

If I did not know better I'd think you were an employee of Noah's trying to sabotage the competition ;)
 
longleat diego said:
Bristol should take a leaf out of Bioparc Fuengirolas book
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Bristol is now able to follow ZSL's Regents Park & Whipsnade model instead. Bristol will hold those species that need specialised housing, plus some charismatic crowd-pleasers. Wild Place can take species that need more space, but less complicated housing. I think both sites are designed with particular features to attract families with young children.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
Bristol will hold those species that need specialised housing, plus some charismatic crowd-pleasers. Wild Place can take species that need more space, but less complicated housing. I think both sites are designed with particular features to attract families with young children.
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Good summary and I feel sure that represents future developments for Bristol.
 
gentle lemur said:
Bristol is now able to follow ZSL's Regents Park & Whipsnade model instead. Bristol will hold those species that need specialised housing, plus some charismatic crowd-pleasers. Wild Place can take species that need more space, but less complicated housing. I think both sites are designed with particular features to attract families with young children.

Alan
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thats a better idea
 
The zoo entrance has been redeveloped, it now has about half a dozen ticket sales tills extending into the former shop area. The shop it's self has been extended towards the drill cage which in turn has been softened with cladding to give it a less brutal appearance.
In the aquarium the walk-through tunnel has been revamped and the paddle fish installed. Incidentally, the zoo claim this to be the first under water tunnel. Is this true?
Crowded lemurs have joined ring-tailed in the walk-through.
One gorilla, Kera i think, has a few wounds and has lost hair on one side of her head, i wonder if she's been bulleid?
 
The first walk-through tunnel in an aquarium was at Kelly Tarltons Underwater World in New Zealand[1985].
 
Tim Brown said:
The first walk-through tunnel in an aquarium was at Kelly Tarltons Underwater World in New Zealand[1985].
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Thanks, that's an obscure one. There was a temporary sign which, unless I read it wrong, claimed Bristol's to be a world first. The current permanent sign claims it to be a European first.
 
Tim Brown said:
The first walk-through tunnel in an aquarium was at Kelly Tarltons Underwater World in New Zealand[1985].
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that's a common misconception. Kelly Tarltons had the world's first curved acrylic tunnel: glass tunnels with straight walls -- and I think solid roofs -- were already in use elsewhere. Kelly Tarlton came up with the idea for the completely-transparent curved walls after seeing a straight-walled tunnel in an aquarium overseas somewhere.
 
Ned said:
Thanks, that's an obscure one. There was a temporary sign which, unless I read it wrong, claimed Bristol's to be a world first. The current permanent sign claims it to be a European first.
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I read that sign too. That Tunnel/walkthrough was definitely there before 1985.
 
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