I think apart from the Gorillas and maybe the Lions(?) in the long run visitors won't really notice a lot of which species are transferred and which aren't. One example fairly obviously of a species unlikely to move is the remaining elderly Lion-tailed macaques- I hope they will move them to e.g. one of the wildlife or monkey sanctuaries in due course. I'm sure there will be many other species in this category too.
Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo news 2021
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I think apart from the Gorillas and maybe the Lions(?) in the long run visitors won't really notice a lot of which species are transferred and which aren't. One example fairly obviously of a species unlikely to move is the remaining elderly Lion-tailed macaques- I hope they will move them to e.g. one of the wildlife or monkey sanctuaries in due course. I'm sure there will be many other species in this category too.
Bristol Zoo have successfully hatched two Blue-spotted Tree Monitors. The article mentions there are now 91 individuals in Europe with 17 being in the UK: Rare lizard breeding hat-trick here at Bristol Zoo Gardens | Bristol Zoo
JurassicMax
Well-Known Member
After two months he left the nestbox.
Source:
Instagram of Bristol Zoo (17/08/2021) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSq6h4htf15/
After a family visit today, I thought I'd share a personal update.
Having arrived at 10AM, we successfully beat the crowds to Twilight World and managed to see my two target species; Kowari and Aye-Aye. Whilst I've seen both species before, my family hadn't, and I was keen to introduce them; Aside from previous sightings during feeding time, this was the most active I've ever seen the Kowari. Otherwise, we had great views of the Eurasian Hoopoe, Gentle Lemurs, and Tree Kangaroo.
Unsurprisingly, the zoo really was very busy, so I'd definitely recommend getting the early slot to do a quick loop around the zoo, or to hit the animal houses and get them out of the way. Similarly, the talks were incredibly crowded, meaning we only attended the gorilla feed to get a "proper" view of the youngsters.
Some points of change since my last visit (2 years ago?) - sorry if some have been mentioned previously:
- Eastern Quolls are gone.
- Sloth are now held in the former Drill exhibit near the entrance (which was supposedly due to hold Sifaka until the zoos closure was announced).
- As mentioned in another post, the Pygmy Hippo is gone; shame they couldn't hold onto her for another year or so.
On a final note, I'm so incredibly sad that Bristol Zoo is closing... I'll really miss the place.
Having arrived at 10AM, we successfully beat the crowds to Twilight World and managed to see my two target species; Kowari and Aye-Aye. Whilst I've seen both species before, my family hadn't, and I was keen to introduce them; Aside from previous sightings during feeding time, this was the most active I've ever seen the Kowari. Otherwise, we had great views of the Eurasian Hoopoe, Gentle Lemurs, and Tree Kangaroo.
Unsurprisingly, the zoo really was very busy, so I'd definitely recommend getting the early slot to do a quick loop around the zoo, or to hit the animal houses and get them out of the way. Similarly, the talks were incredibly crowded, meaning we only attended the gorilla feed to get a "proper" view of the youngsters.
- Eastern Quolls are gone.
- Sloth are now held in the former Drill exhibit near the entrance (which was supposedly due to hold Sifaka until the zoos closure was announced).
On a final note, I'm so incredibly sad that Bristol Zoo is closing... I'll really miss the place.
A Malayan Mouse Deer was born four weeks ago at Bristol: Heart-melting mouse deer is born here at Bristol Zoo Gardens | Bristol Zoo
I’ll miss the nocturnal & reptile/aquarium houses & the kea, but the rest of it…, no, it’s time to say “so long” and move out to Wild Place.After a family visit today, I thought I'd share a personal update.
Having arrived at 10AM, we successfully beat the crowds to Twilight World and managed to see my two target species; Kowari and Aye-Aye. Whilst I've seen both species before, my family hadn't, and I was keen to introduce them; Aside from previous sightings during feeding time, this was the most active I've ever seen the Kowari. Otherwise, we had great views of the Eurasian Hoopoe, Gentle Lemurs, and Tree Kangaroo.
Unsurprisingly, the zoo really was very busy, so I'd definitely recommend getting the early slot to do a quick loop around the zoo, or to hit the animal houses and get them out of the way. Similarly, the talks were incredibly crowded, meaning we only attended the gorilla feed to get a "proper" view of the youngsters.
Some points of change since my last visit (2 years ago?) - sorry if some have been mentioned previously:
- Eastern Quolls are gone.
- Sloth are now held in the former Drill exhibit near the entrance (which was supposedly due to hold Sifaka until the zoos closure was announced).
- As mentioned in another post, the Pygmy Hippo is gone; shame they couldn't hold onto her for another year or so.
On a final note, I'm so incredibly sad that Bristol Zoo is closing... I'll really miss the place.
I can remember a time when those central picnic lawns were surrounded by animal exhibits, from the entrance almost right around to when you went out again. My last visit it all felt very 'empty' of animals as the increasing emphasis has been on 'smalls' due to the decision over recent years to phase out many of the larger species. I'm not sure I will bother to revisit again now before the relocation takes place. I would be quite interested to visit after it has closed though, to see what happened to the site. Luxury flats in the remaining animal houses?
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I visited yesterday. It was my third visit this year, as I took out membership a few months ago: this may sound strange, but I want to take a lot of photos to document the site before it closes and I also want to support the zoo in this difficult period. Of course @Pertinax is right, the zoo is not what it used to be and the departure of the last pygmy hippo and the closure of Zona Brasil and the Wallace Aviary does reduce the stocklist significantly. But I know that there are still interesting creatures to see and to photograph. For example I finally spotted the blue-tailed goodeid (Ataenobius toweri) in the mixed goodeid aquarium and now that the Reptile Nursery has reopened I was able to see and photograph the hatchling yellow-margined box turtles. Unfortunately the dwarf chameleons did not pose at all, so I will have to try again with them. The gorillas did not show much, perhaps because the day was rather cold in spite of the sunshine, but I got a few photos - remarkably they are my first decent gorilla photos since July 2020!
The Twilight World was a great disappointment, for some reason two bright red lights have been placed on either side of the cul-de-sac leading to the 2 tall aye-aye exhibits, and they have been wreathed with foliage (which I presume is plastic) so that the only things that are clearly visible in the aye-aye and pygmy slow loris exhibits are the bright red reflections of these monstrosities. I hope they are temporary decorations for Halloween, but they make some of the zoo's star attractions almost invisible
There are plenty more Halloween decorations in other areas and I realise this an opportunity for the zoo to attract visitors during half-term, but I'm much too old for that sort of trick or treat.
The Twilight World was a great disappointment, for some reason two bright red lights have been placed on either side of the cul-de-sac leading to the 2 tall aye-aye exhibits, and they have been wreathed with foliage (which I presume is plastic) so that the only things that are clearly visible in the aye-aye and pygmy slow loris exhibits are the bright red reflections of these monstrosities. I hope they are temporary decorations for Halloween, but they make some of the zoo's star attractions almost invisible
There are plenty more Halloween decorations in other areas and I realise this an opportunity for the zoo to attract visitors during half-term, but I'm much too old for that sort of trick or treat.
Are the departing animals transferring over to the new site?
The aquarium was absolutely full of skeletons when I visited on Tuesday, I know that!
Some, in theory, but given the amount of infrastructure that would be required (the construction of multiple new houses, for instance) nowhere near all. I suspect that it might even be limited to the gorillas in the immediate short-term.
The Gorillas definately, but I wondered if the Lions would transfer too, being a major draw species. Enclosures for e.g. the Warty Pigs wouldn't be difficult to construct quickly either, but like you, I can see a lot of the other stock being dispersed elsewhere.
The website future.bristolzoo.org.uk has some details about the progress of the plans for both sites. I will certainly be checking it from time to time.
The plans for Phase 1 of the redevelopment of Wild Place, which will become the new Bristol Zoo in 2024, include improved access and car parking and new facilities for visitors, educational activities and veterinary work. There will also be a 'major new animal exhibit': obviously for the gorillas. But I think the zoo managers are being deliberately cautious about announcing their plans as the details are contingent on the money realised from the sale of the Clifton sites; until the deals are done they are not giving hostages to fortune by making any commitments that they may not be able to keep.
However the new Bristol Zoo will have to attract visitors in competition with Noah's Ark on the other side of the city, so I will not be surprised to see more animals from the current collection moving to Cribbs Causeway. For example, the new exhibit could have a Central African theme and include the dwarf crocodiles and touracos as well as the gorillas. I agree with @Pertinax that some more animals could be housed quite quickly and cheaply, including popular species such as the red pandas, sloths, squirrel monkeys and lion tamarins. It is also worth noting that quite a few of the newer exhibits at Bristol are of basic wood and wire or mesh construction, so it might be possible to take them apart and then reassemble them, even if this only a temporary measure. Reusing some aviaries, the flamingo enclosure and the Amphibian Ark in this way could be useful publicity during 2023 after the Clifton site has closed.
It’s going to be an interesting time. I think they’ll have to bring the lions too as a draw alongside the gorillas. Is competition from Noah’s ask a big concern?
I would certainly think so. Although Noah's is a newcomer and really a 'farm turned zoo' (as against the long-established Bristol and Clifton Zoological Society) they nowadays have nearly all the major ABC species, including rhino, elephant, lions, tigers(?) bears etc plus large play areas for children too. Noah's does lack major bird, fish or reptile collections and has far less small species than the zoo does, but for many locals, particularly families with small children, its become an attractive alternative.
A few species are shared (not literally) by both Noah's and Wild Place; giraffe, zebra, lions, bears (but different species) and maybe a couple more.
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None left now - the lions have access to the whole big cat complex. It's actually quite an impressive area for the 4 of them, especially from a management/husbandry perspective.
Thanks, thought the tigers were no more but wasn't sure...
I’ve wondered for a while if the steel structure that sits above the Tree Kangaroos could be dis-assembled and rebuilt at Wild Place for primates/birds? I actually think the Tree Kangaroo, like the R Pandas and Warty Pigs could be a relatively easy switch. There are many wooded areas between the current Wild Place exhibits that could be used for small primate & bird enclosures. It would be truly unique (in the UK at least) if the new Gorilla enclosure was to be located within part of the woods! We often discuss on here about how the island ‘mound’ type gorilla exhibits don’t work as the apes feel vulnerable (we think) with a lack of canopy cover? Just a thought!
If they were able to move that huge aviary thing maybe they could use it properly for the first time. Originally erected as an 'Australian' type exhibit it has never fulfilled any real purpose and seems like the proverbial white elephant to me. Agree that other species like Tree Kangaroos, Red Pandas etc could be accommodated relatively easily too. I'm less hopeful for the aquarium, reptiles, nocturnals, smaller primates and many birds though. Is going to be an interesting time. Great idea about placing the gorillas in woodland btw. Hope they are watching this...
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As a clifton resident I am also really dismayed that the society has decided to close the zoo here. I have vivid childhood memories if that place, including polar bears, the old Nocturnal house, wendy the elephant, giraffes and zebras. Now in retrospect, I can see that the way many of those animals were kept and the space they had was appaling by modern standards (i recall seeing the leopards pace for hours on end) but of course I was oblivious to this as a child.
The zoo society has posted a net loss in 4 of the last 6 years, despite nearby organisations such as Cotswolds, Noahs Ark, Avon Valley Country Park, the aquarium, Longleat being finanicially succesful. They represent a diverse mix of venues suggesting that animal attractions of all shapes and sizes can run successfully in this region.
In general, aquaria are popular with the public and charge a high entry fee. It has been mentioned on this site before that lemurs, meerkats and penguins are considered some of the most popular attractions and result in increased turnstile counts at smaller animal attractions. Retail is popular in all these places, as are food outlets and restaurants and accunt for a significant amount of revenue. Additionally, wedding venues in Bristol have long wait times and charge huge fees and are a lifesaving revenue stream gor many country houses and such like. Additionally, Go Ape courses have high ticket prices, are very popular and many have opened up around the country. Bristol Zoo (the 12 acre clifton site) had 2 aquaria on site,one of which contained penguins and seals. It had lemurs, meerkats and a butterfly house. It has a (once very popular) wedding venue, 2 on site restaurants, a go ape course, childrens play ground and as a final slam dunk, gorillas and lions. Yet despite all these normally successful and lucrative attractions on one 12 acre site, it has been essentially a loss making enterprise.
This is down to management, failure to successfully plan, market and commercialise. If they could not make a profit off all these attractions on a 12 acre site, upscaling to 136 acres outside the population centre is highly unlikely to be successful either. Normally, a loss making business would not secure investment to upscale. They can sell clifton for millions, but that'll be the only profit they make, which will sadly be lost down the drain.
The zoo society has posted a net loss in 4 of the last 6 years, despite nearby organisations such as Cotswolds, Noahs Ark, Avon Valley Country Park, the aquarium, Longleat being finanicially succesful. They represent a diverse mix of venues suggesting that animal attractions of all shapes and sizes can run successfully in this region.
In general, aquaria are popular with the public and charge a high entry fee. It has been mentioned on this site before that lemurs, meerkats and penguins are considered some of the most popular attractions and result in increased turnstile counts at smaller animal attractions. Retail is popular in all these places, as are food outlets and restaurants and accunt for a significant amount of revenue. Additionally, wedding venues in Bristol have long wait times and charge huge fees and are a lifesaving revenue stream gor many country houses and such like. Additionally, Go Ape courses have high ticket prices, are very popular and many have opened up around the country. Bristol Zoo (the 12 acre clifton site) had 2 aquaria on site,one of which contained penguins and seals. It had lemurs, meerkats and a butterfly house. It has a (once very popular) wedding venue, 2 on site restaurants, a go ape course, childrens play ground and as a final slam dunk, gorillas and lions. Yet despite all these normally successful and lucrative attractions on one 12 acre site, it has been essentially a loss making enterprise.
This is down to management, failure to successfully plan, market and commercialise. If they could not make a profit off all these attractions on a 12 acre site, upscaling to 136 acres outside the population centre is highly unlikely to be successful either. Normally, a loss making business would not secure investment to upscale. They can sell clifton for millions, but that'll be the only profit they make, which will sadly be lost down the drain.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but the ‘go ape’ course at Bristol Zoo (zoo topics) that you refer to - wasn’t it just a high ropes course? If so then it’s a very different thing to the forest based attractions that Go Ape is famous for. I’ve done the Go Ape at Moors Valley country park in the New Forest and in my opinion it was way more attractive to me as a customer to do that than the kind of half-baked offering at Bristol (although is it intended more for kids?). For what it’s worth, my opinion of these things is that if they are going to be done then they should be done full throttle, rather than just to appeal to the latest fad and then ending up with an inferior product.
Aquaria are extremely popular - and also extremely expensive to run. Longleat of course doesn’t have one, which may give context to their profitability. I haven’t visited cotswold or Noah’s ark so not sure if the same applies to those sites.
Aquaria are extremely popular - and also extremely expensive to run. Longleat of course doesn’t have one, which may give context to their profitability. I haven’t visited cotswold or Noah’s ark so not sure if the same applies to those sites.