Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo News 2022

I haven't checked but I imagine the walk from Camden Town tube to the London Zoo entrance is a similar duration.

Probably more. The zoo would struggle to be further from a Tube in that part of London if it tried..!
 
That may be the case, but given you can get the tube to Regents Park its not really a fair comparison.

Despite the name, Regent's Park tube is a fair bit further from the zoo entrance than Camden Town - it's right at the furthest other end of the Park. I still most often go to Regent's Park station if I'm coming in on the Tube, as it's a nice walk past the waterfowl lakes, but Camden Town would definitely be closer if you were looking to minimise walking.
 
Despite the name, Regent's Park tube is a fair bit further from the zoo entrance than Camden Town - it's right at the furthest other end of the Park. I still most often go to Regent's Park station if I'm coming in on the Tube, as it's a nice walk past the waterfowl lakes, but Camden Town would definitely be closer if you were looking to minimise walking.

Ah okay, thanks for that. It's been about 10 years since I've been to London Zoo.
 
Despite the name, Regent's Park tube is a fair bit further from the zoo entrance than Camden Town - it's right at the furthest other end of the Park. I still most often go to Regent's Park station if I'm coming in on the Tube, as it's a nice walk past the waterfowl lakes, but Camden Town would definitely be closer if you were looking to minimise walking.
Camden Town definately the nearest. Baker Street and Regents Park probably equi-distant (?) to the Zoo, I usually(used to) go Baker Street, as its more direct to the entrance.
 
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. For those of us who come from further afield, the easy access from the M5 will be a great advantage and I will not miss some of the strange routes through Bristol that my old satnav suggests from time to time :rolleyes:

I will miss the zoo but not the(often) slow traffic from Cribbs Causeway up to Clifton, particulary toward the Downs area and its got worse over the years of course. Access will be a plus for vehicle drivers, but I can see the problems people not travelling by car may be facing. I'm sure all the authorities will seek to redress them though.
 
For a large and public zoo of regional or national importance good transport links into the site as well as excellent public transport access are vital. It should not be up to the zoo or at the behest of some authority to get this sorted it should be part and parcel of any well designed environment friendly package. However, I DO think that the Municipality and the regional bus company must take their responsibilities too on this.

I myself, when in London, did most of the days take the Camden route into Regent's Park or the bus stop in-between-est (cannot now remember the bus service No. that stops at the interchange right on your right side of Regent's Park, you have to cross the park water bridge and then you walk into the main entrance or swirling by the right side right along the RP park boundary).
 
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...date-6656622&usg=AOvVaw0_aK51g25wJFeqzk5lMNsY

Does this sad news mean that we won’t be able to see the Gorilla Family for 2 years. I really hope this isn’t the case and that the Gorillas new abode is being built as we speak. Technically we could be able to see the Gorillas within a year. This is if the construction is not only being carried out now, but also as providing the works are as quick as the construction of the current/refurbishment enclosure.
 
Does this sad news mean that we won’t be able to see the Gorilla Family for 2 years.
Not quite. We won't be able to see them for 18 months.
As far as I know, there is an outline plan for the new Bristol Zoo, mentioned in a previous thread, but no detailed plans have been submitted to South Gloucestershire council yet (I have just checked their website). It is not just a question of building a new gorilla house. There are fundamental plans for services like power, water supply and waste management, plus roads, facilities for staff and visitors, veterinary and quarantine services etc which have to be ready before the details of the new animal houses can be planned.
 
Not quite. We won't be able to see them for 18 months.
As far as I know, there is an outline plan for the new Bristol Zoo, mentioned in a previous thread, but no detailed plans have been submitted to South Gloucestershire council yet (I have just checked their website). It is not just a question of building a new gorilla house. There are fundamental plans for services like power, water supply and waste management, plus roads, facilities for staff and visitors, veterinary and quarantine services etc which have to be ready before the details of the new animal houses can be planned.
It is exactly what I meant ... 18 months closed up is way too lomg. Planning should already have been beyond design and arranging with public authority. In business standstill means losing business and falling behind.
 
It is exactly what I meant ... 18 months closed up is way too lomg. Planning should already have been beyond design and arranging with public authority. In business standstill means losing business and falling behind.

The zoo's statement from today says

Money from the sale will help pay for the development of the new Bristol Zoo which will be built at the Society’s Wild Place Project and is due to open in 2024. The new Bristol Zoo will have conservation, education and sustainability at its heart

Throughout that time Wild Place Project, near junction 17 of the M5 Motorway, will continue to welcome visitors as usual
 
Planning a mega project like this requires that preparations start well in advance. This means starting as early as is businesslike, sound as possible, from design to implementation and execution, for a multiple infrastructural project with further building work for specific exhibits and landscaping it would entail at least 3-4 years prior to opening. Now plans have as yet to go before Council .... implying there is no way they will be able to meet that deadline.

It would be better if they would operate the zoo for at least another year into 2023. I cannot see them having the financial clout to bridge the gap years and solely banking on some real estate developers paying big money up front. That strategy will not work on its own.

Now question one: what reserve funds does the Society have now at its disposal? They have been talking about relocating for yonker years now ....

Further, I wonder why it even looks like WP is emptying out with departures like okapi and also other parts looking thin on the ground. It is not exactly a welcoming nor confidence building spectacle.

I do hope I am wrong just the signs are not the best to put it plain and simple.
 
implying there is no way they will be able to meet that deadline.

That is jumping to conclusions with no actual information to inform your assumptions.

It would be better if they would operate the zoo for at least another year into 2023. I cannot see them having the financial clout to bridge the gap years and solely banking on some real estate developers paying big money up front. That strategy will not work on its own.

There are no gap years to be bridged. As I have posted twice today, the zoo have said the Wild Place will remain open until the zoo opens in 2024. How this will work logistically remains to be seen but presumably there will be visitor income during this time.

I do hope I am wrong just the signs are not the best to put it plain and simple.

I don't accept this conclusion at all. It is neither plain nor simple.
 
There are no gap years to be bridged. As I have posted twice today, the zoo have said the Wild Place will remain open until the zoo opens in 2024. How this will work logistically remains to be seen but presumably there will be visitor income during this time.

I don't think anyone doubts Wild Place being open, but it is a very small collection at present and the new exhibits aren't planned until the big new fancy opening in 2024.

So what people mean is the loss of Lions, Gorillas and other species from Bristol, meaning 18 months will pass of people not seeing Bristol's main attractions and no guarantee they will all end up at Wild Place.

Pretty sure, Penguins, Seals, Tree Kangaroo and so on will go to other collections. Intentions are to have Lions and Gorilla's from what I've read, but they wont be at WPP until 2024 for the public to see and with Bristol Zoo closed from September, you wonder how long they will stay at Bristol at a closed down Zoo. Nothing has been said about when building and housing will start at the City site, so for all we know, the build may not happen until 2024, when whatever animals are left move to WPP.

The issue is, WPP is not a big draw at present, and possibly wont be for another 2 years and in reality much of it will look like a building site until 2024.
 
Ive asked about the lions before and the keeper told me that there an no plans for the lions to move to the wildplace. They were awaiting recommendations to transfer them elsewhere. Of course this doesnt mean that the new bristol zoo wont house big cats. They may possibly bring in tigers or leopards?
 
Ive asked about the lions before and the keeper told me that there an no plans for the lions to move to the wildplace. They were awaiting recommendations to transfer them elsewhere. Of course this doesnt mean that the new bristol zoo wont house big cats. They may possibly bring in tigers or leopards?

Cool, I just noticed when last at Bristol Zoo, on the advertising board about WPP there was a picture of Lions and Gorillas, so presumed they would move over.
 
I don't think anyone doubts Wild Place being open, but it is a very small collection at present

As is the zoo.

So what people mean is the loss of Lions, Gorillas and other species from Bristol, meaning 18 months will pass of people not seeing Bristol's main attractions and no guarantee they will all end up at Wild Place.

No there isn't a guarantee. The relocated zoo will in many ways be a new collection. The fact is that the Clifton site is closing. It isn't viable and it is no longer fit for purpose. So many of us love it and have precious memories and associations with it. I understand this is is painful, even traumatic for some but we must come to terms with the fact that this is happening, frankly we have had long enough now to do so.

I don't understand why people are slinging mud at Bristol Zoological Society over this and suggesting that the move is some kind of reckless whim which hasn't been properly thought out when there is currently no evidence to suggest this is the case.
 
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