littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
He must be right, he's posted it in two threadsUnless you're older than you have claimed, you didn'tas they definitely didn't have a road train at the zoo in the early 2010s when I first visited!
Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo News 2022
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The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
“ I think will be completed around the middle of the phase one as it isn’t as much work as the Rhinos and the buildings“
@Charles I 100% agree. Out of all the species moving to Wild Place the Gorillas will be the easiest. The area where they’re going to live is already there. It formally housed Wolfs. Although a lot of modifications need to be made at last it’s partly built. The other species to arrive in totality new enclosures. I expect that create training has already begun in preparation for the Gorillas move.
@Charles I 100% agree. Out of all the species moving to Wild Place the Gorillas will be the easiest. The area where they’re going to live is already there. It formally housed Wolfs. Although a lot of modifications need to be made at last it’s partly built. The other species to arrive in totality new enclosures. I expect that create training has already begun in preparation for the Gorillas move.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
They need to build a Gorilla House, and create the exhibit, for the African Forest Exhibits. They have already said Wild Place Rebranded for Bristol Zoo will not open until the summer of 2024 and they have already said that work on phase one can't start until the West Car Park area of Bristol Zoo has been sold. As they need this funding to start the builds.
People need to stop thinking that loads is going to happen quickly. The Gorillas will move over when their exhibit is built and complete, but this isn't going to be in a matter of months. A lot of staff at Bristol have jobs until January to help with the dispersal of most species and the reality is, planning will not even be granted on the Bristol Zoo site until the end of this year at the earliest, so only then will it be sold. I would be surprised if any building work starts at Wild Place until the summer of next year.
We know the species they plan to have in phase one, and they have been open with that, and they plan to grow the Zoo over time, as and when funds become available from the sale of the Clifton site, which matches the planning they are going for. The Zoo is not yet sold, and they aren't intending to sell it, until planning is in place, as they don't want a developer to come in and just do what they want.
The New Bristol Zoo will be very themed, with Congo and Cameroon as the initial areas, then Madagascar from what they have said, so I think people have to take note of this and not expect anything major quickly.
I like anyone, would love to see a massive zoo, with lots of species, but it wont happen any time soon.
The Clifton site, will take time for planning to be completed, then for it to be sold, until the West Car Park is sold, they wont be able to do anything at Wild Place.
I think it's most likely the Gorilla's will be at Clifton for some time, moving over in the Spring of 2024 and allowed to settle in before the Zoo opens as the rebranded Bristol Zoo in the summer of 2024.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I was there today, for the first and final time. Considering it is a small site, all of the enclosures and displays are of a really high standard, maybe London could learn something from them, with the likes of the reptile house, aquarium, and seal and Penguin coasts. Personal highlights for me were the Gorillas and some very active Red Pandas, and despite only being there for the last 2 hours, I think I was able to experience the emotion and stature of Bristol Zoo in it's closing 2 hours well. It was probably the most busiest I've ever seen a zoo, and people were far from leaving even just 5 minutes before closing time. And don't even ask about the shop queue as people were making there way out...
I also overheard people talking about returning to the zoo after many years, upon hearing the recent headlines of the Clifton site's imminent closure. To add to the emotion, as everyone filtered out of the zoo, there was a ceremony of sorts involving a plaque marking the closing of the zoo after 186 years, and thanking and congratulating of staff members and other individuals. The plaque was placed on the front of the entrance building, but later removed by staff when visitors dispersed. There seemed to be a lot of media attention there so I'm sure some of you will have seen what happened already, but I have many photos of the event just in case. It is surely a very sad day for British zoos today.
Please explain comment.Because of course it was
Thanks for relating the actual experience of being there when it actually closed. Very interesting to get a firsthand report. I'm sure there was a great deal of emotion and nostalgia in the air. But I've also made a comment on the 'Remembering Bristol Zoo' thread about how this contrasts with what appears to have been the failing attendances at the zoo in recent years, one of the reasons that its closed.
?Because of course it was
littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
someone took it as a souvenir
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
Well yes, I think it was removed to stop it from being stolen or vandalised when everyone left.
I agree with most of that but would say London's penguin exhibit is superior to Bristol's and the plans for the new reptile house are well woth a look (possibly better from a conservation than visitor perspective, though). There is a difference in crowdedness at the two sites though and the seal/penguin development at Bristol would never have coped with the crowds at London.
It's going back up today I believe - it was put up temporarily for photos, but will be fixed to the wall securely now. I hope...
For anyone interested there's video of the actual closure now. Very simple, with clapping, cheering and smiles, but no speeches. They put up the plaque and the staff pose for photos. Then the final three visitors leave the shop- a bit choreographed I think, with the very last one being a lady on a mobility scooter- then the staff go back in and the doors slide shut for the final time...after visits spanning very nearly 70 years I found it quite emotional too....
Perhaps you could show us where this video is ?
I can't do links but just search 'Bristol Zoo last visitors leave' or similar. It was in the Independent newspaper too.
Also a quite good report in Bristol Zoo staff chant three 'hip hip hoorays' and pose for photo as zoo closes after 186 years | Daily Mail Online
This also shows the plaque mentioned earlier in this thread. allenmasky is of course correct in saying that the plaque was only temporarily displayed on the gate for photos to be taken; it was then removed to be permanently properly fixed at a later date. I too was there and thought that the closure, and the run up to closure, had been well managed by the Zoo. The irony is that had attendances been as good through the past few years than they have been in recent days, the Zoo would not have needed to close.