Bristol Zoo Project Bristol zoo project news 2025

GeeZee said:
What was more disappointing though was when BZ closed they seem to suggest that more animals were going to go to BZP/WP from BZ that has been the case.
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The latest short aerial video of the new build seems to show an empty moat still. I don't know how far along the indoor area is. Presumably even if the basic enclosure is complete the electrics like lighting/temperature control/heating etc has all got to be finished before they can move in. But even with the acknowledged finanial problems, this terribly slow development isn't what I'd expect from a zoo like Bristol. Its now reduced the gorilla keepers on video talking about being frightened by 'masked men' in the old grounds, it just seems so bizarre. I guess they must be going at the fastest rate now to complete it and prevent anymore of this unwanted and ridiculous publicity.

As to what animals were transferred, or not, I too was disappointed at the lack of species continued with. E.g. both the Asian Lions and Drills were dropped, as not being relevant to their overseas conservation projects/regions of focus. Seems a poor reason to me. The new zoo is, at least currently. a poor replacement for what the old one used to be in its heyday.
 
Pertinax said:
I've heard this 'non-news' bulletin repeated even on my local radio station this morning so its been taken up as 'news' by a lot of media outlets, probably just because the words 'gorillas' and 'old zoo' are contained in it.

To my knowledge the zoo is basically just mothballed, probably even rather overgrown in some parts? That they have to keep repeating the mantra that there are keepers in daily attendance to the gorillas' needs, plus visits by vets, researchers(?) et al. seems necessary under the circumstances to refute the wild suggestions of neglect, but generally some people will still think the worst and presume there is something shady about all this- there isn't, just a ridiculously long delay in rehousing them. Knowing they wanted them at the new zoo, couldn't they have started the build perhaps even before they closed, or at least when they did so? Whereas it was delayed for a long time afterwards, was this simply due to the over-riding shortfall in funds created by non-sale problems?

Now I know that obviously high spec. ape accomodation is very expensive and time consuming to build, but I still don't really understood the full reasons for the delay that caused this fiasco. While the weather was certainly perfect all this summer to speed up the building. They keep insisting the gorillas will move 'soon', currently it seems to be variously 'in a few weeks' or 'by the end of the year.' The latest aerial video seems to show the new outdoor area at least is not finished.
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They didn’t have the funds to do it before BZG closed and I believe the original plan was to close, have atleast the sale of the west car park be quick and construct as soon as possible, but the disruption from Clifton residents etc had delayed this

from what I saw on my last visit it looked as though to me it was just the moat needed to be filled up, a few finishing details on the house and finishing the wall divider which as much as they should’ve been done by now I doubt they’ll be much longer
 
Charles said:
They didn’t have the funds to do it before BZG closed and I believe the original plan was to close, have atleast the sale of the west car park be quick and construct as soon as possible, but the disruption from Clifton residents etc had delayed this

from what I saw on my last visit it looked as though to me it was just the moat needed to be filled up, a few finishing details on the house and finishing the wall divider which as much as they should’ve been done by now I doubt they’ll be much longer
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In response to a recent query on their FB page, which of course is bubbling with comments over this, and almost exclusively supportive, they now say they will move in the 'next couple of months' Originally I thought late summer, then maybe the autumn, now...?
 
Pertinax said:
In response to a recent query on their FB page, which of course is bubbling with comments over this, and almost exclusively supportive, they now say they will move in the 'next couple of months' Originally I thought late summer, then maybe the autumn, now...?
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There’s no point rushing the move, the housing / outside not being completely finished, and disturbing the gorillas with ongoing noise from continuous work.
 
polarbear said:
There’s no point rushing the move, the housing / outside not being completely finished, and disturbing the gorillas with ongoing noise from continuous work.
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Absolutely true. They won't risk that. I just dislike all this bad/ridiculous publicity this is generating, despite it being complete nonsense.
 
Pertinax said:
For the life of me I cannot understand why it has taken them so long to build the new Gorilla housing. It's now over three years since the zoo closed creating a situation I have never seen before, its quite bizarre. Of course these latest break -ins have produced more complete rubbish about neglect etc but more importantly it is yet more bad publicity for the Zoo, they don't need this. Why didn't they commence building earlier and couldn't they have completed it quicker. Is it simply down to cash and the impasse over the sale of the site?
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One reason for slowing up the ape complex was a building that was in the boundary of the new complex, earmarked to be demolished was held up because of nesting birds. However, Bristol Zoo project highlighted in this year's review, that over 357,000 visited the site in 2024 (which would have created a good revenue) ,so they were building up funds towards the new build. Plus, in my opinion, if the old site had been allowed to continue, the revenue from it, would have helped considerably, bearing in mind, very few animals were moved from there to the new site. My main concern, should there be any sort of problem when the Gorillas are moved, the antis and press will have a field day.
 
With the gorillas - it's nonsense the way that the media is portraying this situation.

The gorillas are being cared for the same as they were previously and are in the same facilities. The only real change is obviously that the zoo is closed, so there is no visitors. Something that I think we can liken to the pandemic and the lockdowns. So it's not anything new for the gorillas, albeit it's been three years now since they've seen actual visitors!

Will be interesting to see how they adapt back to visitors once they move to the new site; although it seems like they're still getting the occasional ones whilst still at the zoo..
 
Jambo said:
With the gorillas - it's nonsense the way that the media is portraying this situation.

The gorillas are being cared for the same as they were previously and are in the same facilities. The only real change is obviously that the zoo is closed, so there is no visitors. Something that I think we can liken to the pandemic and the lockdowns. So it's not anything new for the gorillas, albeit it's been three years now since they've seen actual visitors!

Will be interesting to see how they adapt back to visitors once they move to the new site; although it seems like they're still getting the occasional ones whilst still at the zoo..
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The problem with the print media nowadays is that they earn most of their revenue from click bait and so sensational headlines, that they’ve gathered for free from SM, are what they’re after instead of real stories.
 
Strathmorezoo said:
One reason for slowing up the ape complex was a building that was in the boundary of the new complex, earmarked to be demolished was held up because of nesting birds. However, Bristol Zoo project highlighted in this year's review, that over 357,000 visited the site in 2024 (which would have created a good revenue) ,so they were building up funds towards the new build. Plus, in my opinion, if the old site had been allowed to continue, the revenue from it, would have helped considerably, bearing in mind, very few animals were moved from there to the new site. My main concern, should there be any sort of problem when the Gorillas are moved, the antis and press will have a field day.
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I’d forgotten about the nesting birds holding up the start of the build.

Bristol probably couldn’t have afforded to keep the zoo open, which is why it closed when it did; there definitely would have been mass redundancies if they had, which they just had another round of.

It would have been nice to have a longer hand over to the new site with BZG still open but costs probably wouldn’t have allowed it and then maybe we would have lost both sites for good?
 
polarbear said:
I’d forgotten about the nesting birds holding up the start of the
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I seem to remember that related to the parrot aviary and wasn't connected with the construction of the gorilla area. But it's one reason at least why they said they've postponed the opening of the whole area until next year.
 
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Jambo said:
With the gorillas - it's nonsense the way that the media is portraying this situation.

The gorillas are being cared for the same as they were previously and are in the same facilities. The only real change is obviously that the zoo is closed, so there is no visitors. Something that I think we can liken to the pandemic and the lockdowns. So it's not anything new for the gorillas, albeit it's been three years now since they've seen actual visitors!

Will be interesting to see how they adapt back to visitors once they move to the new site; although it seems like they're still getting the occasional ones whilst still at the zoo..
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It's almost headline news now. You can see how it multiplies from just an original local source.source. The people who make these stupid allegations in the first place must be completely senseless. How do they think the animals have survived for the past three years? A quick search would help them discover new quarters are being built at the other site too.

I saw a note by a member of staff in response to accusations the gorillas are missing visitors, to the effect that the gorillas 'don't care if they see five people or five hundred, they are far more focused on their own social community'. Absulutely true and why I don't envisage any problem with them seeing large numbers of visitors again when they finally do so. Though the zoo has said they will need to 'gradually' introduce them I don't think that is actually necessary at all but it sounds good. They will take a bit of time to get used to new surroundings though.
 
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GeeZee said:
What was more disappointing though was when BZ closed they seem to suggest that more animals were going to go to BZP/WP from BZ that has been the case.
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While I think the ongoing Gorilla saga is largely down to the idiotic legal challenges against the redevelopment of the zoo/idiots breaking into the zoo and causing ill-informed outrage online. The zoo can definitely be blamed for the widespread view in Bristol that more animals were meant to be transferring across. I've lost count of the amount of people I've spoken to who thought a good number of the animals were moving and the zoo in it's communications was quite happy to let people think that when it was initially closing down as part of the tactic of trying to dampen any local opposition.
 
Gulls86 said:
While I think the ongoing Gorilla saga is largely down to the idiotic legal challenges against the redevelopment of the zoo/idiots breaking into the zoo and causing ill-informed outrage online. The zoo can definitely be blamed for the widespread view in Bristol that more animals were meant to be transferring across. I've lost count of the amount of people I've spoken to who thought a good number of the animals were moving and the zoo in it's communications was quite happy to let people think that when it was initially closing down as part of the tactic of trying to dampen any local opposition.
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I think had they known how much disruption the legal challenges would’ve created they probably would’ve kept more animals

I remember initially but this was before any plans, they did say they’d keep a majority.

as much as they can’t change the past I always thought it would’ve been nice to keep the tree kangaroos, spider monkeys and warty pigs (realistically)

I think obviously everyone wanted the lions and atleast for me I wanted the Pygmy hippos to go there but even just those species I listed prior would’ve dampened the “it’s got none of the original animals”
 
I wonder when the outcome of the Judicial review from May will be released? In the midst of this latest round of ridiculous(and bad) publicity for the zoo, the state of play over the sale still seems as unclear as ever.
 
LittleRavenwood said:
What species does the tropical house contain?
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Definitely radiated tortoise as they were in the Instagram teaser, other then that not too sure, there’s a list earlier in the news thread of what was there when they did the soft launch earlier in the year but I’m unsure if the birds will be the same ones or not
 
There will almost certainly be Bleeding Heart Doves, as there was signage for them when I walked through it a fortnight ago. The layout suggests something of Chevrotain or Agouti size on the ground. It’s nicely done but isn’t huge, so I think it’ll only hold a few species comfortably.
 
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