Much like my London zoo review this was my first visit to bristol zoo (just got back) and I hope this to be a somewhat accurate and informative review.
After arriving on the basic car park (leased by the zoo from Bristol city council and so a £2 charge applies) we headed along the walk to the splendid entrance, a statley-looking building giving a grand entrance to the equally splendid zoo. Firstly we came to the large cage for javan langurs, the sqaure shaped cage was viewed through glass at visitor level, rocks, a pool and various climbing equipment field the enclosure. My only negative against this enclosure was a lack of vegetation (i think bamboo and other shrubs would do well here). Continuing along to the flamingo pool, this could so easily be a basic pool like so many other zoos But bristol has gone out of its way to make this a walkthrough enclosure completed with egrets, avocets and red breasted geese the walkthrough enclosure is so much more intimate than other types of enclosure creating a far better visitor experience. The enclosure itself was based around a large pool for the flamingo with ample vegetation. We carried along to the long, narrow asiatic lion enclosure. this is primarily experienced from beneath a canopy (which was very much appreciated given the rain
) The enclsoures are very well landscaped with much vegetation and wooden climbing structures. The enclosure has a mesh roof, and is split into two. normally the lions have access to both. In this case the lions were asleep for the entire day in the smaller of the two enclosures. The covered path leads down the side of the lion enclosure to the night zone, but opposite the lions on the other side of the path is a large glass fronted avairy for kea. The four kea looked quite small in their huge avairy.
The night zone is positvely the best nocturnal exhibit I have seen (ranking above london, chester and newquay...the ones I've seen
) None of the enclosures were infested with mice (as I have previously seen) and the animals were amazingly active! the group of sand cats had an excellent enclosure which was well lit. Pygmy slow loris were unusually active and making a wonderful display right in front of the viewing glass (it was far easier to see them here then in London). Malgasy jumping giant rats shared an exhibit with the tiny grey mouse lemurs (who were'a homping and bumping all over the place! 
) The two aye-aye's were the most active I've ever had the pleasure of seeing and gathered a worshiping crowd. Sugar gliders shared with Long nosed potoroo. Super-active sloths shared with six banded armadillo and owl monkeys. All of these enclosures had a glass front and all were great. Next section in the night zone is in the form of quaint house complete with mice infested microwaves, cupboards and food stores.....Oooh I forgot to mention the merriams kanagroo rat clearly visible hopping around.
Outside the night zone is a huge walk through vaairy for Livingstones fruit bat (who made a brave appearance dispite the rain
) the avairy spans a large area and is also very tall, Inside the avairy the visitors have the opportunity to see them indoors. Outisde the vaairy is the red panda enclosure . although fanastic for the red pandas, having mature live trees and a range of vegetation, the viewing for the public was rather obstructed by the mesh and the glass together (as well as the house being in an awkward place). Towards the reptile hosue is a nice enclosure for gaint tortoise and rhinocerous iguana. the reptile house itself is a really nice house with a real gem of a collection. The house is sort of in two parts; The first is long and narrow with glass enclosures jutting out form the regal brick and stone walls, an amphibian area shows a varuety of poison dart frogs and the breeding efforts being practised at the zoo concerning the turtles and tortoises. The second part is much taller and not very wide (like a rainforest hall) here huge geoffrey's side necked turtles swim along side large fish. The enclosures here are a variety of shapes and sizes, all around the central enclosure for west african dwarf crocodiles (unfortunatley coins were visible in the pool 
) Gems in this collection include Black marsh turtle, Mountain chicken, Dwraf croc and Trinidad stream frog.
Thats all for now, (I know, Its long winded!!!)
coming up in Part 2: the aquarium, Monkey Jungle, Gorillas and Okapi!
To Be Continued....
After arriving on the basic car park (leased by the zoo from Bristol city council and so a £2 charge applies) we headed along the walk to the splendid entrance, a statley-looking building giving a grand entrance to the equally splendid zoo. Firstly we came to the large cage for javan langurs, the sqaure shaped cage was viewed through glass at visitor level, rocks, a pool and various climbing equipment field the enclosure. My only negative against this enclosure was a lack of vegetation (i think bamboo and other shrubs would do well here). Continuing along to the flamingo pool, this could so easily be a basic pool like so many other zoos But bristol has gone out of its way to make this a walkthrough enclosure completed with egrets, avocets and red breasted geese the walkthrough enclosure is so much more intimate than other types of enclosure creating a far better visitor experience. The enclosure itself was based around a large pool for the flamingo with ample vegetation. We carried along to the long, narrow asiatic lion enclosure. this is primarily experienced from beneath a canopy (which was very much appreciated given the rain
) The enclsoures are very well landscaped with much vegetation and wooden climbing structures. The enclosure has a mesh roof, and is split into two. normally the lions have access to both. In this case the lions were asleep for the entire day in the smaller of the two enclosures. The covered path leads down the side of the lion enclosure to the night zone, but opposite the lions on the other side of the path is a large glass fronted avairy for kea. The four kea looked quite small in their huge avairy.The night zone is positvely the best nocturnal exhibit I have seen (ranking above london, chester and newquay...the ones I've seen
) None of the enclosures were infested with mice (as I have previously seen) and the animals were amazingly active! the group of sand cats had an excellent enclosure which was well lit. Pygmy slow loris were unusually active and making a wonderful display right in front of the viewing glass (it was far easier to see them here then in London). Malgasy jumping giant rats shared an exhibit with the tiny grey mouse lemurs (who were'a homping and bumping all over the place! ) The two aye-aye's were the most active I've ever had the pleasure of seeing and gathered a worshiping crowd. Sugar gliders shared with Long nosed potoroo. Super-active sloths shared with six banded armadillo and owl monkeys. All of these enclosures had a glass front and all were great. Next section in the night zone is in the form of quaint house complete with mice infested microwaves, cupboards and food stores.....Oooh I forgot to mention the merriams kanagroo rat clearly visible hopping around.Outside the night zone is a huge walk through vaairy for Livingstones fruit bat (who made a brave appearance dispite the rain
) the avairy spans a large area and is also very tall, Inside the avairy the visitors have the opportunity to see them indoors. Outisde the vaairy is the red panda enclosure . although fanastic for the red pandas, having mature live trees and a range of vegetation, the viewing for the public was rather obstructed by the mesh and the glass together (as well as the house being in an awkward place). Towards the reptile hosue is a nice enclosure for gaint tortoise and rhinocerous iguana. the reptile house itself is a really nice house with a real gem of a collection. The house is sort of in two parts; The first is long and narrow with glass enclosures jutting out form the regal brick and stone walls, an amphibian area shows a varuety of poison dart frogs and the breeding efforts being practised at the zoo concerning the turtles and tortoises. The second part is much taller and not very wide (like a rainforest hall) here huge geoffrey's side necked turtles swim along side large fish. The enclosures here are a variety of shapes and sizes, all around the central enclosure for west african dwarf crocodiles (unfortunatley coins were visible in the pool ) Gems in this collection include Black marsh turtle, Mountain chicken, Dwraf croc and Trinidad stream frog.Thats all for now, (I know, Its long winded!!!)
coming up in Part 2: the aquarium, Monkey Jungle, Gorillas and Okapi!
To Be Continued....
