Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol zoo Review
- Thread starter foz
- Start date
Part 5
The final part! First we’ll talk about the aviaries, by zona brazil and the cassowary enclosure is a large round enclosure that is split into two or three parts. Housing a variety of species including Mindanao bleeding heart dove. The aviaries are large but barer than other aviaries, on the plus side this gives the birds more room to fly than the other aviaries. At the centre of the round aviary is the house for the birds. There is no standoff barrier between the visitor path and the aviary mesh but this makes it more intimate for the visitors. Large bushes cover some parts of the aviary giving the birds more privacy and it means that you could see one bird and have to go to the other side of the aviary to see other birds in the same cage. A series of small cages can be found around the cassowary enclosure and the butterfly house. Generally these cages are rectangular in shape and house a variety of birds such as tarictic hornbill (also found in forest birds), mellers duck and Palawan peacock pheasant. The cages are very well planted but this makes viewing quite challenging, although this seems to give high levels of privacy to the birds. The aviaries are not particularly high but of an average size overall……. The range of species is far more interesting than the aviary design.
At this point during the trip we decided to go back and do the lemurs, bug world and various for other thing going on. So right now: Bug world! Bug world is found on the upper level of the café and must be the best invertebrate exhibit in the UK. Bug world consists of several halls for invertebrates of different biomes for example desert, tropical jungle and ocean. First hall is the tropical rainforest and includes giant stick insects, turantulas, sun beetles, partula snail and leaf cutter ants there is appropriate mural and themed according to the biome. Next is the desert zone including, at its centre, a tank housing locust in which the visitor can go into a tunnel underneath the locust and into the centre of the enclosure (its quite hard to explain, its not a bubble, think of it like a doughnut), also in the desert zone is the tiny jewelled wasp and bush mantis. Next biome is the ocean area showing urchins, lobsters and hermit crabs (I think there may have been more), I thought this was a really nice way of explaining that Lobsters and crabs are bugs as well as spiders and centipedes. Typically the bugs are viewed in glass tanks in the wall. There is another zone (I think it might be a house) in which there is the black widow spider exhibit in a toilet! What an innovative and fun exhibit captivating young minds and educating. Also in this section is meal worms and cockroches. There is a large window behind which is a variety of drugs and medicine (mainly historical) made from bugs. Giant millipede, bird eating spider, mantis all have tanks here. Also here by the black widow spiders is a bee hive in which the bees have access to the outside via glass tubes. This is a really good way of showing a working hive. Leaving bug world you have to travel down a long light corridor on the walls are the plans for the new zoo outside Bristol. Overall this was a fantastic invertebrate exhibit, with innovative designs, educative displays and variety of species.
Next we travelled down to the butterfly house. From the Bug house we travelled down the beautifully planted terrace highlighting the beauty of the zoo and the hard work of the gardeners. Anyway the butterfly house, Basically it is a large polytunnel well planted and housing a nice variety. A member of staff is on hand to help visitors and keep the order (makes them sound like police!) Loads of glass wings butterflies flutter in and out of the tropical foliage with a few other butterflies visible on the feeders. I thought this was a good exhibit thought the variety of species was a little disappointing. Exiting the butterfly house we went round the herbaceous border (marked on the map) quite easy to miss is a series of aviaries tucked away beneath the shade of growing trees. Pink pigeon (a no-show), red ruffed lemur and mongoose lemur were here. This brings the total lemur collection at Bristol to and impressive 6 (ring tail, mongoose, Aloatran gentle lemur, grey mouse lemur, aye-aye, red ruffed lemur). Next to the aviaries is a small enclosure for pudu, this is very well planted and had a variety of features; tufts of grass, small mounds and thickets of bamboo. Unfortunately the pudu were also a no-show.
Well I think that’s It, I hope people have enjoyed the review (despite it spanning 5 large posts!)
The final part! First we’ll talk about the aviaries, by zona brazil and the cassowary enclosure is a large round enclosure that is split into two or three parts. Housing a variety of species including Mindanao bleeding heart dove. The aviaries are large but barer than other aviaries, on the plus side this gives the birds more room to fly than the other aviaries. At the centre of the round aviary is the house for the birds. There is no standoff barrier between the visitor path and the aviary mesh but this makes it more intimate for the visitors. Large bushes cover some parts of the aviary giving the birds more privacy and it means that you could see one bird and have to go to the other side of the aviary to see other birds in the same cage. A series of small cages can be found around the cassowary enclosure and the butterfly house. Generally these cages are rectangular in shape and house a variety of birds such as tarictic hornbill (also found in forest birds), mellers duck and Palawan peacock pheasant. The cages are very well planted but this makes viewing quite challenging, although this seems to give high levels of privacy to the birds. The aviaries are not particularly high but of an average size overall……. The range of species is far more interesting than the aviary design.
At this point during the trip we decided to go back and do the lemurs, bug world and various for other thing going on. So right now: Bug world! Bug world is found on the upper level of the café and must be the best invertebrate exhibit in the UK. Bug world consists of several halls for invertebrates of different biomes for example desert, tropical jungle and ocean. First hall is the tropical rainforest and includes giant stick insects, turantulas, sun beetles, partula snail and leaf cutter ants there is appropriate mural and themed according to the biome. Next is the desert zone including, at its centre, a tank housing locust in which the visitor can go into a tunnel underneath the locust and into the centre of the enclosure (its quite hard to explain, its not a bubble, think of it like a doughnut), also in the desert zone is the tiny jewelled wasp and bush mantis. Next biome is the ocean area showing urchins, lobsters and hermit crabs (I think there may have been more), I thought this was a really nice way of explaining that Lobsters and crabs are bugs as well as spiders and centipedes. Typically the bugs are viewed in glass tanks in the wall. There is another zone (I think it might be a house) in which there is the black widow spider exhibit in a toilet! What an innovative and fun exhibit captivating young minds and educating. Also in this section is meal worms and cockroches. There is a large window behind which is a variety of drugs and medicine (mainly historical) made from bugs. Giant millipede, bird eating spider, mantis all have tanks here. Also here by the black widow spiders is a bee hive in which the bees have access to the outside via glass tubes. This is a really good way of showing a working hive. Leaving bug world you have to travel down a long light corridor on the walls are the plans for the new zoo outside Bristol. Overall this was a fantastic invertebrate exhibit, with innovative designs, educative displays and variety of species.
Next we travelled down to the butterfly house. From the Bug house we travelled down the beautifully planted terrace highlighting the beauty of the zoo and the hard work of the gardeners. Anyway the butterfly house, Basically it is a large polytunnel well planted and housing a nice variety. A member of staff is on hand to help visitors and keep the order (makes them sound like police!) Loads of glass wings butterflies flutter in and out of the tropical foliage with a few other butterflies visible on the feeders. I thought this was a good exhibit thought the variety of species was a little disappointing. Exiting the butterfly house we went round the herbaceous border (marked on the map) quite easy to miss is a series of aviaries tucked away beneath the shade of growing trees. Pink pigeon (a no-show), red ruffed lemur and mongoose lemur were here. This brings the total lemur collection at Bristol to and impressive 6 (ring tail, mongoose, Aloatran gentle lemur, grey mouse lemur, aye-aye, red ruffed lemur). Next to the aviaries is a small enclosure for pudu, this is very well planted and had a variety of features; tufts of grass, small mounds and thickets of bamboo. Unfortunately the pudu were also a no-show.
Well I think that’s It, I hope people have enjoyed the review (despite it spanning 5 large posts!)
Enjoyed your review very much Foz . Bristol Zoo has changed enormously - for the good - over the 50 odd years I have been visiting on a fairly regular basis . Only a few of the old buildings remain and most of these have being modified several times over the years .
The Bird House in the centre has housed birds for many years but my earliest memories are of lots of very noisy parrots tethered to perches ( the first Nocturnal House was also in there ) . The Aquarium is on the site of the original but only the old entrance remains .The pudu enclosure is where the penguins were with the pool filled in , and the outside area of Zona Brasil is the old Sea-lion pool ( dens area still visible ) .
Personally I think BUGS at Regent's Park to be a better - and more comprehensive - invertebrate collection .
The Bird House in the centre has housed birds for many years but my earliest memories are of lots of very noisy parrots tethered to perches ( the first Nocturnal House was also in there ) . The Aquarium is on the site of the original but only the old entrance remains .The pudu enclosure is where the penguins were with the pool filled in , and the outside area of Zona Brasil is the old Sea-lion pool ( dens area still visible ) .
Personally I think BUGS at Regent's Park to be a better - and more comprehensive - invertebrate collection .
Perhaps, but although a fantastic exhibit BUGS was more focussed on specific threats to species and examples of biodiversity (not that this is a bad thing at all) and just sort of happens to have a lot of invetebrates as well as species such as bali starling and golden headed lion tamarin. Bug world at bristol was much more educational showing bugs in different habitats and explaining conservation of bugs and innovative display.
One thing sturck me about Bristol was that even the tiniest enclosure for the drabbist animal is planned to the smallest detail.
The Bird House (with all the poor parrots chained to their perches as was the custom in those days
) also had indoor only cages for both Ringtailed & Black & Mongoose Lemurs along one wall(the West one)The Nocturnal House was accessed around the back by the Zoo Office building. It had heavy double swingdoors. There were Kinkajous and Genets that I can remember and a very pungent smell.
karenZOO
Well-Known Member
Great review feels like I have already been popping up to bristol after our week in devon (only a few hundreds mile out of our way 
(then doing the West Midlands !)
Think I will print this off so I don't miss anything or did you just follow the set route?
(Am i the only one that does these 'cheetah running speed measurers' at zoos I always do themin bionic man style in slow motion )
popping up to bristol after our week in devon (only a few hundreds mile out of our way (then doing the West Midlands !)
Think I will print this off so I don't miss anything or did you just follow the set route?
(Am i the only one that does these 'cheetah running speed measurers' at zoos
I always do themin bionic man style in slow motion )Great review feels like I have already been
(then doing the West Midlands !)
Think I will print this off so I don't miss anything or did you just follow the set route?
No set route, just trying to cram everything in
we arrived at 10 and left half an hour before closing (5.30). Glad you enjoyed the review 
I realise that this was the pool, but where/what are the dens you can still see? Can't say I've ever noticed them.
From memory , there is a wall on the right-hand side as you come out from the covered area , by the Amazon parrot aviary . I think this was the area at the back of the land area of the original enclosure where the den entrances were . This was my interpretation from the picture in my mind of the old enclosure . Can any-one confirm this ?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on that as the location to the dens.
I forgot to mention one or two things:
- a few of the signs in the nocturnal section of the zoo didn't have any light of their own, subsequently they were impossible to read!
- There are also some amazon parots in zona brazil and the tapir house is also part of the building running the length of the casssowary enclosure
- There are also turantula and aruba island rattlesnake in the nocturnal house
- there was a very cute baby fur seal
- I asked the keeper about the little blue penguin (as I couldn't spot him/her anywhere) and apparently it was sulking in the dunes of the enclosure.
- I never saw any glass banging or feeding by the public
... Oh and would rate Bristol above and beyond London zoo anyday.
- a few of the signs in the nocturnal section of the zoo didn't have any light of their own, subsequently they were impossible to read!
- There are also some amazon parots in zona brazil and the tapir house is also part of the building running the length of the casssowary enclosure
- There are also turantula and aruba island rattlesnake in the nocturnal house
- there was a very cute baby fur seal
- I asked the keeper about the little blue penguin (as I couldn't spot him/her anywhere) and apparently it was sulking in the dunes of the enclosure.
- I never saw any glass banging or feeding by the public
... Oh and would rate Bristol above and beyond London zoo anyday.
just browsing through the older threads and came across this one. Excellent review of Bristol Zoo...it really makes me want to get over there and visit it!
Thank you Chlidonias, I think that Bristol can get overlooked and underated on zxoochat. perhaps this is due to the lack of large popular species (elephants, rhino, giraffes etc)??
adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Totally agree about Bristol I think it's a great zoo.
A zoo doesn't have to have the ABC's to be a great zoo but sadly there are many more small collections that get over looked for not having them.
A zoo doesn't have to have the ABC's to be a great zoo but sadly there are many more small collections that get over looked for not having them.