Bristol Zoo (Closed) Remembering Bristol Zoo Gardens

Charles said:
I just wanted to make a thread ahead of the closure where people could share memories, Bristol is very close to my heart and I’d really like to hear everyone’s good memories
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Sorry I didn’t realise this thread existed

I think my favourite memories of going to Bristol zoo were going each weekend with my mum, she was going to get rid of our membership and I said I wanted to go and we kept going, I miss the atmosphere it had when it had all the different avairies, when zona Brazil was open and it really felt unique and when they had the Pygmy hippos and just everything about it, I feel emotional that it is being moved as Bristol zoo gardens is my happy place and i wish It could stay open but It can’t sadly
 
I only visited for the first time in 2012.

My favourite memory's of that first visit included seeing the Aye-Aye (first time I'd seen the species) in the Nocturnal House. They are still one of my favourite species today. I loved the Seal and Penguin Coasts enclosure as well. I took a photo of an Inca Tern in flight that day and still have it printed onto a canvas.

In 2014, I couldn't get to sleep one night and decided at 4am to give up and instead go and see the Aye-Aye at Bristol instead. So I caught a train at around 5am and did just that. I got to the zoo for opening, saw them before the lights were turned off and had a lovely day seeing the rest of the zoo before returning home exhausted that evening.
 
taun said:
It is worrying how much data they collect on people, as without googling Bristol zoo recently and only reading topics on here a lot the last few days this video came up on recommended youtube videos.

A very interesting watch considering I did not make a trip to this zoo until 40 years after this! (ok wasn't born for half that time).
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This Pathe film of 1965 shows the Bristol Zoo that I was familiar with as a child. So for me, the Bristol Zoo I have fond memories of has already long gone. Most of the changes over recent decades are fully understandable, but the nibbling away of the lawns lost the spacious feeling that the Zoo once had. Taun's future memories of Bristol Zoo will be quite different to mine . Interestingly the areas that are intended to be retained to feature in the proposed new development will mainly be parts of the Zoo that could be seen in the first half of the 20th century, and not much retained from the period since. So future generations will see little that reflects the significant changes in the Zoo that happened in the last 50 years or so.

How many Zoo Chatters will be going to the Zoo on the last day?
 
zooboy said:
This Pathe film of 1965 shows the Bristol Zoo that I was familiar with as a child. So for me, the Bristol Zoo I have fond memories of has already long gone. Most of the changes over recent decades are fully understandable, but the nibbling away of the lawns lost the spacious feeling that the Zoo once had. Taun's future memories of Bristol Zoo will be quite different to mine . Interestingly the areas that are intended to be retained to feature in the proposed new development will mainly be parts of the Zoo that could be seen in the first half of the 20th century, and not much retained from the period since. So future generations will see little that reflects the significant changes in the Zoo that happened in the last 50 years or so.

How many Zoo Chatters will be going to the Zoo on the last day?
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I’m going on the last day
 
pipaluk said:
I paid my last (depressing) visit in May,. Said my last goodbye to the zoo that gave me white tiger and Okapi plus baby gorilla for the first time
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My last visit (I think it was last winter) was similarly rather depressing and I won't return now. First went there circa 1957!
 
I have sadly only visited five times in my life. The first of these was in 2015, and it was a very memorable visit that gave me the likes of Eastern Quoll, Kowari, Fur Seal and Mississippi Paddlefish. I fell in love with almost everything about the place; its emphasis on the smaller species, its beautiful botanical department and its rich history all came together to create a zoo that makes better use of a small area than just about any other. Even though I live very far away, I have grandparents in Somerset, who I visit very often, so I made a point of returning to Clifton and its zoo as often as possible. I have visited with several family members and even though I didn't get to visit as often as I would have liked, I like to think of it as being a third home zoo to me. It is certainly responsible for more fond memories than any but my home zoos, and it will be sad to see it go.
 
I remember liking this place very much when I first went in 2017... the Twilight World was always my favourite bit of the zoo - full of unusual marsupials and other animals ! The quolls were nice to see very much. I also saw for the first time there ground-cuscus, aye-aye, kowari, and maybe a few others I forgot.. the 'house' section was a nice touch, I very much liked its aesthetic.. quite a pity I could not relive it when I went this year.
My visit this year was pleasant - but of course tinted with something bittersweet, knowing that I would not return to this collection afterwards - the enclosures were well-done for what they were - the golden lion-tamarins a nice highlight! But at least Marwell has a pair now - so if I am desperate to see one, hopefully Marwell will deliver to that degree.
But it is rather surreal - now, only two days remain before the Zoo, as it has been known for over 200 years, will cease to exist completely. There is sadness, of course, I still like this zoo quite much, but with its 'sister' site being over 11 times its current size, it is something of a wonder it wasn't usurped by that place much sooner. And so, I have hope that in 2024, I will enjoy my visit to what is now the new zoo of Bristol, close as my memories of what came before will remain.
 
dillotest0 said:
But it is rather surreal - now, only two days remain before the Zoo, as it has been known for over 200 years, will cease to exist completely.
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Bristol Zoo actually opened in 1836 so it's not quite 200 years old...
 
I visited many times on Paignton & Twycross memberships before they ceased the arrangement. Highlights were being able to walk from the city centre and being able to link run training (downs) with a visit. Collection highlights were Aye-Aye, Drill, Okapi, Blue Penguin, Kea and Tree Kangaroo. I’m really excited about the transition of Wild Place to something bigger & better.
 
TriUK said:
I visited many times on Paignton & Twycross memberships before they ceased the arrangement. Highlights were being able to walk from the city centre and being able to link run training (downs) with a visit. Collection highlights were Aye-Aye, Drill, Okapi, Blue Penguin, Kea and Tree Kangaroo. I’m really excited about the transition of Wild Place to something bigger & better.
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I really hope thats the case. I love Bristol Zoo, and its sad its closing, and personally I wished it wasn't. I don't however enjoy Wild Place as there just isn't enough there, and the 3/4 species moving over doesn't inspire me to think the new "Bristol Zoo" will be all singing and dancing.

I really hope it is, as the size of Wild Place, means they could have some very smart exhibits and species, but I guess only time will tell.

I personally will miss the Tree Kangaroo the most of what's left at Bristol.
 
I have only been to Bristol Zoo once, a fair few years ago now (Seal & Penguin Coasts had recently opened) but I felt I had to write something on the eve of the closure of Bristol Zoo.

It wasn’t the nicest day unfortunately, it rained constantly, however I feel incredibly privileged to have visited such a historic site. Seal & Penguin Coasts was utterly fantastic and I absolutely loved the Aquarium and Nocturnal House. My memories are not great as I was pretty young but I remember Wendy the Elephant in her indoor quarters opposite the Gorillas (who looked about as fed up with the weather as we all were!).

Being a massive fan and supporter of the work British zoos do, I am excited about the plans for the new Bristol Zoo, but I can’t help but think of all the memories and all the people who experienced wildlife for the first time by walking through the gates. All the childhood memories, all the parents who now took there children or all the grandparents who took there grandchildren. Its an incredibly sad time, but the future looks exciting for the new Bristol Zoo.

I didn’t know you well, and I only visited once, but thank you. Thank you Bristol Zoo.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
I don't however enjoy Wild Place as there just isn't enough there, and the 3/4 species moving over doesn't inspire me to think the new "Bristol Zoo" will be all singing and dancing.

I really hope it is, as the size of Wild Place, means they could have some very smart exhibits and species, but I guess only time will tell.
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I think the 'new zoo' will be very different to the old one. It will feel far more like a 'wildlife park' and lack the richness/diversity of species the old zoo has still had even in its dying days. I'm not expecting it to be similar at all and may take many years to establish properly I think.
 
Pertinax said:
I think the 'new zoo' will be very different to the old one. It will feel far more like a 'wildlife park' and lack the richness/diversity of species the old zoo has still had even in its dying days. I'm not expecting it to be similar at all and may take many years to establish properly I think.
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My thoughts exactly. I will wish the diversity and many rarities of the Gardens, but some new developments seem exciting. There is also going to be a definite emphasis on conservation, as one of their listed developments, the 'Conservation Breeding Centre,' is housing 19 Critically Endangered species as well as several others that are listed as Vulnerable, Endangered or even Extinct in the Wild. Most of these species seem to be coming from Clifton, and some of them, like the White-clawed Crayfish (Bristol Zoo Gardens), were already part of major conservation initiatives at Bristol Zoo.

Overall, I am really curious to see how the new Bristol Zoo will develop. I am cautiously optimistic, as I already enjoy Wild Place (I have only visited once, but it was incredibly fun) and some of the new developments look promising, but I also think that whatever happens, it will never quite be the same as the Clifton site.
 
I went for my last visit 3 days ago, it was very busy with lots of people reminiscing. One of the things I've enjoyed most about visiting Bristol Zoo over the years is that there was often something new to see, usually to be found in the nocturnal house, the reptile house, aquarium or bug house.
 
I visited on Wednesday and it was very crowded. I have visited since I was a child so can remember the polar bears and orang utans enclosures which were tiny. The reptile house, nocturnal house, seal/penguins exhibit and aquarium will be missed but the reduction in species and waste of space in areas like the tree kangaroo area mean it is hard to spend longer than a couple of hours there now. A real shame it is closing because it has great character still but I know it was too squashed before but there was so much more to see and the white tigers were a big draw when I was younger and the okapis.
 
It was a wonderful place to visit, I just wish I had had a few more times to go but I absolutely loved the layout and feel of the place. Twilight World was my favourite area to go to to try and spot the rare nocturnal mammals, even if it was almost pitch black in there at times and I really liked the Seal and Penguin Coasts and of course the Reptile House was definitely a highlight. Even just the gardens were beautiful to walk through and I would happily go there even just for that. I actually got photos there to use for my as photography exam including the seals, lions and red pandas. They managed to maintain a lot of species in a relatively small space but it was wonderful. I hope Wild Place has the chance to become a truly great experience with the history of Bristol's site backing it up.
 
An enjoyable but at the same time sad day today.
Was nice to see it so busy and staff so engaging putting on extra talks and feeds.
Few nice poignant moments at closing time with all staff clapped and a nice plaque put up on the front gate as it closed for the final time.
Queues for Butterfly, Reptile and Bug house were insane but it didn’t feel like 7000 there as they reported. But as the day went on, it felt sadder knowing this was the end.

hope anyone else who went had a lovely day.
 
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