News of the Bristol Zoo closure was posted this week as one of the UK’s oldest zoos will close its doors this September.
Bristol Zoo has been operating for 186 years and September 2022 will be the day it closes its doors for good.
The Bristol Zoological Society said Bristol Zoo Gardens will shut permanently on September 3 and will be moving to the site of the society’s wildlife park in South Gloucestershire.
The zoo has had an estimated 90 million visitors and has helped to save 175 species from extinction through various conservation programmes.
The site was decided to be sold after the second national lockdown as the zoo missed out on key revenue from the peak spring and summer months.
Declining visitor numbers were a factor before the pandemic but all is not lost.
The zoo has numerous events ahead of its closing date for people to enjoy the park before it closes for good and those events will be announced over the coming weeks.
Dr Justin Morris, the society’s chief executive, said:
“Bristol Zoo Gardens is a special place for so many people and we want to give them a after the move, parts of the site are due to be developed into housing, with the gardens themselves to be open to the public free of charge.
The children’s play area and theatre building will also be kept open as a community space for workshops and events.
The famous monkey temple will also be left standing, while the zoo’s entrance will be transformed into the “Clifton Conservation Hub” hosting the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project.
This is our legacy. Our way of guaranteeing that people throughout the Bristol area will still be able to enjoy the gardens for generations to come.
They will remain an important destination for people to visit and enjoy.”
The money from the sale of the site will be used to pay for the new Bristol Zoo.
The new Bristol zoo is set to open in 2024.
We were lucky to visit the zoo last year and it’s such a shame that its closing as the zoo itself was so picturesque and well maintained. The only issue we had during our visit was the rather small enclosure that housed the lions but other enclosures were absolutely superb with the Gorilla enclosure being a key highlight.
Check out our VLOG below:
