The popular zoo first opened all the way back in 1836 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
There are many famous zoos across the UK, but one historic attraction that welcomed visitors for almost two centuries has shut its gates for good. The popular zoo first opened in 1836 and became home to around 10,000 animals.
Generations of families visited the attraction, which was once one of the UK’s best-known zoos and even appeared on television during the 1960s. But after more than 186 years, the zoo officially closed in September 2022 as part of a major redevelopment plan.
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The zoo was home to around 10,000 animals (Image: Getty)
That zoo was Bristol Zoo, formerly known as Bristol Zoological Gardens, in Clifton, Bristol.
The Victorian zoo was considered the world’s oldest provincial zoo and was located near Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Before it closed, the zoo housed around 300 mammals representing around 50 species, including gorillas, Asiatic lions, red pandas and Goodfellow’s tree-kangaroos.
Visitors could also see animals and exhibits rarely found elsewhere in the UK, including aye-ayes, quolls and Livingstone’s fruit bats.
The zoo featured several famous attractions, including Seal and Penguin Coasts, Gorilla Island, Monkey Jungle, Bug World and its Butterfly Forest.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh feeding a giraffe in Bristol Zoo in 2019 (Image: Getty)
Seal and Penguin Coasts became one of the zoo’s biggest attractions after opening in 1999.
It allowed visitors to watch African penguins and South American fur seals both above and below the water.
The zoo was also known for several breeding firsts. These included the first black rhino born in Britain in 1958, the first squirrel monkey born in captivity in 1953 and the first chimpanzee born in Europe in 1934.
In November 2020, Bristol Zoo announced that the Clifton site would close and that the animals would move to the Wild Place Project near the M5 motorway.
The zoo eventually closed for the final time on September 3, 2022.
The change was made to prioritise improved animal welfare, create larger natural habitats, and ensure long-term financial sustainability. The 12-acre Clifton site was considered too small for a modern, 21st-century conservation zoo.
Following the closure of Bristol Zoo, the Wild Place Project was rebranded as Bristol Zoo Project in 2023 and became the zoo’s new main site.
Bristol Zoo Project became the zoo’s new main site (Image: Bristol Zoo Project/Facebook)
The new Bristol Zoo Project in north Bristol includes areas such as Bear Wood, Benoué National Park and Discover Madagascar.
A new Central African Forest habitat for the gorillas has also recently opened.
The former zoo site in Clifton is now being redeveloped into a mixed-use area featuring 196 sustainable homes, including affordable housing.
However, parts of the historic gardens are expected to remain open to the public for free access.
Several listed buildings from the original zoo are also being preserved, including the entrance lodge, which is expected to become a café, exhibition space and community hub.
The site will also include a permanent base for the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project.
