More than 29,000 people said goodbye to Bristol Zoo Gardens in the final week before its closure – the same number of visitors the attraction would see in a month. It was an emotional farewell from visitors and staff who waved goodbye to the iconic visitor attraction in Clifton, which closed its gates for the last time on Saturday (September 3) after 186 years.
Bristol Zoo Gardens was the fifth oldest zoo in the world and the oldest outside of any capital city. It has welcomed more than 90 million visitors since it first opened on July 11, 1836. A plaque was hung outside its main entrance, which read ‘ thank you for the memories’.
The zoo confirmed it was closing the famous site on College Road in February to merge with the Wild Place Project and expand the site out in Easter Compton, promising an inspiring wildlife experience with conservation and education at its core. Eighty per cent of the species will be linked to conservation programmes around the world – a higher percentage than any other zoo in the UK.
In pictures: Crowd applauds tearful staff as Bristol Zoo closes its doors
Brian Zimmerman, Bristol Zoological Society’s director of conservation and science, said: “This truly is an end of an era – an era full of wonderful memories for staff and visitors alike.
“Bristol Zoo Gardens holds a special place in the hearts of many and has become an institution in the city of Bristol. While we recognise its importance and respect its legacy, the time has come for us to build a modern-day zoo with the right space for our animals that more closely reflects their natural habitats.”
The zoo gates first opened in 1836 before electricity, and cars, and around the same time the first section of the London and Greenwich railway started receiving passengers. It was the same year that Charles Dickens's first novel, The Pickwick Papers, was published.
Its 12 acres have been home to thousands of exotic animals, including okapis, Western lowland gorillas, polar bears, brown bears, fur seals, penguins, elephants, crocodiles, and flamingos. Notable animal residents of the zoo included Alfred the gorilla, who arrived at the zoo in 1930 and died in 1948; Wendy, an Asian elephant, who lived on site until 2002 and often gave rides to the public and would go on walks into Clifton; and Sebastian, the polar bear who was born in 1958.
Despite the closing, life will still go on behind the gates of Bristol Zoo Gardens while animals continue to be cared for ahead of their imminent departures to other zoos. The zoo’s troop of Critically Endangered Western lowland gorillas and blue-eyed black lemurs will be moved to the new Bristol Zoo.
Plans are currently awaiting approval for the Clifton site, which include providing over 200 new homes in a range of sizes to encourage a multi-generational community. Twenty per cent of homes will be affordable.
To preserve Bristol Zoo Gardens’ legacy, the charity plans to give free public access to the gardens for the first time in its 186-year history. The housing development will maintain existing and much-loved historic features including the aquarium building, which opened in 1927 and Monkey Temple, which opened in 1928.
A decision about the future of the Bristol Zoo Gardens site is expected later this year when Bristol City Council planners meet to decide on the application.
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