Bristol Zoo Gardens still with its charm

By The Editor
Aug 31, 2010

Bristol Zoo: Hogarth on one of his very few walks

Bristol Zoo: Otari the Bull Seal standing proud

Bristol Zoo: one of the many educational shows at the Terrace Theatre

Bristol Zoo: the Lemur walkthrough pen

Bristol Zoo: two Red Ruffed Lemurs somehow huddle together for a nap on a slender branch

Bristol Zoo: a freshly emerged moth from its cocoon in the walkthrough Butterfly Forest

Bristol Zoo: Zooropia - swing alongside some of the animals in the zoo

Bristol Zoo: South American Tapirs

Bristol Zoo: seal feeding, including various eating tricks and games

Bristol Zoo: a Golden Tamarind

Bristol Zoo: one of the baby Tamarinds

Bristol Zoo: the Capybara

Bristol Zoo: a meerkat, keeping a watchful eye. Supposedly they change position every hour

Bristol Zoo: Fruit Bats walk through pen, they like to swoop around - be warned!

Bristol Zoo: two Gibbons swinging around their playpen

Bristol Zoo: Brazzas Monkey eating food, finally, instead of throwing it

Bristol Zoo: Mary the fur seal

Bristol Zoo: baby Tamarinds spent a lot of time trying to play with their parents

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By Josh Pitts

With over 450 different species and 12 acres of beautiful gardens, the world’s oldest provincial Zoo in Clifton, Bristol, is comparatively small in area – but what it lacks in space it makes up for in its rich diversity of conservation and educational-based outlook.

There’s still time to visit for the day before the autumn weather draws in, and here’s what you can expect.

The first feeding event of the day is located at Gorilla Island. One of the many talks that take place in the zoo during the afternoon. Although, small note, some of the areas have very little space so it’s worth getting there a little early if you want to see anything. In this, you are introduced to the 34-stone silverback gorilla, Jock, and his family.

The other I saw, the seal feed, was at 3.30pm. Be warned, the staff make them perform tricks which almost certainly get the crowd wet! A kind of comeuppance for all of the children that sneaked through to the front fence, I thought…

The talks themselves are extremely informative and all point towards conservation and welfare, a running theme throughout the Zoo. The dangers and problems facing these animals are laid down and sometimes at the end a possible donation is asked for, if you’re feeling generous.

The lions at the entrance are one of the first animals to see, they still hadn’t moved from when I first came through, a big disappointment. The Aldabra giant Tortoises next door, however, were oddly far more mobile, these 175 kg giants, I was told; tend to sleep for 16 hours so I felt lucky that they were all so awake.

One of the zoo’s newest recruitments, Hogarth, looked colossal when he stood up.

My favourite part of the zoo came through Twilight World, a very dark, indoor exhibit in order to simulate the idea of night. Nocturnal animals, therefore, are wide awake for visitors to see. In the wild it would be so hard to see these animals so active yet it’s just an easy access for everyone visiting.

Plus most of these wonderful animals have cute, Disney-esque, bug-eyed looks which endear themselves to guests along with the strangest names, the Long Nosed Potoroo.

The Golden Lion Tamarinds who had recently just given birth to two very cute babies were located at the far end. Great news for the critically endangered mammals. Playful is an understatement with these animals. Happily throwing each other around at tree branches, screaming and climbing over one another. Very enjoyable animals indeed.

Somehow I had managed to spend over five hours in the zoo, which closes at 5.30pm. Wandering towards the exit, I tried one last attempt to get a good view of the lions. However, despite the five hours, they still lay, unmoved. The only small downside of a lovely, educational and enlightening day and why I believe the zoo will continue to attract visitors just as it has now for over 170 years.