The Wild Place Project near Cribbs Causeway has started to rebrand itself as the Bristol Zoo Project as it starts to merge with now closed Bristol Zoo Gardens.
Among the species moving to the new facilities are: the western lowland gorillas, blue-eyed black lemurs, Polynesian tree snails, Mindanao bleeding heart dove, Tarictic hornbill, Socorro dove, European turtle dove, turquoise gecko, lemur leaf frog and Corfu killifish.
The Wild Place Project officially opened to the public in July 2013. It is run by the Bristol Zoological Society and centres around conservation programmes.
We decided to visit the Wild Place Project to see what it offers on a weekday and here are 13 photos of our visit.
1. Walled garden
The home of the meerkats who become very alert as they hear the approaching with their meals. A selection of birds can be found here, including the Tarictic hornbill who was originally living in the Zoo Gardens. The section closes at 4.30pm.
2. Playgrounds
There are multiple playground facilities scattered across the park, including both sheltered and outdoor areas. These include the FunFort, Congo Bongo and a giant bird’s nest and woodland play area in Bear Wood, to name a few.
3. Bear Wood
Designed to mimic the forest environment of England from 8,000 BC to now, Bear Wood is home to species which have been extinct in the UK. Here, visitors can spot lynxes, bears, wolves and wolverines. There is also a safe house where visitors can get a closer look at the bears and wolves' shared facility. The last entry is at 4pm.
4. Butterfly maze
There is a butterfly-shaped maze in the park. Visitors who dare to test their sense of direction will be able to find the posters featuring the story of a caterpillar's journey to becoming a beautiful butterfly by the end of the maze.