Bristol Zoo: Last look before attraction as we know it leaves Clifton forever

Bittersweet moment for staff and visitors
Sophie Wills
By Sophie Wills
Published 9th Aug 2022, 17:48 BST
Updated 9th Aug 2022, 17:56 BST
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A bittersweet feeling has been hanging over Bristol Zoo as the treasured attraction holds a month of celebrations in the lead-up to its closure.

The giant gorilla sculpture ‘Wilder’ installed on the lawn for the Zoo’s Big Summer Send Off.The giant gorilla sculpture ‘Wilder’ installed on the lawn for the Zoo’s Big Summer Send Off.
The giant gorilla sculpture ‘Wilder’ installed on the lawn for the Zoo’s Big Summer Send Off.

It’s just under a month until Bristol Zoo will close its doors and pack up for good on September 3 after a whopping 184 years in Clifton.

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The Bristol Zoological Society, which owns the attraction, announced back in 2020 that the zoo would move to its Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire - the only way to safeguard its future after the pandemic.

It is hoped that the site’s historic monuments will be preserved.It is hoped that the site’s historic monuments will be preserved.
It is hoped that the site’s historic monuments will be preserved.

The huge site just off the M5 will provide more space for the zoo’s animals, but it doesn’t make the closure of the Clifton landmark any less sad, especially for the generations who have continued to visit over the decades.

The flamingo enclosure.The flamingo enclosure.
The flamingo enclosure.

The zoo is going out with a bang, though - July saw the launch of its Big Summer Send off featuring new exhibitions, an interactive theatrical experience ‘Into the Wild’ and a giant gorilla sculpture installed on the lawn.

Bristol Zoological Society hope to sell off parts of the zoo for housing to provide futher income for the Wild Place Project, as well as opening Bristol Zoo Gardens to the public for free for the first time.

You can still book tickets before the zoo closes in September here: https://bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on/big-summer-send-off.

Related topics:CliftonBristol Zoo

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