Bristol Zoo: The animals moving to the new zoo - and ones which are not

On September 3, last year, Bristol Zoo closed its doors for the final time, bringing an end to 186 years of history for the Clifton site.

Bosses at the zoo cited falling visitor numbers and rising costs as the main factors in its closure before confirming many of the inhabitants would be relocated to its larger, Wild Place Projectanimal park in South Gloucestershire. Bristol World has released new CGI images showing what the new Bristol Zoo will look like with the designs showing how guests will be immersed in nature from the moment they step foot inside.

A central African forest area features in the plans which will house the Western lowland gorilla troop which had become synonymous with Bristol Zoo since the arrival of Alfred in 1930, but they won’t be the only animals making the move.

In total, 50 species will be moving from Bristol Zoo Gardens alongside the critically endangered gorilla troop. These include; 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.

As well as the lowland gorillas, the central African forest zone will welcome a new group of cherry-crowned mangabey monkeys, African grey parrots, slender-snouted crocodiles and several extremely rare species of West African fish, which visitors will be able to see in a new underwater viewing area.

New species will also then be moving to the new Bristol Zoo from other zoos and aquariums around the world as part of well-established, cooperative breeding programmes. These include two black rhinoceros, a North African red-necked ostrich and Grevy’s zebra.

Construction of the new Bristol Zoo is expected to begin in 2024 and will be phased over several years with Wild Place Project remaining open throughout. Unfortunatley, not all the animals at the previous site will be making the move to South Gloucestershire.

The Bristol Zooligical Society confirmed the African penguins, giant tortoises and flamingos were some of the favourites who have been rehomed elsewhere - some as far as Spain.

The giant tortoises have gone to Jersey Zoo, the paddlefish to Valencia Aquarium, the African penguins to Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water, the flamingos to Flamingo Land, a sloth to Jersey Zoo and a rainbow boa to Beal Park in Reading.

More animals will move away - but are yet to be confirmed by the zoo.