Bristol Zoo to permanently close its Clifton site

Bristol Zoo Gardens will relocate to the Wild Place Project, Bristol Zoological Society has announced.

In a bid to create a “a ground-breaking, innovative visitor experience” while growing its conservation and education work, the Clifton site will be closed and sold.

The move hopes to ensure the zoo will be a world-class place for animals, as well as a way to safeguard the organisation and boost visitor numbers.

Bristol Zoological Society has made an operating loss in four of the last six years, with visitor numbers to the original site declining and saying “as much as we all love the Clifton site, it is no longer the best place to achieve our ambitious vision for what a modern-day zoo should be”.

Bristol Zoo Gardens opened in 1836 and is the world’s oldest provincial zoo. In comparison to modern day zoos the site is very small, at only 12 acres, with many of the larger species previously housed at the zoo no longer kept at the site.

Bristol Zoo Gardens will remain open until late 2022 and visitors will not see an immediate change while plans are developed further. Wild Place Project will remain open throughout this time, until it becomes the new Bristol Zoo from early 2024.

Bristol Zoo will relocate to Wild Place Project, becoming the new Bristol Zoo from 2024. Photo: Bristol Zoological Society

“This year has been by far the most challenging year the Society has faced in its 185-year history,” says chief executive Dr Justin Morris.

“But for many years Bristol Zoo Gardens has been struggling with fundamental and persistent challenges. Namely an inability to meet the changing needs of the animals within the available space and infrastructure, and declining visitor numbers.

“These challenges have had an enormous impact on our finances and the impact of Covid-19 has caused us to radically rethink our plans about the future and how we address the fundamental and persistent challenges that we face in order to save Bristol Zoological Society.

Morris adds: “We know that Bristol Zoo Gardens has a special place in the hearts of many, and lots of people have fond memories of visiting the Zoo. But a lot has changed and many of the animals associated with these memories are no longer at Bristol Zoo Gardens, for very valid reasons.

“This new strategy presents an opportunity to create a world-class zoo that sets the standard for a modern, forward-looking zoo in the 21st century.”

New exhibits will link visitors to the society’s conservation projects around the world and the new Bristol Zoo will have sustainability “at it’s heart”.

Bristol Zoo Gardens has been open since 1836. Photo: Bristol Zoological Society

“This decision has not been taken lightly and follows a rigorous process of assessing the strategic options over several months, as well as taking independent professional advice from a range of sources to ensure we are doing the best possible thing for the Society’s future,” says Charlotte Moar, chair of trustees for Bristol Zoological Society.

“Over the next five years, even if we were to sell all our property in Clifton, except Bristol Zoo Gardens, and raise £7 million through philanthropic fundraising, we would still have a capital funding shortfall of £8 million.

“Over 20 years this shortfall increases to £44 million and as a result we would not be able to sustain our two zoos, our education programme and our UK and international conservation programme.

“This new plan ensures that Bristol Zoo continues to exist for generations to come, offering millions more people the opportunity to experience the magic of a new Bristol Zoo.”

Wendy the elephant, who lived at Bristol Zoo Gardens until 2002. Elephants are no longer kept at the Clifton site. Photo: Bristol Zoological Society

The executive board and trustees of Bristol Zoological Society will be leading a planning permission process that leaves a lasting legacy of Bristol Zoo Gardens.

Plans will include an urban conservation hub in the zoo’s main entrance building to ensure the heritage and story of the Clifton site will continue to be told.

This would also become the base of the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project community and conservation programmes, an exhibition of Bristol Zoo Gardens’ heritage and a cafe.

New housing will be created in areas of the site where there are already built structures, and the existing gardens will be largely unchanged.

“Bristol Zoo has always been at the forefront of leading the transformation in the way animals are cared for, protected and understood. We want to be able to continue that legacy, now and for decades to come,” says Dr Bryan Carroll, former chief executive of the Bristol Zoological Society.

“The best place to progress our forward-thinking vision is at the Wild Place Project site, which is more than ten times the size of Bristol Zoo Gardens and offers such a fantastic opportunity to continue the world-class work we have always been known for.”

Main photo: Bristol Zoological Gardens

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