The Changing Identity of Bristol Zoo
When I heard the Bristol Zoo in Clifton was shutting down, I decided to visit the site to see what it was all about. Although weary about the concept of zoos, my visit has challenged my previous preconceptions.
As I stood in the Ape’s enclosure, I searched for a big fluffy gorilla. I found her looking down at me from where she was lying. A glass panel separated us as we locked eyes and acknowledged each other’s presence. I felt a proximity with her that resonated through me. It was most likely a mere figment of my imagination, but all the same, I clung onto this thought.
These western lowland gorillas living in Bristol Zoo have not chosen their home. They originate from Cameroon and are classified as “Critically Endangered”. Although they are the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies, their population has declined by more than 60% over the last 25 years. Their vulnerability is mainly due to deforestation and climate change destroying their homes, making it easier for hunters to find them.
However, it is not all bad news. Thanks to the work that many global animal welfare organizations are doing, the population of eastern lowland gorillas has almost doubled in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Between 2016 and 2021, the number of individuals has augmented from 3,800 to 6,800 in just five years.
Bristol Zoo is a member of these wider organisations that fund wildlife conservation projects. For example, the Bristol Zoo actively helps protect around 4,500 square kilometres of forest in Congo that are inhabited by the gorillas. Every ticket sold for entry to the zoo helps to fund various projects led by unions that they are part of, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN), making them partly responsible for this gorilla population growth.
The Bristol Zoological Society has been working on gorilla conservation since 2003 and continues to ensure long-term support to the primate sanctuary. They are also committed to the Western Lowland Gorilla Conservation Strategy, helping achieve objectives which are set every five years.
By modern standards of zoo-keeping, Bristol Zoo’s Clifton site covers a particularly small area, home to around 10,000 different species. Luckily on the 4th of September, (since my visit) the Gorillas have moved homes relocating from Clifton to its new Wild Place project site adjacent to Cribbs Causeway, located a half an hour’s drive away.
Covid is thought to be one of the reasons for its relocation. The declining number of visitors due to the several lockdowns has made it a struggle for the zoo to meet the needs of the animals within its Clifton location. As a result, the Bristol Zoo Gardens and the Wild Place Project have come up with a new solution: to sell land that they own surrounding the Bristol Zoo Gardens and relocate the animals to a larger, more wild area.
The Clifton site comprises some of the most valuable land on the property market and it will be sold for an extraordinary sum of money to build real estate. I asked the volunteer if he had any hope for the animals in their new home. He said, ‘I am sure that the animals will enjoy having more space as the enclosures are much bigger. I believe it is the right thing to do for them.’.
Although this may be a sad end for the Bristol Zoo Gardens, the money from the land being sold will be used to invested into education and direct conservation programmes.
Bristol has welcomed the beginning of a new animal conservation adventure and with this, has shifted my vision on zoos. I hope that Wild Place will urge more locals and tourists to visit the zoo, educating them about the work being done in conservation. This can be seen as a valuable tool to inform current and future generations about the beauty and importance of keeping these animals on our planet.
Has the time come to shift how society perceives zoos? I don’t think they should be perceived as centres where we simply take photos of animals, barely acknowledging their presence. They should be centres of innovation where we can learn about what is being done to save these animals from extinction, helping us keep up to date on the research and conservation advancements being made.
Bristol’s new Zoo will no longer have ‘zoo’ as part of its title but will be called ‘Wild Place’. They will be introducing a ‘wild conservation hub’ at the entrance of their premises which I hope will urge visitors to understand more about the future of these animals and include them in this fight against animal extinction.
Wild Place can be the future if we shift our perspectives. I look forward to visiting my gorilla friend in her new home.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Western Lowland Gorilla | Species | WWF (worldwildlife.org)
Western lowland gorilla, facts and photos (nationalgeographic.com)
🦍 New hope for the gorillas of Congo (warpnews.org)
BZS-Western-Lowland-Gorilla-Conservation-Strategy.pdf (bristolzoo.org.uk)
https://bristolzoo.org.uk/latest-zoo-news/time-to-count-the-animals-at-the-zoo
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2020-11-27/bristol-zoo-set-to-sell-iconic-clifton-site