Bristol Zoo Project

Last updated

Bristol Zoo Project
Bristol Zoo Project Logo.webp
Bristol Zoo Project
51°31′50″N2°36′44″W / 51.5305°N 2.6122°W / 51.5305; -2.6122
Date opened22 July 2013
LocationZoo Project, Blackhorse Hill, Bristol, BS10 7TP
Land area136 Acres [1]
Annual visitors192,306 (2018) [2]
OwnerBristol Zoological Society
Website bristolzoo.org.uk

Bristol Zoo Project, formerly known as Wild Place Project, is a wildlife conservation park in North Bristol, United Kingdom. It is run by Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) and was the sister site of Bristol Zoo Gardens until closure of that site in 2022. In summer 2023, Wild Place Project rebranded as "Bristol Zoo Project" following the transition of Bristol Zoo Gardens from their Clifton site. [3]

Contents

The park has been designed to link specific ecosystems and conservation programmes around the world, [4] and was originally intended to be split into biomes, representing species found only in specific habitats. [5] Current areas include: Bear Wood, Benoué National Park and Discover Madagascar.

History

Bristol Zoo Project is located on Hollywood Estate, a grade II listed estate. The estate was gifted to Bristol Zoological Society in the mid 1960s by the White family. From the 1960s to 2013 the site was used as an off show area for breeding and quarantine. The site also housed the society's nurseries and to this day grows a third of the food for the animals at Bristol Zoo Project.

In 2008 Bristol Zoological Society announced plans to submit plans to South Gloucestershire Council for the development of a new 55-hectare park.

The park officially opened on 22 July 2013. [6] The original submitted plans suggested a development cost of circa £70 million. [7]

Bear Wood, an environment designed to mimic England in 8,000 BC opened in July 2019. [8]

Animals

Bristol Zoo Project is home to 25 species of animals, including 19 mammals and 6 birds.

Giraffe at Bristol Zoo Project in 2024 Giraffe at Bristol Zoo Project 2024 2.jpg
Giraffe at Bristol Zoo Project in 2024

Mammals:

Birds [24] :

Plans for 2022 to 2024

Bristol Zoological Society announced on 27 November 2020 that its historic Bristol Zoo Gardens site in Clifton would close, with animals moved to the Wild Place Project site close to the M5 motorway. [25]

The new conservation breeding centre would include Annam leaf turtle, Lesser Antillean iguana, Pancake Tortoise, Radiated tortoise, Roti Island snake-necked turtle, Indochinese box turtle, Agalychnis lemur, Leptodactylus fallax, Marshall's pygmy chameleon, Lygodactylus williamsi, Varanus macraei, Uroplatus, Hogna ingens, Polynesian tree snail, Lord Howe Island stick insect, two species of Madeiran land snail (Discula lyelliana and Geomitra grabhami), Socorro dove, Visayan tarictic hornbill, Sumatran laughingthrush, Philippine cockatoo, Javan green magpie, European turtle dove, Mindanao bleeding-heart, Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, pink pigeon, Malagasy cichlids, Malagasy rainbow fish and powder blue panchax, Pupfish and goodeids and White clawed crayfish.

Finally, there was to be a new entrance with a new café, new gift shop, and new entry exhibits.

In 2021 it was announced that new features at Bristol Zoo Project resulting from the move from Clifton were to include a conservation breeding centre with climate-controlled enclosures, a learning centre and a conservation medicine centre. [26]

Related Research Articles

The Saint Louis Zoo, officially known as the Saint Louis Zoological Park, is a zoo in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Admission is free based on a public subsidy from a cultural tax district, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD); fees are charged for some special attractions. A special feature is the 2 ft narrow-gauge Emerson Zooline Railroad with passenger trains pulled by Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotives that encircle the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Zoo</span> Zoo in Bristol, United Kingdom

Bristol Zoo was a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission was to "maintain and defend" biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marwell Zoo</span> Zoo in Hampshire, England

Marwell Zoo is a 140-acre (57 ha) zoo situated in Colden Common near Winchester, in the English county of Hampshire. It is owned and run by the registered charity Marwell Wildlife. The zoo is home to 1,208 animals of 149 species. The charity undertakes a range of educational and conservation activities, with a particular focus on Africa in addition to work from its base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Zoo</span> Zoo in Houston, Texas, United States

The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre (22 ha) zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from more than 900 species. It receives around 2 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo in the United States, surpassed only by the San Diego Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whipsnade Zoo</span> Zoo near Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England

Whipsnade Zoo, formerly known as ZSL Whipsnade Zoo and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, is a zoo and safari park located at Whipsnade, near Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England. It is one of two zoos that are owned by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands Safari Park</span> Safari park in Worcestershire, England

West Midlands Safari Park is a safari park located in Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. It was opened under the name of West Midland Safari Park in Spring 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Rock Zoo</span> Zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

The Little Rock Zoo was founded in 1924 and is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is home to more than 400 animals representing over 200 species, and covers an area of 33 acres (13 ha). The Arkansas Zoological Foundation is a private 501 c (3) organization that raises funds for zoo development. The Little Rock Zoo is a department of the city of Little Rock. It is the largest zoo in Arkansas, and the only Arkansas zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colchester Zoo</span> Zoo in Essex, England

Colchester Zoo is a zoological garden situated near Colchester, England. The zoo opened in 1963 and celebrated its 60th anniversary on 2 June 2023. The zoo is home to many rare and endangered species, including big cats, primates and birds as well as many invertebrates and fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh Zoo</span> Zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Edinburgh Zoo, formerly the Scottish National Zoological Park, is an 82-acre (33 ha) non-profit zoological park in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarto Safari Park</span> Open-range zoo in South Australia


Monarto Safari Park, formerly known as Monarto Zoological Park and Monarto Zoo, is a 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) open-range zoo located in South Australia administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. By area, Monarto Safari Park is the largest zoo in Australia. It is located at Monarto, approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Adelaide's centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leipzig Zoological Garden</span> Zoo in Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Zoological Garden, or Leipzig Zoo is a zoo in Leipzig`s district Mitte, Germany. It was first opened on June 9, 1878. It was taken over by the city of Leipzig in 1920 after World War I and now covers about 27 hectares and contains approximately 850 species. By 2020, the zoo featured six different theme worlds, aiming at providing habitats appropriate for the species on display.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Zoo</span> Zoo in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Belfast Zoological Gardens is a zoo in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is in a relatively secluded location on the northeastern slope of Cavehill, overlooking Belfast's Antrim Road. Opened in 1934, it is the second-oldest zoo in Ireland, after Dublin Zoo, which opened in 1831.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paignton Zoo</span> Zoo in Devon, England

Paignton Zoo is a zoo in Paignton, Devon, England. The zoo was started as a private collection by avid animal collector and breeder, Herbert Whitley, in the grounds of his home Primley House. It was opened to the public on a number of occasions, originally as Primley Zoological Gardens, and closed twice due to disputes with the tax authorities. The commercialisation of the zoo came when animals and attractions were relocated from Chessington Zoo during World War II, and the site was named as Devon's Zoo and Circus

The Binder Park Zoo is a 433-acre (175 ha) zoo that opened in 1977 near Battle Creek, Michigan, in the United States. Binder Park Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Michigan, and features a large array of animals and plants, including the Wild Africa Exhibit. It includes a train, a tram, a carousel, and ropes course called "Skylark Ridge".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioparco di Roma</span> Zoo in Rome, Italy

Bioparco di Roma is a 17-hectare (42-acre) zoological garden located on part of the original Villa Borghese estate in Rome, Italy. There are 1,114 animals of 222 species maintained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woburn Safari Park</span> Safari park in Bedfordshire, England

Woburn Safari Park is a safari park located in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England. Visitors to the park can drive through exhibits, which contain species such as southern white rhino, elephants, tigers and black bears. It is part of the estates of the Duke of Bedford that also includes Woburn Abbey and its 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) deer park. The Safari Park itself covers 360 acres (150 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Species Survival Plan</span> Plan for survival of endangered species

The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Zoo</span> Zoo in Changning District, Shanghai

Shanghai Zoological Park, or commonly Shanghai Zoo in short, is the one of the two main zoos in Shanghai. It is located near the township of Hongqiao and is administratively in Changning District. Shanghai Zoo was formerly known as " Xijiao Park", which is still a common name used locally for the zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Richmond Zoo</span> Zoo in Chesterfield County, Virginia

Metro Richmond Zoo is a privately owned, for-profit zoo in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It is located in the central Virginia area, off of U.S. Route 360, about 20 miles southwest of Richmond. Metro Richmond Zoo encompasses about 70 acres (28 ha) and houses around 2,000 animals representing over 190 species, including reticulated giraffe, white rhinoceros, snow leopard, cheetah and Grant's zebra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Africa Alive!</span> Zoo in Suffolk, UK

Africa Alive! Zoological Reserve, formerly known as Africa Alive! and Suffolk Wildlife Park, is a zoo located in Kessingland, Suffolk, UK. It is situated off the A12 at Kessingland 2 miles (3 km) south of Lowestoft.

References

  1. "About us I Bristol Zoo Gardens".
  2. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  3. "Wild Place Project rebrands as Bristol Zoo Project" . Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. "Wild Place Project helps conserve endangered animals". BBC News. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  5. "Bristol Park gets jungle". Times Online. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2008.[ dead link ]
  6. "New Bristol attraction opens 22 July | The Wild Place Project". www.wildplace.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013.
  7. "Zoo submits £70m park proposals". BBC News. BBC. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  8. Murray, Robin (23 July 2019). "Bear Wood at the Wild Place Project in photos as bears bask in sun". Bristol Post. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lemurs - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. "Eland - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  11. "Lynx - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. "Wolf - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  13. "Bear - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  14. "Gelada - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. "Zebra - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  16. "Meerkat - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  17. "Philippine spotted deer - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  18. "Pygmy goat - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  19. "Red panda - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  20. "Red river hog - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  21. "Giraffe - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  22. "Cheetah - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  23. "Wolverine - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  24. "Birds - Bristol Zoo Project". bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  25. Sophie Grubb, "Bristol Zoo closing: Mayor says relocation was 'the very best decision'", Bristol Post, 27 November 2020
  26. "Bristol Zoo's new home to include some of world's most threatened species". Blooloop. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.

51°31′47″N2°36′58″W / 51.52959°N 2.61601°W / 51.52959; -2.61601