Gorillas relocated from empty zoo to new enclosure

A colony of eight gorillas has been relocated from their former home to their new enclosure.

Bristol Zoo Gardens in Clifton closed to the public in 2022, with animals gradually being moved to the larger Bristol Zoo Project.

But the zoo said its gorilla colony had remained at the closed site, being cared for by keepers until work was completed on their new African Forest enclosure.

The new enclosure will house the critically-endangered western lowland gorillas, alongside other threatened African species.

It was always the plan for the gorilla troop to remain at Bristol Zoo Gardens until their new African Forest habitat was completed at Bristol Zoo Project.

But several videos of the "abandoned" animals began circulating on social media after trespassers broke into the closed zoo and seemed surprised to find the animals still in their enclosures, raising concerns over their welfare and conditions.

The zoo said speculation about the gorillas had led to more break-ins, with the animals suffering "distress" due to the triggering of its intruder alarms.

Staff said the habitat at Bristol Zoo Project, on the outskirts of the city, had been designed to evoke a sense of the dense forest and landscape of Equatorial Guinea.

The area will also have learning spaces for students, visitors and schoolchildren to observe and record animals.

It will be four-and-a-half times bigger than the area the gorillas lived in at the Clifton site.

Other species to be housed in the new area will include cherry-crowned mangabeys - a type of primate - African grey parrots and several species of West African freshwater fish.

The Bristol Zoological Society said it made the decision to close the Clifton site, which first opened in 1836, due to financial pressures caused by the pandemic and falling visitor numbers.

The land is now set to be redeveloped into housing with 196 new homes, a café, playground and conservation hub.

A judicial review challenging the plans was opened by Save Bristol Zoo Gardens Alliance in May last year, claiming Bristol City Council had acted unlawfully by approving the proposal.

But the High Court dismissed the case in December, ruling the council had followed proper procedure,s which cleared the way for the redevelopment to proceed.

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