Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- zoobristol [2022/07/28 06:18] – zookeeper
+++ zoobristol [2023/08/02 12:10] (current) – zookeeper
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+ ====%hide Bristol Zoological Gardens====
+{{section>Bristol Zoological Gardens#Bristol Zoological Gardens}}
+==== ====
+==== FORMER ZOO ====
 ====== BRISTOL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS ======
 Size: 12 acres
@@ Line 4: / Line 9: @@
 County: Bristol
-Animal species: About 300
+Animal species: About 300 as of 2022
 Opened: 1835
-Located in the suburb of Clifton, Bristol Zoological Gardens is amongst the oldest zoos in the world today -
+**L**ocated in the suburb of Clifton, Bristol Zoological Gardens was one of the UK's earliest major zoos -
 opening in July of 1835. As was the case for several other zoos of the time, Bristol's zoo was a small one -
-only 12 acres in size. And similar to other archaic zoos, several structures of Bristol Zoo have been either
+only 12 acres in size. Unlike some of its zoological surroundings, Bristol Zoo would survive into the 21st century,
-left as artifacts, or have been renovated for new life. The terrace, one of the oldest parts of the zoo, still
+before its closure on 3rd September 2022 due to prolonged monetary losses sustained to the Bristol Zoological Society.
-holds lions, as it did almost 200 years ago, though it now also holds Kea, a rare parrot of New Zealand.
 ====== I. THE HISTORY OF BRISTOL ZOO ======
@@ Line 37: / Line 41: @@
 major attractions. Large animals, such as giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceros, also lived at the zoo at this time.
-The 80's would see the zoo morph into something more like the zoo is today - with the construction of a Reptile
+The 80's would see the zoo morph into a more modern form - with the construction of a Reptile House, and a renovation of the existing Aquarium, which had been built around 1930. There was also the addition of the Seal and Penguin Cove, a large exhibit where visitors could observe the antics of fur seals and penguins. In lieu of the Monkey Temple, a more standardised Monkey House opened in 1983, as well as the addition of
-House, and a renovation of the existing Aquarium, which had been built around 1930. There was also the addition
+Twilight World, one of the first zoo-based building devoted to showcasing nocturnal animals. At the dawn of the millenium, there was the opening of Zona Brazil - an exhibit showcasing various animals of South America, and a walkthrough fruit bat enclosure. The millenium would also see the death of the last elephant in the zoo, Wendy [in 2002], as well as the renovation of the zoo's Monkey Temple into "Smarty Plants", an exhibit of the zoo, in
-of the Seal and Penguin Cove, a large exhibit where visitors could observe the antics of fur seals and penguins.
-In lieu of the Monkey Temple, a more standardised Monkey House opened in 1983, as well as the addition of
-Twilight World, the first zoo-based building devoted to showcasing nocturnal animals. At the dawn of the
-millenium, there was the opening of Zona Brazil - an exhibit showcasing various animals of South America,
-and a walkthrough fruit bat enclosure. The millenium would also see the death of the last elephant in the zoo,
-Wendy, as well as the renovation of the zoo's Monkey Temple into "Smarty Plants", an exhibit of the zoo, in
 which as opposed to animals, plants became the main exhibit. In some ways, one could see the shift in character
 of Bristol Zoo during the 21st Century as a progress from the cravings of exoticism, to the persuit of ecological
@@ Line 51: / Line 49: @@
 Wild Place site puts an emphasis on the preservation of the natural world.
-====== II. THE FUTURE OF BRISTOL'S ZOO ======
+====== II. THE FUTURE OF BRISTOL'S ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY ======
 Planning for the future of Bristol Zoo was interrupted greatly by the contemporary COVID-19 pandemic, which
 halted progress made at the zoo, and had a large financial impact. However, this was perhaps not too sudden for
 Bristol Zoo, as the Zoological Society had made an operating loss in the last four years, and was struggling
-to raise sufficient capital income for two zoos. To add, Bristol Zoo Gardens is small in size - only 12 acres.
+to raise sufficient capital income for two zoos. To add, Bristol Zoo Gardens was small in size - only 12 acres.
 For comparison, London Zoo is 60 acres in size, and Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, located near the zoo, almost
 acres. And so, this led the zoological society to make the decision in 2020 to sell the Clifton site in 2022, instead
-dedicating their resources to the creation of a new Bristol Zoo, located on the site of the current Wild Place.
+dedicating their resources to the creation of a new Bristol Zoo, located on the site of the current Wild Place. The announcement of the plans to close the original Bristol Zoo for good was met with much media attention - and many locals were devastated, especially those who had known Bristol Zoo for much of their lives.
-At 136 acres, the Wild Place site is over 11 times larger than the classical zoo, and is already home to a range
+At 136 acres, the Wild Place site is over 11 times larger than the classical zoo's site, and is already home to a range of animals, including megafauna such as giraffes and bears. Such features make the Wild Place site an ideal
-of animals, including megafauna such as giraffes and bears. Such features make the Wild Place site an ideal
+place to dedicate efforts towards, an ideal location for a new zoo, fit for the new millenium. Selling the Clifton site, whilst distressing to many, would result in much captial investment for the development of the new Bristol Zoo of 2024, and also allow for more investment in opportunities for conservation and education. Following the 2020 announcement, however, the old site still remained open as it had for over 185 years.
-place to dedicate efforts towards, an ideal location for a new zoo, fit for the new millenium. Selling the Clifton
+During the summer season of Bristol Zoo's operation in 2022, the zoo hosted an event known as the 'Big Summer Send-Off'. During this time, various educational material on the zoo's history and future would be placed across the site of the zoo, and a giant animatronic gorilla and stage show were also in operation. In its final months of operation, Bristol Zoo reported higher levels of attendance than at any other point in 2022 - in its final week, almost 30,000 visited the zoo. To accommodate higher visitor demand, the opening hours would be extended. On the zoo's last day of operation, a large queue formed at the zoo's entrance before opening. At 5:30, after the zoo's final date of closure, a commemorative plaque was place onto the zoo's gates: "**On 3 September 2022 Bristol Zoo Gardens, the world's oldest provincial zoo, closed after 186 years. //Thank you for the memories.//**" At which time, the Zoo would close for good. Following the closure of the site, some animals  would be moved to the new site, located on the Northern fringe of Bristol, or move to other zoological institutions  elsewhere. After the Gardens' closure, several celebration events will occur to acclaim the long-lasting legacy of Bristol  Zoo Gardens. In the long-term, redevelopment of the site will occur, with much of the zoo's site becoming a housing  estate. On April 26 of 2023, the Bristol City Council granted planning permission to the Bristol Zoo Gardens site for redevelopment. Elements of the zoo's early years, such as the Monkey Temple, will remain on site, as will the gardens.
-site, whilst distressing to many, will result in much captial investment for the development of the new Bristol
+The new site will allow for natural biodiversity to flourish, and will be open to the public free of charge.
-Zoo of 2024, and also allow for more investment in opportunities for conservation and education. For now, however,
-the old site still remains open as it has for over 185 years, and will remain open until the 3rd of September, 2022,
-when it will close for good. Afterwards, some animals will be moved to the new site, located on the Northern fringe
-of Bristol, or move to other zoological institutions elsewhere. After the Gardens close, several celebration events
-will occur to acclaim the long-lasting legacy of Bristol Zoo Gardens. In the long-term, redevelopment of the site will
-occur, with much of the zoo's site becoming a housing estate. Elements of the zoo's early years, such as the Monkey
-Temple, will remain on site, as will the gardens. The new site will allow for natural biodiversity to flourish, and will
-be open to the public free of charge.
-Later on, 2024 will see the debut of the new Bristol Zoo, on a site which has allowed for a number of natural habitats
+The glimpse of a new Bristol Zoo seems to have begun as of 2023, on a site which has allowed for a number of natural habitats
 to flourish - a far cry from the city environment of the older site. Such features will allow not only for zoological
-stories to be told, but also present the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. The new Bristol Zoo
+stories to be told, but also present the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. The site has, as of 2023, already adopted the new title of 'Bristol Zoo Project', though major change has yet to occur, with the first phase of construction being planned for 2024. Over a period of 20 years, £48 million in capital investment will be invested into the project, which promises to provide environmentally-sensitive architectural works as part of a naturalistic experience - allowing guests to experience the thrill of a chance encounter, potentially being revolutionary for zoos of the United Kingdom as a whole.
-will also allow visitors to experience the thrill of chance encounters with animals in a naturalistic setting, and experience
+====== III. BRISTOL ZOO AT ITS LATEST ======
-wildlife without imposing barriers. In some respects, it will resmble San Diego Zoo, a world-class zoo which has already
-implemented more naturalistic enclosures, in a vegetated setting. Although an exhaustive list of species has not been
+As is with any zoo, the first thing a visitor arriving to Bristol Zoo would encounter was an entrance - and the entrance
-announced for the new zoo, species seen in the mood-board include gorillas, gibbons, tigers, wisent, and Przewalski's
+booth of Bristol Zoo was reminiscent of times before - a wide, white-painted bulding with a simple, grey, tiled roof.
-horses. The zoo will not just be an evolution from its predecessor, but would potentially be revolutionary for zoos
+In the centre, the name "BRISTOL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS" in golden coloured letters, and to either side, sillhouettes of
-of the United Kingdom as a whole. In several regards, the legacy of Bristol Zoo, both past and future, heeds
+various wild beasts. The silhouettes are just as eye-catching as anachronistic - for these silhouettes depict animals
-Attenborough's words - in that "no one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they
+such as bactrian camels, elephants and ostriches - none of which exist today at Bristol Zoo. A small, inner city zoo,
-have never experienced."
+Bristol Zoo now focuses largely on smaller species of animal.
+Upon entrance to the Bristol Zoo, visitors are likely to first encounter a large aviary - which is itself a large-sized
+lake with flamingos. Nearby is a house and indoor area for two-toed sloth, as well as a sizable enclosure for
+Asiatic Lion - which was once three seperate exhibits, but these were later merged. In comparison to lion exhibits
+elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Bristol's lions perhaps only get limited space, though breeding has occurred here.
+Nearby are enclosures for kea and red panda. Until the beginning of 2022, another major exhibit was here as well -
+Twilight World, the nocturnal house of Bristol Zoo. The Twilight World was divided into several major zones - the
+'Desert' [with Gila Monsters, Sand Cats, Eastern Quolls*, and Yellow Mongoose], the 'Rainforest' [with Mouse-Deer,
+Eastern Quoll*, Slow Loris and Aye-Aye], the 'Cave' [with a tunnel for naked mole-rats], and the 'House' [with
+cupboards for mice and rats]. The Twilight World, until its closure in January 2022, worked on a 'reversed daylight'
+cycle, where artificial lighting was turned on at night, where the lighting [aside from minimal red-lighting] would
+be turned off during visitor hours. Alongside the Twilight World, the Forest of Birds, a walkthrough aviary,
+would also close in January 2022. Even so, an adjacent walk-through enclosure of Livingstone's Fruit Bat remains. Also no longer to be seen at Bristol Zoo was 'Zona Brazil', an area with South American animals such as tapir, capybara, and tamarins, which closed in 2019.
+Assuming the visitor is exploring the zoo in a roughly clock-wise fashion, they will next find, adjacent an enclosure
+of Aldabra Giant Tortoises, a neatly-planned reptile house, which could perhaps be considered one of the finest in
+the country. Also nearby is an aquarium - which has been constructed on a site where once existed bear-pits, and
+a bear-pole exists outside with explanation. The house of invertebrates, titled 'Bug World' works well as well -
+diverse in selection of invertebrates.
+South of 'Bug World' is a restaurant, as well as a sizable lawn that contains
+no animal enclosures at all - only human amusements, such as a turtle-shaped maze, 'Zoolympics', an edu-tainment trail
+for children, and ZooRopia, a high-ropes course which occurs nearby the zoo's gibbons and gorillas, booked separately
+from the Zoo proper [though a ticket to the zoo is still mandatory to use the ZooRopia ticket.], as well as amusements erected within the final months of the zoo's operation - a large [size not specified, though apparently "taller than the tallest giraffe ever recorded"], animatronic gorilla made of wood, which would sometimes 'spit' water in warm Summer months, An exhibit on the zoo's history, present, and future, and an interactive family theatrical experience, "//Into the Wild//". Eastward of 'Bug World'
+is 'Monkey Jungle' - a house of various species of monkey, complete with outdoor area. The house is fully functional for
+its inhabitants [including Lion-tailed Macaque, Spider Monkey, and Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey], albeit perhaps rather mundane. Nearby is a rather consistent exhibit of primates - an island for gorillas,
+which also works well. Nearby is the Penguin and Seal coasts, where visitors can watch African Penguins and South American
+Fur-Seals, and also observe the animals underwater through a glass tunnel. Such a spectacle of seeing such animals ungainly on land at true motion in the water is perhaps to be considered the highlight of one's visit. Continuing clockwise, enclosures are to be found
+for Visayan Warty-Pigs, Tree Kangaroo, and Meerkat. Nearby are islands for various species of smaller monkey, including
+Golden Lion Tamarins, which breed well at Bristol. Nearby this are aviaries, maras, as well as a butterfly house. All of this, however, was somewhat temporary - as on September 3rd, 2022, the Zoo as it was shut down for good, the build-up to which no doubt an incentive for those who feel about the Zoo sentimentally to make a final tour. After completing a circuit of the Gardens, one may find a potential reason why Bristol Zoo may not have been able to survive later in the 21st century - regardless of pandemic influence - the site, only 12 acres at all, was rather too small for any profound development within said century, especially with shifting interests amongst professionals and laymen alike on what a proper zoo in the modern day ought to be. But, for those who would have liked to reminisce in a zoo of times before, then perhaps Bristol Zoo was the place to do so.
+*//The quolls were held at these areas at different times - they were initially held in the 'Rainforest' section - and following the death of the last sand cat, were moved into the former sand cat enclosure in the 'Desert' section. By 2022, the quolls had all succumbed to their short life-spans.//