Is Bristol Zoo closing? Why is it shutting, where is new Wild Place site, when does it shut, can I buy tickets

Bristol Zoo is preparing to close its doors at its Clifton site for good as it readies itself to move to a new site.

The zoo opened its doors in Clifton in 1836, making it the fifth oldest zoo in the world at 186 years old, and it still has many of its original Victorian buildings, such as its gate house, the old giraffe house and its monkey temple.

This is everything you need to know.

Why is Bristol Zoo closing - where is it moving to?

Owner  of Bristol Zoo, the Bristol Zoological Society, made the decision to close it due to financial pressures caused by the pandemic, and focus its resources on its sister site in south Gloucestershire.

The society has owned the site of the Wild Place Project, just off Junction 17 of the M5, since the 1960s, but for many years had only used it for breeding and quarantine purposes and it was not open to visitors.

It was also used as a nursery for Bristol Zoo’s botanical gardens, and to grow fodder for its animals.

But in 2008 the society submitted plans to the council for a 55-hectare walking safari park, and Wild Place opened five years later.

Staff at the zoo said they are sad to be leaving the famous Bristol city site, which still sits within its Victorian walls, but are excited by the conservation opportunities presented by the more spacious facilities in Gloucestershire.

Dr Grainne McCabe, head of field conservation and science, said the move will allow the zoo to expand its work protecting some of the world’s most threatened species.

“Bristol Zoo is one of those classic zoos – it originally started as a menagerie, as many zoos did, and it has a lot of history here,” she said.

She added: “Just being able to walk around these sort of small grounds and see so many different species, it’s something that’s quite reminiscent of what zoos were always like in the past and there’s something quite special about that.”

Under plans currently being considered, the site would retain its botanic gardens and they would be open to the public free of charge on a daily basis.

It would retain famous structures such as the monkey temple, while the entrance buildings would be transformed into the “Clifton Conservation Hub”, hosting the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project.

The children’s play area and theatre building would also be kept open as a community space for workshops and events.

The rest of the site would be devoted to eco-friendly housing with energy efficiency integral to the design.

When does it shut?

The Bristol Zoo Gardens will close its doors for good on Saturday 3 September, with visitors able to book tickets to visit the zoo one last time on the Bristol Zoo website.

Only a limited number of tickets for each time slot are available, with slots available from 9am until the zoo closes at 5:30 - be aware that the animal houses will close a bit earlier than the zoo, at 5pm.

According to the Bristol Zoo website, a number of the time slots have already been fully booked, but there are still tickets available for those looking to visit.

Tickets cost:

• Adult: £21.95 with donation, £19.95 without donation
• Child (two to 14): £15.95 with donation, £14.50 without donation
• Under two: free
• Carer: free

The zoo has explained that the reason that it’s not staying open until the end of 2022 is to be able to give it time to “carefully move the animals, focusing on their welfare as a number one priority”.

The zoo said: “We deliberately scheduled this for the autumn and winter months, when the zoo is traditionally quieter.”

When will the new site open?

The Wild Place Project will become the new Bristol Zoo from early 2024.

Charlotte Moar, Chair of Trustees for Bristol Zoological Society, said everyone at the Society recognises the significance of the decision.

She said: “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.

“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.”