Not been around for a while again, got loads going on, hopefully i'll have a bit more time once the ...
Not been around for a while again, got loads going on, hopefully i'll have a bit more time once the kids are back at school.x
Member since:06.02.2007
Reviews:265
Members who trust:150
I am fortunate in that i live just outside of the city of Bristol, it is a city with a lot of attractions, one of the most popular being Bristol Zoo Gardens. My family used to plan huge days out at the zoo when we were younger, we'd take a picnic and spend the whole day touring the zoo, playing on the greens and having a fantastic time. After a gap of several years not going, we had entered the world of teenager and were to cool to be seen out with family, we all decided one day that it would be nice to go again, they had alot of new enclosures that we had not yet seen and it would be nice to see how it had changed since our last visit.
While it was dissapointing that many of the big animals had been moved on, due to space restrictions, we still enjoyed our visit and started to go there more and more frequently. Eventually we decided we'd be better off as members(saving alot of money) and have been for nearly 5 years. My husband even proposed to me there within the seal and penguin enclosure.
A little history- BristolZoo Gardens was founded in 1835 and opened to the public in 1836. It is the fifth oldest Zoo in the world, and the oldest one that is not in a capital city. In the 1920s and 1930s the zoo saw saw much improvement, some of the buildings constructed then still survive - for example the Aquarium and the Pavilion. During the Second World War some of the flowerbeds were switched over to vegetable growing and many of the animals had to be evacuated to safer areas. In 1953 the World's first nocturnal house was opened here. In 1967, the Severn Bridge opened giving the zoo its biggest attendance ever (1,134,488 visitors). In the early 1980s the zoo saw much redevelopment including the opening of the Reptile House in 1981, the Monkey House in 1983 and the re-designed Aquarium in 1986.
The Zoo- The main visitor entrance is attatched to the main gift shop, a series of desks, manned by friendly staff, are there for you to buy your tickets. There is also a small entrance at the rear of the park, this opens seasonally. You are led up a small corridor, from the main entrance to electronic doors which lead you straight out into the zoo grounds. You are able to hire wheelchairs and electronic scooters/wheelchairs here. Members do not have to wait in line(unless theres lot of them!) and are greeted by a member of staff who simply scans their card and lets them through.
You are immediately faced with a gibbon enclosure, the recently improved flamingo aviary and just down to the left one of the main attractions- the lions. If you choose to cross to the flamigos and turn right instead of heading to the lions you are led down to the Clifton Pavillion, as you follow the path around you come across a small eaing area and eventually come to
the hilarious prairie dogs(dont be alarmed by the cages with cat flaps, this stops the birds pinching their food) There is no specific route to follow, in fact its quite pleasant just to wander the zoo taking in the lovely gardens as well as visiting the animals.
There are many animals at Bristol Zoo, the current main attraction is the Gorilla house and island. 3 adult gorillas live here, a very impressive male and 2 girls, in the last few years both females have had babies and there are currently 2 adorable young gorillas, who should be able to stay at the zoo until they reach sexual maturity at 15 years old. During the summer all the gorillas venture out onto their island sorrounded by water(allowing guests an almost complete view from wherever they are in the park) and no doubt in the years to come the adorabole babies will become bolder and more adventurous and will provide much entertainment on the island.
Other animals include Okapi, Meerkats, Penguin, Seal, Pudu, Giant tortoise, red pandas, lemurs, tamarins and more(all available for sponsorship). There are a variety of animal houses including reptiles, aquarium, nocturnal, insects, Zona Brazilia(featuring tapirs, Capybara and more) and the wallace aviary.
The newly improved monkey house now features a lemur encounter, you enter through a double gate system, within the monkey house, where red ruffed lemurs run around quite happily, there are staff on hand to look after animals and guests as well as provide talks on the animals, this has become a popular feature since opening in 2006. It is pushchair and wheelchair friendly, it even has a sanitary handwash by both entrance and exit for those health concious visitors. The enclosure is open topped and allows the animals to cross to gorilla island if they desire, it is far more spacious and light in feel compared to the previous monkey house. The lion tailed Macaques are a real favourite who's calls carry across the whole of the zoo, new to the zoo since the opening of the new enclosure are the De Brazza's monkeys, the first in the country.
Seal and penguin coast is a great enclosure on 2 levels. As you enter you see the penguins and then the seals on their upper terrain, you are led down into a spacious tunnel system which leads you UNDER the enclosure, you get to see the 2 species at play under the water. It is a fantastic experience, especially as penguins dive for food snd the seals gracefully swim by. For those who are claustrophobic there is a exit gate just before you enter the tunnels, you can still enjoy the upper level without going below. Just as you enter the seal section there is the plaque wall where special plaques(paid for by visitors) are dedicated to friends, family.....
The zoo is quite easily navigated with regular signposting and maps. It has several kiosks to buy snacks and drinks from, a burger stand, a pizza stand, 2 gift shops as well as the pelican restaurant and its large eating area. The gift shops stock the usual range of souvenirs emblazoned with the zoo logo, there are also cameras, batterys, ceramic gifts, sweets and drinks, collectables, books, toys etc etc as with most gift shops the prices vary some items are bargains however some of the items are a little over priced. The restaurant offers a wide selection of meals both hot and cold, as well as a variety of drinks, there is both indoor and outdoor seating(they provide highchairs for little ones) There are regular toilet blocks and baby changing facilitys, as well as disabled toilets and there are lots of seating areas in which to take breaks. The first aid centre is by the wallace aviary and is always staffed. For those with children there are 2 outdoor play areas(one for under 2's, one for over 2's)
All the enclosures have information boards by/on them telling you about the animal within and its species. There are also little activities to take part in throughout the zoo like testing if your tongue is as long as an okapis, if you can hold your breath as long as a hippo and how fast can you run, these are regularly dotted around the park and are fun for adults as well as kids, there are also(new this season) the classic photo opportunity boards where an animal features on a large board with its face cut out, you poke your face through the hole and hey presto you're a meerkat!
There are regular animal talks held at their enclosures by the keepers and there is an education centre for school trips. The enclosures that feature talks have notice boards which show the time of the next talk.
There are 2 carparks, charging £1 for a days parking, the first is out fron of the zoo the other is just down the road but clearly signposted. The main carpark has wheelchair spaces. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------
Bristol Zoo is open daily from 9am to 5.30pm in peak season, closing at 5.00pm off-peak. The zoo is closed on Christmas Day. Last entrance to animal houses is half an hour before closing as is last entrance to the Zoo.
Membership- Prices vary for membership, they are
One adult £42.00 Joint (two adults) £69.00 Concession £34.50 Joint Concession (two concessions) £57.00 One adult plus one concession £61.00 Joint (two adults) plus third adult £96.50 One child £16.50 One disabled child £12.50
With membership comes many benefits not least free entry to the zoo as many times within your membership year. You will also recieve five half price tickets for family members, invitations to Zoo events, 10% discount in the Zoo gift shops (in the Zoo and online) when you spend over £5, free entry to selected other UK Zoos, car sticker, badge for children, A 10% discount on the full membership fee after two years continuous membership,
Pictures of Bristol Zoo and Gardens
De Brazza monkey
free 'Zoo Matters' magazine three times a year. You can apply for membership online, at the zoo or by picking up a leaflet while visiting the zoo and sending it off later. If you join during your visit you can recieve back the money spent on entry that day(you will need your receipt) There is a membership office where you can apply, you have your photo taken and are issued with a personal membership card(credit card size) which you carry with you.
Other ways to support the zoo include donations, animal sponsorship and the sponsor a plank scheme(from £25 you can have a plaque, with a special name or message, permanently on display in seal and penguin coast) you are also able to take part in their "zoo keeper for the day" programme which costs £200 per person(full details available from the park or online) the zoo occasionally have special themed days for Easter, Halloween etc... details are always available about those and other special events.
How to get there- Take the the M5, J17 then take the A4018 and follow brown elephant signs.
From Bristol City Centre the zoo is well signposted, follow the brown elephant signs and/or signs to Clifton.
You can get to the zoo by bus. A Zoo Safari ticket on any First bus in Bristol centre gives discounted bus travel/Zoo entry. This applies to adult and child tickets only. There are frequent services, the 8 and 9 buses run between Temple Meads Station and the zoo.
If you want to take the train joint ticket can be bought with discount travel/Zoo entry. This applies to adult and child tickets only. There is a local train service to Clifton Down Station (10 minute walk to the Zoo), From Bristol Temple Meads Station take an 8 or 9 bus to the Zoo main entrance. Call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 for further details.
Details about the zoo, ways of supporting them, taking part in special activities and theme days etc is available via the zoo website- http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk
you can also find out how to book the Clifton Pavillion for special events via the site(they do wedding conferences etc) they will be able to send you details and menu options.
--------------------------------------------------------------- ----- My experience- As ive already mentioned I am a member of the zoo and take full advantage of that fact. We must go to Bristol Zoo at least once a month, its not far for us to travel and parking is a maximum of £1, if you can find a space in the surrounding area then you dont pay anything.
My little boy loves visiting the animals and can spend hours in the aquarium alone. My personal favourite animal is the Okapi but their enclosure is currently surrounded by bamboo screens as they think the female is expecting again(she had a baby a little while back who has since moved on) it is also by the gorilla house which currently recieves alot of human traffic which can be a little distressing for them. I also love the naked mole rats that are in the nocturnal house(they're so weird) and the meerkats who are always happy to perform, running around their enclosure hunting for bugs and trying to dig their way out. The major downside of the nocturnal house is its kept quite dark and often has natural flooring which can become uneven, however it is one of the most successful houses in the breeding programme and has an outside notice board with regular updates.
A major downside during the warmer weather is the protestors, occasionally groups will gather outside trying to hand out leaflets, they dont get out of hand but I personally find it very frustrating, they have no concept of the work the zoo does for animals in the wild and their conservation efforts. They do not however detract from the enjoyment you will have within the zoo and are quickly forgotten once inside the entrance.
It is always an enjoyable day out and while there isn't alot of covered areas it is still nice in cold/wet weather as there are lots of indoor animal houses in which to shelter. It is easy to move round and very pushchair friendly. In the warmer weather we still like to take picnics and a blanket and sit out on the grass, its great being able to watch the little ones run around playing.
The grounds are beautiful and they always have the most stunning flower displays(or pumkin display at halloween) during the christmas season the zoo is decorated with rope light figures of animals and looks fantastic. Being a member it is nice to visit all year round, we get to see a wide range of animal activity throughout the year as some find the cooler weather suits them better while others prefer the summer heat. Naturally it is busier in summer and school holidays, we like to visit alot in the quieter times so we can have a more leisurely trip.
Overall- This is a great place for a family day out, if you're traveling a long way its worth spending the whole day(they recommend 3-5 hours for a visit) as the prices aren't the cheapest, make the most of the experience and visit all the animals. I would recommend this zoo to everyone, there is no steep or uneven terrain that could make it difficult for elderly/disabled(although the nocturnal house can be a little tricky at times) and it is very wheelchair friendly. There unfortunatley is limited space as this zoo is in the middle of a city and so there is not a huge amount of large animals, gone are the days of elephant and girraffe as they require large amounts of space for their enclosures, something the zoo sadly does not have, I personally remember when there were wolves, bears, tigers.... the lack of space is undoubtably bad for the animals and it is better that the zoo think about the animals well being then pleasing the crowds. Still it is a lovely zoo with some fascinating animals and it does an awful lot of conservation work to protect wildlife. If you only go to visit the baby gorillas and other baby animals(the zoo has a very successful breeding programme) its still worth it. Children and adults will both enjoy it.
-------------------------------------------------- 03/2008 The zoo has recently taken on a new male lion as part of their breeding and conservation plan, their old male started experiencing problems with a low sperm count and so he has been sent off to another zoo to comfort a widowed lioness while the new male is free to breed with Bristol Zoo's lioness, watch this space for cubs!
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great review, I went here about 30 years ago when I was a kid We went up from Devon on the train for the first time!. I can remember the train but not the zoo, lol.
weetoon 08.09.2007 20:02
Great pictures!!!
Mitsudan 07.09.2007 01:16
I know and love this zoo - you've done it justice with your review. An E from me! David
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Mar 9th, 2007
(Mar 15th, 2008)
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