Bristol Zoo Gardens closes for good in September and all the animals will be relocated, the zoo has been open since 1836.
The Bristol Zoological Society said Bristol Zoo Gardens will shut forever on the 3rd September after being open to the public for 186 years.
It is relocating to the site of the society’s wildlife park, which has a Wild Place Project over in Sout Gloucestershire.
Since their gates first opened they have welcomed around 90 million visitors and helped to save 175 species from extinction via conservative programmes.
They decided to sell the site after the second national lockdown in England as they missed out on huge revenue from peak times during spring and summer.
Sadly, the zoo had already been struggling with a decrease in visitor numbers way before the pandemic hit and made an operating loss four years out of the last six.
That’s not to say they aren’t going out with a bang, the Bristol Zoological Society have planned a number of events before the closing dates to allow people to share memories of the site which are said to be announced soon.
Parts of the site are set to be developed into housing and the gardens will be open to the public free of charge.
The theatre and children’s play area will also be kept open as a community area to host events and workshops.
The popular monkey temple will be left standing and the zoo’s entrance will be changed into the “Clifton Conservation Hub”.
“This is our legacy. Our way of guaranteeing that people throughout the Bristol area will still be able to enjoy the gardens for generations to come. They will remain an important destination for people to visit and enjoy.” said Dr Morris.
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