The effects of the epidemic and lockdowns have forced the oldest provincial zoo in the world to close its main center tomorrow.
The Bristol Zoological Society has said that “hands were forced” in the conversion of Bristol Zoo Gardens, which has been operating for 186 years on the edge of Clifton Downs, into sustainable dwellings.
The organization stated: “Bristol Zoo Gardens has endured several difficulties for a long time. Specifically, the decline in visitors, the financial toll the coronavirus epidemic has had, and the difficulties in keeping up with the evolving demands of the animals.
The Bristol Zoological Society said their ‘hands were forced’ due to the pandemic and national lockdowns
For 186 years, the zoo has been operating on the outskirts of Clifton Downs (pictured)
The money from the sale will be used to construct a new zoo, which is planned to open in 2024 off the M5 north of Bristol.
The third nationwide lockdown put 24 zoos at danger of shutting, according to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquarium.
However, the industry has recovered, and vistor levels have now reached their pre-pandemic levels.
Since it opened, the zoo has welcomed more than 90 million visitors, and notable animals like Alfred the gorilla and Roger, the first black rhino to be born in the UK, have called it home.
More than 90 million people have visited the zoo since it has been open, and a new site is expected to open at a different location in 2024 with proceeds made from the sale
Jo Judge, of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said education and conservation were at the heart of zoos and their work.
She said: ‘A modern zoo has to be first and foremost a conservation organisation.
Modern zoos do a huge amount of work both in terms of conservation and research that could not be carried out with animals in the wild.’