Bristol Zoo Gardens’ Royal Patron His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex has visited the attraction to celebrate its 186th anniversary (July 11) and to hear about the Society’s plans for Bristol Zoo Gardens and a new Bristol Zoo.
The Earl heard about the Society’s proposals to make the landmark gardens accessible to the public for free, while also providing over 200 high-quality, much-needed homes for the city.
His Royal Highness also heard about plans to create a new, world-class Bristol Zoo at the Wild Place Project – enabling the charity to extend its on-site and worldwide conservation work.
When it opens, 80 percent of species residing at the new Bristol Zoo will be linked to this conservation work - more than any other zoo in the UK.
The charity manages seven conservation programmes across the world, including a project to safeguard the Critically Endangered lemur leaf frog in Costa Rica.
As part of the visit marking the Zoo’s anniversary, His Royal Highness stopped off at the Zoo’s Amphipod - where some of the world’s most threatened amphibians are bred and reared - to receive an update about the overseas work from one of the Society’s conservationists, Dr Tim Bray.
Dr Bray recently returned from a field trip in the species’ natural habitat, where he and a team had been surveying for frogs and working with local communities around the national parks to safeguard them.
The Earl also met with volunteers from the Zoo, before heading to Gorilla Island to see the troop of eight Western lowland gorillas.
"We were delighted to welcome our Royal Patron, The Earl of Wessex, to Bristol Zoo Gardens,” said Dr Justin Morris, Chief Executive of Bristol Zoological Society.
"His Royal Highness has always shown a great interest in our charity’s conservation and education work and for him to visit on our last anniversary feels very poignant, and means a lot to the team of staff and volunteers.
“It was fantastic to discuss our plans for the site, which have been developed to ensure our beautiful gardens and its historic buildings can be enjoyed for years to come.
“The sale of the site with planning permission for a residential-led development means we will be able to safeguard the future of Bristol Zoological Society and create a world-leading Bristol Zoo, with conservation at its heart.”
His Royal Highness's visit concluded by meeting pupils from High Littleton C of E Primary School, who presented The Earl with a ribbon for him to write his favourite memory of the Zoo.
The Royal ribbon, along with those written by children from the school, as well as visitors and staff, will be tied to a bunting exhibit on the Zoo’s Top Terrace to be displayed throughout the Zoo’s final summer celebrations.
The historic Bristol Zoo Gardens will close its gates to the public on Saturday, September 3.
To find out more about Bristol Zoological Society’s future plans visit future.bristolzoo.org.uk. For the latest news and updates from Bristol Zoo Gardens, or to book tickets for its final summer, visit bristolzoo.org.uk, or follow @bristolzoo on Instagram, @BristolZooGdns on Twitter, or @BristolZooGardens on Facebook.
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