‘A life among the trees’: Bristol zoo’s gorillas move out of town | Zoos

IIt’s been an eventful few months for the Bristol gorillas. The union made headlines around the world when an urban explorer photographed himself dejectedly in their old, nearly abandoned home near the city centre. They were then transferred under armed police guard to a new base outside the city, where they were immediately met with a shocking death.

On Monday, in the warm spring sunshine, western lowland gorillas were spotted exploring a new forest habitat. Bristol Zoo Project, five miles from the old town houses.

They climbed a horse chestnut tree as high as a three-story building, tasted the green shoots of hawthorns, and scanned the ground for treats.

Mammal curator Sarah Gedman, who has been with the team for a decade, was beaming as she watched the seven gorillas explore their new “African jungle” home.

“It’s four and a half times larger than their old house,” he said. “But the most striking thing is how complex it is. We offered them a life here among the trees. They literally disappear into the trees.”

Hasani, a five-year-old boyHe was the first to run to the new house. “He’s full of confidence,” Gedman said. “But the best climbers are our adult women because they’ve had a little more practice. One of our adult women, Touni, is a great tree climber.”

However, the transfer was not without sadness.

The gorillas were moved in February in a complex operation involving more than 40 people, including keepers, veterinarians and relocation experts, as well as a police escort.

Ten days later, Jock the silverback, aged 42 and the oldest male gorilla in the UK, became lethargic and lost his appetite. The difficult decision was made to euthanize him. As a result of the autopsy, it was determined that he had an aortic dissection (tear in the artery).

“It was a sad time for both the keepers and the gorillas,” Gedman said. He was proud of how Jock helped the unit adapt. “He did an incredibly good job, surveyed the entire area, gave that assurance as he settled into the unit, and it was as if he had established peace when he did that.”

The gorillas were kept inside for a while to get used to their new place. However, they have been allowed out in the sunlight for the last few days. Media were invited on Monday and visitors will be able to see them for the first time on Wednesday.

They will eventually share their enclosure with endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys, and nearby there is a flock of African gray parrots rescued from illegal pet traders in Eastern Europe.

Bristol’s connection with gorillas is long-standing.

In 1930, a gorilla named Alfred arrived in the Clifton area. He was shown around the zoo by a leader and congratulated for participating in a snowball fight with visitors.

In more recent years Jock and the rest of the troop lived on “gorilla island” in Clifton. The site was closed to the public in September 2022 and most of the animals were moved to the Bristol Zoo Project on the edge of the city.

Eight gorillas were left behind while their new home was being built. In October 2025, an “urban explorer” entered the zoo and posted a video of one of the monkeys tapping on the glass window of the gorilla house and looking sadly at the amateur animal watcher.

The zoo insisted that the animals were content and that what appeared to be a mournful expression to the untrained human eye was actually relaxed.

We are still saddened by Clifton’s move. The zoo says the animals have a much better home, but some critics say it’s about making money by selling city land in exchange for housing in one of England’s most desirable neighbourhoods.

This year there were demonstrations against property developer Acorn’s plans to build homes in the area. Save Bristol Gardens Alliance argues the project would destroy an area of ​​great cultural, historical and environmental importance.

There are those who do not think that gorillas should be kept in captivity at all.

In a report published last year, Captive Cousins, philanthropy Born Free He said keeping great apes in zoos was ethically untenable and should be phased out.

Chris Lewis, Born Free’s director of captivity research and policy, said the new enclosure for the Bristol gorillas was an improvement but “it does not eliminate the fundamental problems that great apes face when held in captivity. The needs of such intelligent, sensitive beings cannot be met in a zoo environment.”

Justin Morris, chief executive of the Bristol Zoo Project, argued that gorillas in captivity play a vital role in a coordinated breeding program for the critically endangered species.

“Until we solve the problems these animals face in the wild, the reality is that we need to have these insurance populations,” he said. “I truly believe zoos play an important role.”