The world’s loneliest gorillas? Urban explorers break into Bristol Zoo and find apes still in enclosure three years after it shut
Footage has emerged of a group of gorillas still living at the long-abandoned Bristol Zoo, three years after it closed its doors to the public.
The visitor claimed they were able to “walk straight in” with no staff or security signs, while the video shows the monkeys pressing against the glass of their enclosure.
In the clip, a gorilla can be seen tapping on a window as the camera pans among overgrown roads, empty living spaces and abandoned visitor buildings.
The person who took the image said that they uploaded it to the internet to ‘find the animals and spread awareness’ and spent ‘a few hours’ in the closed zoo.
They said: ‘Bristol zoo: what are you hiding? What is something you don’t want everyone to know? These gorillas should never be here.’
The explorer, who returned to the area days later, insisted that there were no barriers or protection: ‘There was no security. We spent an hour and a half there and even returned two days later.
‘If someone is trying to say we broke in or climbed on, that’s not true. ‘We just went to the staff doors, pushed them open and walked straight in.’
They added: ‘Like everyone else, I didn’t understand what was happening. Bristol zoo is not very transparent. It’s in the public interest to be transparent – that’s why there’s so much public interest – no one would care if they were honest or not.’
The explorer claimed that they could ‘open the closed area’ if they wanted to.
The visitor claimed they were able to “walk straight in” with no staff or security signs, while the video shows the monkeys pressing against the glass of their enclosure.
In the clip, a gorilla can be seen tapping on a window as the camera pans among overgrown roads, empty living spaces and abandoned visitor buildings.
The person who took the image said that they uploaded it to the internet to ‘find the animals and spread awareness’ and spent ‘a few hours’ in the closed zoo.
The zoo confirmed the group will be moving to new African Forest habitats at the new Bristol Zoo Project, which is expected to be completed ‘within a few months’.
The zoo was previously criticized by a charity for continuing to house western lowland gorillas in captivity and for its new sanctuary in a different part of the city not yet being completed.
The zoo said it had ‘stepped up security’ due to a number of break-ins since its closure, claiming it was putting the safety of both the gorillas and ‘intruders’ at risk.
Formerly known as the Wild Place Project, the new development will be four and a half times the size of its existing homes.
Bristol Zoo said in a statement: ‘Our former Bristol Zoo Gardens site has been targeted by trespassers on a number of occasions. These intrusions caused videos and misinformation to spread on social media.
‘Unfortunately, each time this content is re-shared we experience more intrusions to the site, which is extremely distressing for our Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla group.
‘We take these incidents very seriously. Our high security has ensured that trespassers cannot get near the gorillas, but the alarms go off every time, which is really disturbing for them. Our guards explained the impact of these events on soldiers in a video we published earlier this year.
‘It has been well publicized that the troop are still living in the Clifton area and will shortly be moving to their new African Forest habitat at the Bristol Zoo Project.
‘The care and welfare of our animals is always our top priority. Our experienced keepers and dedicated outreach team continue to care for the gorillas since Bristol Zoo Gardens’ closure, just as they did when the site was open to the public.
‘We hope our supporters will help us raise awareness of the harm these ongoing trespasses are causing to our animals and combat misleading information that the site is empty.’
Aerial view of the Gorilla enclosure at Bristol Zoo, which has been overgrown and abandoned since it closed its doors in 2022, 16 October 2025
The zoo said it had ‘stepped up security’ due to a number of break-ins since its closure, claiming it was putting the safety of both gorillas and ‘intruders’ at risk
Images capture gorillas still confined at Bristol Zoo, which has been overgrown and abandoned since it closed its doors in 2022
The zoo also said that although the gorillas are not yet in their new homes, their current enclosure still has access to ample outdoor space and plenty of indoor spaces with carefully regulated temperatures.
The zoo has previously been criticized by wildlife charity Born Free, which said in a report: ‘Great apes also pose a serious safety risk when kept in unnatural proximity to humans in zoos.
‘Despite closing its doors in September 2022, the former Bristol Zoo site in the UK continues to house western lowland gorillas, while conservation work at the new Bristol Zoo Project awaits completion.
‘Since the closure of the old site there have been a number of public trespasses, risking the health and safety of both intruders and gorillas. Repeated disturbances and loud alarms were reported to have ‘truly distressing’ effects on the gorillas.’
