Posted on: 7 August, 2024
From conservation successes to awards, new arrivals, and exciting new developments, we wanted to share some of the remarkable achievements - picking just a few from a very long list.
In January, we were excited to welcome two new geladas to our group here at Bristol Zoo Project, father and son Leena and Takeze, who arrived from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Canterbury. After introducing them gradually to the existing group they settled in very well and made themselves at home. Native to Ethiopia’s highlands, in the wild geladas live in complex multi-level societies. One of the group structures is composed of two to 15 males and called a bachelor all-male unit (AMUs), which we have here at Bristol Zoo Project.
It’s been amazing to see inspirational efforts from team members and supporters to raise money for Bristol Zoological Society. Congratulations to our colleagues who ran the Bristol Half Marathon and Bristol 10K, raising over £1,000, and a big 'thank you' to supporter Jared Mawbey, for climbing the mountains of Snowdonia and raising over £2,000.
In addition, we launched our new fundraising pack which offers a huge amount of information on how you can join these inspirational individuals and make a difference.
Find out how you can help raise funds for the Society.
In March this year, we welcomed a highly anticipated furry new resident to Bristol Zoo Project, an Endangered red panda! The much-loved arrival settled in quickly, exploring his tailor-made territory with great curiosity. As well as proving to be a hit with staff and visitors, our red panda has a vital role to play in the future of red pandas globally as part of a crucial European breeding programme.
In March we also launched our new sensory bags that are designed to provide ways to improve focus and create relaxation for children and adults who are neurodiverse or have sensory processing needs. The bags include ear defenders, binoculars, fidget and sensory items, as well as our sensory map and social story. They can be collected from our Visitor Information Centre.
Find out more about accessibility at Bristol Zoo Project.
Also in March, we relaunched our animal experiences, offering a unique opportunity to get closer to our incredible animals and meet our experts. These once-in-a-lifetime experiences offer memories that will be cherished forever and also support our conservation work around the world.
Since Easter, Mary our common ostrich has laid several eggs, and along with her partner Drummer, has succeeded in rolling the eggs into a pile ready for incubation. This is the first opportunity that both Mary and Drummer have had at Bristol Zoo Project to potentially raise young, and they are still working out how to work together to hatch their eggs. The mating signals and laying of eggs show very positive signs that the pair could be parents in the future.
In April we also launched our Fighting Extinction fundraising appeal, which highlights the incredible wildlife-saving work carried out by the Society. The appeal provides the public with another opportunity to help the animals in our care which are under the threat of extinction.
It was also in April that we welcomed Laña, a four-year-old female red river hog from Africa Alive in Suffolk, as a companion for our male red river hog, Ekundu. Our animal team worked hard to ensure that Laña settled in well and was supported in her adjustment to the new habitat. Red river hogs are part of the European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for conservation breeding, and with all the signs looking positive, we hope to hear the pitter-patter of tiny hooves soon!
In May, we formally announced our pledge to conserve and protect dozens of species on the brink of extinction as part of the Reverse the Red initiative, which we're working with in the UK and around the world. The 97 species include threatened birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, as well as larger mammals such as gorillas, giraffe and lemurs, which all have one thing in common – they’re facing major threats in the wild.
We also launched our venue hire programme at Bristol Zoo Project. With spaces to hire at competitive rates, and optional access to the zoo, there are flexible room and catering options, free parking and easy access from the M5. Plus, every booking supports our charity's vital conservation work.
May was also the month we opened our first pop-up gift shop on site! It can be found next to Bearries and Nuts Ice Cream in Bear Wood and has gifts for all of those who love the Bear Wood species. Don’t forget you can also browse and purchase items at our online gift shop.
In May, our UK Conservation team were busy organising and taking part in events to raise awareness of the importance of preventing the spread, and reducing the impacts, of invasive non-native plants and animals. It was part of a national awareness week run by the GB Non-native Species Secretariat (NNSS). Highlighting the worrying effects of invasive species on our waterways and ecosystems, from Himalayan balsam to signal crayfish, it was a great opportunity to focus on our work with the native white-clawed crayfish.
In June, work began on our new Central African Forest habitat as part of our exciting transformation to become a new conservation zoo. This new state-of-the-art space will be home to our existing troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, who will be joined by Endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys, as well as many other threatened species.
Between June 1-9, the Natural History Consortium ran the Festival of Nature, the UK’s largest free celebration of the natural world. This year’s nine-day programme offered more than 70 in-person and online events. Wild Weekend took place in Millennium Square, Bristol, and our ‘Saving Wildlife Together’ tent was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the important work we are doing in Equatorial Guinea, as we focused on the development of our new Central African Forest habitat. We welcomed over 3,100 people over the course of the weekend and highlights included the giant ‘Guess Who?’ game, which was themed around our new Species Plan, as well as the gorilla puzzle feeder game.
In July, we opened our brand new, conservation-themed adventure play area, Explorers Basecamp. The multi-level play area for all ages, needs, and abilities is based on a field station, which you’d find at one of our conservation project sites, and offers kids the chance to learn about protecting species and habitats, through play.
In July we launched a new series of evening events, Summer Lates, which offered visitors exclusive after-hours access to the zoo, as well as additional programming to enjoy. From live music to puppetry, acrobatic performances, arts and crafts, as well as fascinating in-depth talks from our specialist teams, visitors got to observe how the animals behave as the sun goes down.
It was also another double conservation success for Bristol Zoological Society’s bird team in July as two of the world’s rarest bird species bred; a pair of Vulnerable Mauritian pink pigeons and a pair of Endangered Visayan tarictic hornbill. Both chicks have now fledged their nests and the new arrivals can be seen in the aviaries within the Walled Garden at Bristol Zoo Project.
As a conservation charity, we work in nine countries, across four continents, directing 14 field conservation projects with 31 local partner organisations, to conserve and protect some of the world’s most threatened species. So far this year, our conservationists have made several trips to visit our conservation field projects in Tanzania, the Philippines, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Equatorial Guinea. They have joined our partners in each country to monitor the progress of our projects, collating information to enable us to continue positive conservation work for wildlife that needs our support the most.
Read more about our conservation programmes around the world.
All of this amazing work could not take place without your continual support, so thank you for joining us on our mission of Saving Wildlife Together! Every visit, membership, adoption, and donation allows us to make a difference and we cannot wait to see what the rest of 2024 brings!
Become a member today for a year of wild adventure, and help protect the animals and habitats you love by supporting our conservation charity.
