Posted on: 5 December, 2024
Bristol Zoo Project is 5,000 miles from Monte Alén National Park in Equatorial Guinea. When our conservation team travels there to carry out vital wildlife-saving work, it takes them two full days to get there!
It might be an understatement to say the two areas are very different, especially in terms of weather – Bristol has an average temperature of 10°C, while Equatorial Guinea’s is 26°C. The latter also has double the amount of rainfall (although Bristol residents may find that hard to believe lately!).
Despite these differences in climate, we’re undergoing a hugely exciting project to bring Monte Alén National Park to Bristol Zoo Project, with the development of our brand new Central African Forest habitat, opening in 2026.
From planting trees and sourcing plant species, to installing biofloors (deep litter beds made of natural materials) and doing huge amounts of research, our team is working hard to replicate the forest of Equatorial Guinea here in South West England.
Read on to find out how each area of Central African Forest has been designed to exactly suit the needs of the species which will call it home.
Photo credit: Valencia Oceanografic
The Crocodile and Parrot House will see Critically Endangered slender-snouted crocodiles mixed with several species of rare freshwater fish from Cameroon. Visitors will be able to see the crocodiles basking on land and swimming underwater via a split-level viewing tank.
To mimic the lakes and rivers of West Africa where they live in the wild, the crocodile pool will have natural plants and light, basking areas with heat lamps and a maintained air and water temperature. As well as artificial filtration systems, the pool will also make use of plants as a natural filter to keep the water at a good quality for the fish and crocs.
We’ll be welcoming one male and one female crocodile to start with, and the hope is that they’ll be able to breed and bolster the population of their species. This means good substrate (the surface on which they live) is needed within their habitat, as crocodiles are nest builders and like to lay their eggs in a big pile of soil, bark and leaf litter. When the nest starts to decompose, the heat generated through the decomposition process helps to incubate the eggs!
A section of the house will be used as a training area for the crocodiles, where they can undergo health checks from our vets, and target training for specific foods. And if you’re wondering whether the crocodiles will eat the fish they’re sharing a tank with, fear not! Other zoos have reported that the species live alongside each other very successfully – there’s even evidence that the cichlids graze algae off the crocodiles’ backs!
The fish that will be living in the crocodile pool are all Critically Endangered species of cichlid, which originate from Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon, which sits in a crater of a volcano that was formed through volcanic eruption.
We’ve undertaken a lot of research to understand what these fish need from their habitat, including gathering data from cichlids that we are currently keeping at the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site.
These cichlids need a very specific water chemistry in order to thrive, so we’ll be installing some sophisticated filtration systems to keep the water at excellent quality. These systems include UV light sterilisation to remove free-living pathogens and bacteria, a drum filter with a fine mesh screen to get rid of food particulates and skimmer boxes to filter floating debris.
The roof of the Crocodile House will also have a system for harvesting rainwater, which will allow us to source the water for the tank more sustainably.
Did you know that some cichlids incubate their eggs and then protect their babies in their mouths? During this period, usually of around two weeks, the mother doesn’t eat. When the babies are ready to live independently, she spits them out into the water!
Inside the Crocodile and Parrot House, just across from the crocodile pool, a large aviary will be home to a new flock of Endangered African grey parrots.
Although they can live up to 70 years in captivity, in the wild this species of parrot is under threat from deforestation and an alarming increase in the pet trade. As they feed on fruit and seeds like palm nuts, they are regularly persecuted due to the threat they pose to the palm oil industry.
In their Central African Forest home, the parrots will have a large outdoor aviary where visitors will be able to spot them in good weather, and an indoor shelter with a viewing area and heat and UV lamps to keep them warm in the winter.
Their habitat will have an abundance of trees, which will be encouraged to grow over the top of the aviary to give a canopy feel. There’ll also be lots of places for the parrots to perch, and plenty of boxes for them to nest in.
As parrots like to chew on things, and have very strong beaks, the aviary will be made of very strong, steel “zoo mesh”, which has been tested by some parrot pets and deemed to be suitable!
We’re hoping to start with three pairs of African grey parrots, with the aim of having a flock of around 20 eventually.
At Bristol Zoological Society, we have a long history of working with mangabeys. For the last decade, our conservation team has been monitoring Endangered Sanje mangabeys in Tanzania.
The cherry-crowned mangabeys that will be joining us in Central African Forest are an active, sociable species that can live in groups of up to 20 in the wild. They’re not fussed about poor weather (which will be useful in South West England!), so visitors should be able to see them swinging through the trees and foraging on the ground of the large habitat they’ll share with the gorillas.
As the species are keen foragers, the indoor part of their habitat will make use of ‘biofloors’. These not only have been shown to improve animal welfare, but they also have lots of practical benefits including heat retention, noise reduction and drainage.
The mangabeys will spend more time outside than the gorillas, and will have their own outside area separate from the troop. They’ll have access to three day gyms, and there will be two management dens where keepers can isolate individuals to carry out weighing, blood tests and other routine checks.
There are only 83 cherry-crowned mangabeys in zoos across the globe, with just seven in the UK. That number will rise to 10 with the opening of Central African Forest, as we are hoping to welcome one male and two females with a breeding recommendation and an increase in the future.
Photo credit: Jon Drew
The gorilla troop’s new habitat within Central African Forest will be four and a half times the size of their current home at the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site. It’s been designed to evoke the dense forest of Equatorial Guinea where western lowland gorillas live in the wild.
The habitat will be ringed by a water-filled moat, which will be a wildlife haven in itself for species of newts and invertebrates, and will provide food for bats and birds. All plants have been chosen not just for seasonal interest and colour, but also for their resemblance to species that are found in Equatorial Guinea.
Instead of relying solely on artificial climbing structures, the existing large trees on site will be supplemented with lots of new trees and shrubs, to form a canopy over the habitat and provide lots of climbing opportunities for the troop. As the mobility of Jock, our male silverback, gets more limited with age, there’ll be plenty of lower levels for him to climb on and rest.
Inside the new gorilla house, each member of the troop will have their own management den for individual care, and access to the same day gyms as the mangabeys. A mezzanine level will allow the keepers to carry out scatter feeds for enrichment.
A covered outside viewing area will allow visitors to see the gorillas inside their house, while the classroom with windows into the day gym offers the chance for school and lecture groups to learn alongside the troop.
We’ll be sharing updates and news about the Central African Forest development leading up to its opening in 2026. Follow us on socials, subscribe to our e-newsletter and check our blog to hear all about it!
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