Bristol Zoo

Bristol Zoo Gardens stood in Clifton, a leafy suburb of Bristol, between the wooded slopes of Clifton Down and the spires of Clifton College. The walled zoo opened in 1836 and grew into a compact Victorian collection of animal houses, aviaries and pools. Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge arched above its northern boundary, linking the green ridge to the city centre. The zoo was known for its breeding successes and conservation work. It celebrated the first black rhino born in Britain in 1958 and the first chimpanzee born in Europe in 1934. Its seal and penguin pools held 145 000 imperial gallons of salt water, complete with waves and waterfalls. Gorilla Island housed a family of western lowland gorillas, including a silverback named Jock and several infants born in recent years. Visitors walked past the Reptile House, where geckos and dwarf crocodiles lived in heated rainforest conditions. The Aquarium displayed Amazon catfish, African cichlids and coral-reef seahorses. In Monkey Jungle, crowned lemurs mingled with visitors while spider monkeys climbed overhead. The Butterfly House, a climate-controlled polytunnel, let blue morphos drift around tropical plants.