When the public gates of the historic Bristol Zoo Gardens in Clifton, England, closed on 3 September 2022, it seemed an era of zoological history had ended. Yet inside that silent site, a small troop of eight critically endangered western lowland gorillas remained, still onsite, still cared for, but no longer on public display.
A Pause in Transition
The zoo’s closure was part of a plan to move operations to a larger facility, the Bristol Zoo Project near the M5, with a new “Central African Forest” habitat under construction.
While most animals have been relocated, the gorilla troop remains at the Clifton site temporarily.
Why the Delay?
The new habitat is designed to be 4½ times larger than their current home, built to reflect their native forest environment and to include improved enrichments. Until it is ready, the gorillas remain at the old site, safe, but under a prolonged period of waiting.
Concerns and Public Reaction
Despite reassurances from the zoo, concerns have grown. A viral video showed the empty visitor zones and the gorilla enclosure apparently isolated. Wildlife charity Born Free Foundation stated that while care continues, the video “highlights the conditions these animals have to endure in captivity” and questions the wisdom of keeping such intelligent beings in that space.
Furthermore, repeated break-ins at the old site triggered alarms, disturbing the gorillas and prompting increased security. Keeper testimony described the distress caused when alarms go off:
“It’s like someone snooping around a family home outside. The residents of that house will be worried.” ITVX
What This Means for the Gorillas
- The troop lives under the same care programme as before.
- But the environment is in transition: the public display has ended, and the site is being prepared for redevelopment. The gorillas are in a kind of limbo.
- While the new habitat promises more space and better design, the interim period raises questions about welfare, routine disruption, and stress.
- The story underscores a larger ethical question: how should zoos manage transitional phases for large, social, cognitively complex animals?
Waiting Doesn’t Mean “Safe”
For the gorillas, “home” has become a holding space. Though professionals continue to care for them, the context, an old zoo site in redevelopment, with public access removed and break-ins increasing, weighs heavily on the story. The gorillas are not forgotten, but they are paused.
In the wild, gorillas live in complex social groups, roam large forest territories, and engage in rich behaviour. Here, they wait. For us, this is a reminder: even when captive animals are “safe”, they may still be living under conditions far from ideal. Waiting for something better is not the same as living in the best possible now.
If the new habitat delivers as promised, more space, more natural terrain, more freedom within managed care, this pause will be worth it. But for now, these gorillas stand as silent ambassadors of a zoo in flux and a species in need.
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