Bristol Zoological Society has begun a conservation project in Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park, Philippines, working with Indigenous communities to understand traditional forest use and combat illegal hunting threats. The initiative, funded by the Woodspring Trust and partnering with PhilinCon, aims to integrate Indigenous knowledge into park management while supporting community livelihoods.
Bristol Zoo Project has opened a new interactive visitor experience called Shaun's Wildlife Mission, featuring character Bitzer leading guests through conservation-themed challenges along a trail. The experience educates visitors about real conservation work, including bioacoustics research in Madagascar, and culminates in completing missions at Wallace and Gromit's Wildlife-3000.
Jock, a beloved silverback gorilla who spent more than 22 years at Bristol Zoo Project, has died following a health deterioration earlier this year. A postmortem revealed he had been suffering from an aortic dissection, a tear in his main artery, and he was peacefully euthanised by the zoo's team.
Bristol Zoo Project is launching a four-day public art exhibition from 19–22 June to celebrate the life of Jock, a western lowland gorilla who died earlier this year after 22 years at the zoo. The exhibition invites visitors, members, and the public to submit photographs, drawings, paintings, and artwork inspired by Jock, who fathered several infants and played a key role in international conservation efforts for his Critically Endangered species.
Bristol Zoological Society's conservation work in Sahamalaza Iles-Radama National Park is being evaluated through a new research project studying how invertebrate communities recover in reforested areas. The study, conducted by a University of the West of England master's student in partnership with local NGO The Lemur Conservation Association, aims to measure the effectiveness of reforestation efforts begun in 2019.
Blue-Eyed Black LemurSahamalaza Sportive LemurLemur
Bristol Zoo Project is home to mother and daughter wolverines, Alice and Scottie, living alongside bears, wolves and lynxes in the Bear Wood habitat. The zoo uses specialized enrichment techniques including frozen food, scent trails, and hidden feeds to encourage natural wolverine behaviours.
From 23 May, visitors can join Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit, and other Aardman characters on a conservation-themed trail at Bristol Zoo Project. The free interactive experience combines hands-on challenges inspired by real conservation techniques used by Bristol Zoological Society's global teams.
A new habitat called African Forest has opened at Bristol Zoo Project, set within local British woodland and housing some of the world's most threatened species. The enclosure is home to western lowland gorillas, cherry-crowned mangabeys, slender-snouted crocodiles, African grey parrots, and West African freshwater fish.
Western Lowland GorillaCherry-Crowned MangabeySlender-Snouted Crocodile
Bristol Zoological Society and partner PhilinCon are investigating crop damage caused by Visayan warty pigs in Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park to reduce human-wildlife conflict and illegal hunting. The project, funded by the Asian Species Action Partnership, has interviewed 21 farmers and deployed camera traps to gather evidence of pig foraging behaviour on local farms.
Bristol Zoological Society is deepening its conservation work in Monte Alén National Park through partnerships with local organisations, the Elephant Crisis Fund, and the Fraxinus Foundation. The initiative combines wildlife monitoring using camera traps and acoustic technology with community engagement, sustainable livelihoods support, and innovative fencing solutions to reduce human-wildlife conflict and protect Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas and other forest species.
Western Lowland GorillaCherry-Crowned MangabeySlender-Snouted Crocodile
Bristol Zoo Project has opened a new African Forest habitat featuring Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, Endangered African grey parrots, cherry-crowned mangabeys, and slender-snouted crocodiles. The exhibit connects visitors with wildlife while highlighting conservation efforts in Monte Alén National Park, where Bristol Zoological Society works with local communities to protect forest habitats and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Western Lowland GorillaAfrican Grey ParrotCherry-Crowned Mangabey
Bristol Zoo Project has opened a brand-new African Forest habitat housing three cherry-crowned mangabeys alongside a troop of western lowland gorillas. The custom-built enclosure features a large climbing structure, natural bio-floor, and outdoor wooded island designed to encourage natural behaviours and provide enrichment through multi-species housing.
Cherry-crowned mangabeys at Bristol Zoo Project are part of a European conservation breeding programme aimed at safeguarding the species, which is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The zoo also works directly in Equatorial Guinea to monitor wild populations and prevent human-wildlife conflict with local communities.
Bristol Zoo Project's conservation charity is protecting wild western lowland gorilla populations through a project in Monte Alén National Park in Equatorial Guinea, working with local communities to enable coexistence between people and wildlife. The zoo's gorillas serve as ambassadors for the species, which is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to habitat loss, hunting, disease, logging, and illegal mining.
Western Lowland GorillaAfrican Forest ElephantGorilla
Bristol Zoo Project has unveiled a 4.5 times larger African Forest habitat designed to emulate the landscapes of Equatorial Guinea where western lowland gorillas live in the wild. The new enclosure features indoor climbing structures made from sustainably sourced Devon oak, a biofloor for foraging, and outdoor island access, and will be shared with a trio of cherry-crowned mangabeys.
Western Lowland GorillaCherry-Crowned MangabeyGorilla
Tamara Canalejas has been named BIAZA Woman of the Year 2026 in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the zoo and aquatics sector as an aquarist, lecturer, and leader. She passed away in 2025 after a distinguished career that included roles at Bristol Aquarium and Bristol Zoo, where she led the rehoming of over 3,000 fish during the zoo's closure and championed conservation programmes including work with Mediterranean killifish.
All cichlid species from Lake Barombi Mbo are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, threatened by sedimentation, pollution, overfishing, and gas emissions in their native lake. Bristol Zoo Project's cichlids are now part of a European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation breeding programme to secure their future.
Bristol Zoo Project has opened a brand-new African Forest habitat housing dozens of west African cichlids from Lake Barombi Mbo, a volcanic crater lake in Cameroon. The 100,000-litre pool mimics their natural environment and features a split-level viewing area shared with slender-snouted crocodiles.
Lake Barombi Mbo CichlidSlender-Snouted CrocodileCichlid
Bristol Zoo Project's new African Forest habitat opens to visitors on 1 April 2026, with tickets now available to book. The opening marks the completion of a major facility expansion featuring naturalistic exhibits of African species.
The brand-new African Forest habitat at Bristol Zoo Project opens to visitors on 1 April 2026, featuring a state-of-the-art crocodile house designed to mimic West African freshwater ecosystems. The exhibit will house slender-snouted crocodiles alongside rare cichlid fish species, with split-level viewing areas and naturalistic basking and swimming zones.
