Wild Place Project

Wild Place Project is a wildlife conservation park in South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. It is run by the Bristol Zoological Society and is the sister site of Bristol Zoo.

Wild Place Project
Date opened22 July 2013
Coordinates51.5305,-2.6122
Land area136 Acres[1]
Annual visitors192,306 (2018)[2]
OwnerBristol Zoological Society
Websitewww.wildplace.org.uk

The Park has been designed to link specific ecosystems and conservation programmes across the world,[3] and was originally intended to be split into biomes, representing species found only in specific habitats.[4] Current areas include: Secret Congo, British Ancient woodland, Edge of Africa and Madagascar.

The species list currently includes okapi, red river hog, cheetah, zebra, common eland, gelada baboon, Kirk's dik-dik, giraffe, wolverine, eurasian lynx, grey wolf and brown bear.

History

Wild Place Project is located on Hollywood Estate, a grade II listed estate. The estate was gifted to Bristol Zoological Society in the mid 1960s by the White family. From the 1960s to 2013 the site was used as an off show area for breeding and quarantine. The site also housed the society's nurseries and to this day grows a third of the food for the animals at both Bristol Zoo and Wild Place Project.

In 2008 Bristol Zoological Society announced plans to submit plans to South Gloucestershire Council for the development of a new 55-hectare park.

The park officially opened on 22 July 2013.[5] The original submitted plans suggested a development cost of circa £70 million.[6]

Bear Wood, an environment designed to mimic England in 8,000 BC opened in July 2019.[7]

Future Plans

Some of the biomes originally planned are: Congo Basin Tropical Forest, Central American Swamp, African Savannah, Sumatra Tropical Forest, Nepal Riverine Forest, Coral Reef and British Wetlands.[8]

The species list for each ecosystem has not yet been finalised, but is likely to include manatees, crocodiles, bonobos, bongo, Bengal tiger, orangutan, warthog, lion, kudu, African hunting dog and rhinoceros.

Development of the Park has been supported by the South West of England Regional Development Agency through a grant of £1.5million.[9]

Bristol Zoo announced on 27 November 2020 that its main centre in Clifton would close, with animals moved to its new Wild Place Project site close to the M5 motorway.[10]

References
  1. https://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/zoo-information/about-us
  2. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  3. "Wild Place Project helps conserve endangered animals". BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  4. "Bristol Park gets jungle". Times Online. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  5. http://www.wildplace.org.uk/new-bristol-attraction-opens-22-july
  6. "Zoo submits £70m park proposals". BBC News. BBC. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  7. Murray, Robin (23 July 2019). "Bear Wood at the Wild Place Project in photos as bears bask in sun". Bristol Post. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  8. "Bristol Zoo Unveils Plans For National Wildlife Conservation Park". Zoo and Aquarium Visitor. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  9. "A new zoo for the UK". South West of England Regional Development Agency. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  10. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-zoo-closing-mayor-says-4743761 Sophie Grubb, "Bristol Zoo closing: Mayor says relocation was 'the very best decision'", Bristol Post, 27 November 2020]

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