Bristol Zoo’s ‘abandoned’ gorillas go viral after break-ins, but the truth has been twisted

Bristol Zoo has once again been forced to weather criticism after an onslaught of videos about its gorillas remaining “abandoned” on the site that closed down three years ago.

This month, TikTok has been flooded with videos of so-called “urban explorers” breaking into Bristol Zoo, which closed down in 2022. Just three years on, and the site looks incredibly sketchy, with plants having burst their bounds and grown all over the pathways and buildings. It’s like something from a post-apocalyptic film, but shockingly, those explorers found gorillas still in their enclosures and tapping on the glass. The videos were uploaded to TikTok in the hopes of “finding the animals and spreading awareness”, and it’s quickly been picked up by pretty much every major news site in the UK.

“Bristol zoo: what are you hiding? What is it you don’t want everyone to know? These gorillas should never be in here,” one explorer said in their video.

@sjd1522

#viral #foryou #fyp #zoo #help

♬ original sound – *-*Dammsy*-*

“I, like many others, didn’t understand what was going on. Bristol Zoo aren’t very transparent at all. It’s in the public interest to be transparent that’s why there is so much public attention – no one could care if they were honest. They are telling me there is no other animals in there – but I know there are birds and gorillas. We could get access to the gorillas – if I had wanted to we could have opened the enclosure. I have a lot of sympathy for animals.”

Apparently, they were able to gain access to Bristol Zoo with little to no effort, walking to the staff doors, pushing them open and walking straight through. They didn’t have to climb a fence or break open a lock.

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Of course, the videos have sparked a huge amount of backlash, with some accusing Bristol Zoo of animal abuse. Though the videos are not exactly factually inaccurate, there’s a major piece of missing context that needs to be understood.

Credit: SWNS

Bristol Zoo has already responded to the viral gorilla videos

Right, so here’s where things get slightly more complicated because, while the gorillas have essentially been left at the abandoned site, they’re not going to remain there forever, and they do receive the usual care from keepers.

Bristol Zoo, or the site specifically known as Bristol Zoo Gardens, was closed down in 2022 to fund the creation of a new conservation zoo at the Bristol Zoo Project. The old site is set to be turned into a community with 196 homes, with the animals moving to the Bristol Zoo Project. There, the animals will have much bigger enclosures and better care, with an emphasis on conservation.

Okay, so why are the gorillas just chilling alone? Well, the African Forest habitat is still under construction at the Bristol Zoo Project, but moving the gorillas is expected to happen in “a few months.” In the meantime, they still have access to outdoor spaces, numerous temperature-controlled indoor areas, and care from keepers.

Credit: SWNS

In fact, these urban explorers, while somewhat well-intentioned, are putting both themselves and the gorillas at risk.

Brian Zimmerman, director of conservation and science at Bristol Zoological Society, earlier said: “Since July 2024 our former Bristol Zoo Gardens site has been targeted by trespassers. This has resulted in videos and misinformation being spread on social media. We take these incidents extremely seriously and the care and welfare of our animals is always our top priority.

“Our heightened security has ensured recent trespassers haven’t been able to get near the gorillas, but each time it happens, and alarms are set off, it causes the troop distress. It is frustrating for us to see these videos. The trespassers who broke into our site, put animals at risk and have no knowledge of animal care and welfare.”

A charity did speak out

Wildlife charity Born Free also slammed the decision to keep the gorillas at the old site, but it didn’t condemn those taking the videos.

@mushroom_urbex

Bristol Zoo’s Clifton site opened in 1836 and was one of the oldest zoos in the world. It was located in the Clifton area of Bristol and became famous for its lovely gardens and old-style animal homes. The zoo was a favorite place for many people and worked hard to protect animals and teach visitors about wildlife. It had many different animals and was important for education and conservation. In 2022, the zoo closed the Clifton site to the public. They decided to move to a new style of zoo with bigger, more natural spaces for animals. The Clifton site is now planned for new uses but is still an important part of Bristol’s history.@Top Urbex #bristolzoo #bristol #gorila #urbex #fyp

♬ where’s my head at _ – Basement Jaxx & 100 gecs

“Great apes also pose a serious safety risk when they are kept in unnaturally close proximity to humans in zoos,” the charity said.

“Despite closing its doors in September 2022, the former Bristol Zoo site in the UK has continued to house western lowland gorillas while work on their enclosure at the new Bristol Zoo Project awaits completion. Since the old site’s closure, there have been a series of public break-ins, putting the health and safety of both the intruders and the gorillas at risk. The repeated disturbances and loud alarms have reportedly had ‘really distressing’ impacts in the gorillas.”

I mean, there wouldn’t be any alarms if people weren’t breaking in?

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Featured image credit: SWNS and TikTok/Mushroom_Urbex