Bristol Zoo

Bristol Zoo - What WE Say...

So, the big plan was to get to the zoo for when it opened – 9am. Picnic was thoroughly prepared the night before (Bread? Cheese? Apples? Bananas? Yoghurts? Fine then, I’ll throw them together in the morning…), and plans were set to leave at 7.30 sharp.

Back in the real world, Toby shook me awake demanding breakfast – fuzzy-eyed glance at the clock told me we’d have trouble making a 7.30 departure as it was currently 7.50. Ella was singing sweetly in her cot, and the bigger boys were curled on top of each other in a corner of the sofa, doing the early-morning glassy eyed monotonous grunt communication. All hail summer holidays then.

We finally made it out the door by 9 (not so shabby, I didn’t think), which meant we didn’t actually arrive at Bristol Zoo until 11. And then started regretting our sloth-like start to the day; the car park was full, and we were re-directed to the overflow… I had a feeling the zoo was going to be busy – born out by the steady stream of cars following across the grass behind us.

Thankfully our press pass allowed us to steer around the lo-o-ong queue at the entrance and sailed breezily straight on in, but the half an hour waiting in line (on a surprisingly scorchio hot day) would have seriously dampened the enthusiasm for us all had we not been so fortunate. Note – arrive early on popular days!

Inside we checked the map and headed straight for the twilight zone (merely because it was closest, not through any organised-planning-decision you understand). The zoo really was busy, and most places we went the boys had to be patient to wait for their chance to get to the front to see what was going on. We also spent the day pushing an empty pushchair, as Ella (2) would have had a lovely day staring at people’s knees unless we lifted her out. She of course was rather happy with this arrangement, though I did wish I had brought the rein on a couple of occasions!

There are very few ‘big’ animals at Bristol Zoo – a lion enclosure and a gorilla area are the two that spring to mind. However there is an enormous amount to see at eye-level, which is actually more interesting when you are very small. The various ‘zones’ (twilight, reptile, bug etc) were full of small cases/cages, and on that scale Ella was constantly fascinated and excited. She particularly enjoyed the aquarium (although was a little alarmed by the window-sliding activity of the rays), and seemed to feel that every lizard was an old pal who had just been waiting for her to strike up conversation.

We were also thrilled to finally be able to put a name to one of Ella’s toy zoo animals that has always flummoxed us – the Okapi!

The older boys were a little wearied by the crowds, and felt that a quieter time of year would have made the zoo much more fun – though by that I think they mean they would have been able to run and explore a little more freely, so is no real reflection on the zoo, as what else do you expect when you visit on one of the few hot days of August?

The animal encounters display in the centre of the park was excellent – and seemed a great place to stop of a picnic, and everywhere we encountered staff they were unfailingly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The new Explorers Creek was fun (though the water play was apparently far more enjoyable than the “Eeek! Flying parrits! No No, Parrits!’ lorikeets” for Ella).

We stayed all day, and were pretty exhausted by the time we left at 5pm – and we still managed to carefully miss Zooropia (which I was not-so-cross about, although three boys had had their eyes fixed on the high rope bridges from the time we entered the park). The meerkats were probably the most popular animal for the boys (thanks to a certain genius insurance company’s marketing campaign), though I think my personal favourites were the prairie dogs. Hilarious creatures! An ice cream on leaving as we sauntered (okay, scrambled wearily) back up the hill to the car was perfect, and the boys are already asking when we can go back again.

Website: www.bristolzoo.org.uk

Bristol Zoo - What THEY Say...

Bristol Zoo Gardens is a 12 acre site in Clifton. Awarded ‘Zoo of the Year 2004’ by the Good Britain Guide, Bristol Zoo Gardens has a continuous reputation for excellence, innovation, and dedication to conservation. It’s the fifth oldest zoo in the world and the oldest outside of a capital city, and a long established major tourist attraction in Bristol.