News / Animals
Celebrations and memories of Bristol Zoo
As Bristol Zoo celebrates its 180th birthday, the attraction has unveiled a collection of treasures from its archives.
Many of the photographs, film footage, signage and records in the zoo’s archive room have been in storage, unseen for decades.
is needed now More than ever
Head of learning, Simon Garrett, has researched much of Bristol Zoo’s history: “We are privileged to own a significant archive of fascinating items including seasonal programmes, daily animal reports, guidebooks, photographs, annual reports, press cuttings, film footage and oral histories spanning the entirety of the zoo’s existence.”
Bristol Zoo is the fifth oldest zoo in the world, first opening its doors to the public in 1836.
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In its early days, the zoo received the gift of a lioness from Queen Victoria, and in 1868 the Maharajah of Mysore sent over Zebi the Asian elephant, which became renowned for removing and eating straw hats.
Among its most well-known was Rosie the Asian elephant – a very popular resident from 1938 until her death in 1961. Rosie was born in the wild in 1925 and arrived at the zoo from a circus. She lived at Bristol Zoo for 23 years, giving rides to some 80,000 children.
Rosie was replaced by Wendy, an Asian elephant who lived at the zoo for 40 years, until 2002. Wendy, along with another elephant called Christina, were known for being taken for walks to Whiteladies Road during the 1960s.
Another famous resident was Alfred the gorilla, who lived at the zoo from 1930 to 1948. He was, at the time, the only gorilla in captivity in the country and was a very popular Bristol citizen. Now his body stands in the Bristol Museum.
Even those who lived too far to visit Bristol Zoo got to know some of its inhabitants as they found fame with Johnny Morris’ popular BBC television series, Animal Magic, broadcast from the zoo during the 1960s and 70s.
Bristol Zoo is now appealing for anyone with archive material to get in touch, either by emailing Laetitia Delaluf on ldelaluf@bristolzoo.org.uk<mailto:ldelaluf@bristolzoo.org.uk or history@bristolzoo.org.uk or by writing to Laetitia Delaluf, librarian and archivist, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA.
Read more: Behind the scenes at Bristol Zoo