A viral video has shown gorillas banging on the windows of an old British zoo that has been closed for years. The footage has sparked outrage online as people wonder why the animals are still there.
The old Bristol Zoo shut down in 2022 because of money problems linked to the pandemic. It later reopened in a new area, but the original site has become a hotspot for trespassers and urban explorers. Some of them claim to have seen gorillas still inside the property.
The director of conservation and science, Brian Zimmerman, said: “The care and welfare of our animals is, and always has been, our top priority. The gorillas have access to a large outside area, and multiple indoor spaces, and the temperature of their habitat is carefully managed to reflect the warm temperatures of Equatorial Guinea, where they would live in the wild.”
Even with those statements, another viral video surfaced showing explorers entering the site and recording the gorillas again. In the clip one person said: “Bristol zoo: what are you hiding? What is it you don’t want everyone to know? These gorillas should never be in here.”
They also claimed the zoo has not been honest about what animals are still on the property.
They said: “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.”
Zimmerman later said police were involved due to the repeated break-ins. He 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.”
The zoo says that the gorillas are expected to be moved to their new Central African Forest habitat at the new site in Spring 2026. Until then, staff continue to care for them as construction on the new enclosure continues.
