Wild Place Project facts for kids
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| Date opened | 22 July 2013 |
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| Land area | 136 Acres |
| Coordinates | 51.5305,-2.6122 |
| Annual visitors | 192,306 (2018) |
The Wild Place Project is an exciting wildlife conservation park in South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. It's run by the Bristol Zoological Society and is the sister site of Bristol Zoo. This park helps protect animals and their homes around the world.
The park is designed to show different ecosystems and conservation efforts. It has areas that look like specific habitats from various parts of the world. You can explore places like Secret Congo, British Ancient Woodland, Edge of Africa, and Madagascar.
You can see many amazing animals here! Some of them include the unique okapi, the speedy cheetah, and tall giraffes. You might also spot zebras, red river hogs, and common eland. Other residents are gelada baboons, tiny Kirk's dik-diks, wolverines, and eurasian lynxes. Don't forget the grey wolfes and brown bears!
Contents
History of Wild Place Project
From Estate to Wildlife Park
The Wild Place Project is located on Hollywood Estate. This estate is a very old and important place, listed as a Grade II building. The White family gave the estate to the Bristol Zoological Society in the mid-1960s.
For many years, from the 1960s until 2013, the site was used for special purposes. It was a private area where animals could breed or stay in quarantine. This helped keep them healthy and safe. The site also had nurseries for plants. Even today, it grows one-third of the food needed for animals at both Bristol Zoo and Wild Place Project.
Opening and New Additions
In 2008, the Bristol Zoological Society shared their plans for a new park. They wanted to build a large 55-hectare (about 136-acre) park. The park officially opened its doors on 22 July 2013.
A special area called Bear Wood opened in July 2019. This environment was created to look like England 10,000 years ago. It lets visitors see animals that once lived in ancient British woodlands.
Future Plans and Conservation
Expanding Habitats
The Wild Place Project has exciting plans for the future. They want to create even more "biomes," which are areas designed to look like specific natural habitats. Some of the planned biomes include the Congo Basin Tropical Forest and the African Savannah. They also hope to add a Sumatra Tropical Forest and a Nepal Riverine Forest. Imagine seeing a Coral Reef or British Wetlands!
New Animals to Meet
The park plans to welcome many more animals in these new areas. Future residents might include gentle manatees and powerful crocodiles. They also hope to bring in bonobos, bongo (a type of antelope), and the majestic Bengal tiger. Other animals could be orangutans, warthogs, lions, kudus, African hunting dogs, and rhinoceroses.
A New Home for Bristol Zoo Animals
On November 27, 2020, Bristol Zoo announced a big change. Their main site in Clifton would close. Many of its animals would move to the Wild Place Project. This move helps create a larger, more natural home for the animals. The Wild Place Project is conveniently located near the M5 motorway.
