UK zoo issues urgent warning after gorilla enclosure break-ins spark devastating consequences
UK zoo issues urgent warning after gorilla enclosure break-ins spark devastating consequences
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A UK zoo has been forced to redouble its security following repeated break ins at its gorilla enclosure in the wake of "false information" circulating online suggesting the animals were abandoned. Bristol Zoo Project has reported multiple break ins at its old Bristol Zoo Gardens site in Clifton, which closed in September 2022, to police following what representatives say is "false information" being disseminated online. Intruders gained access to the gorilla enclosure amid claims the animals were "abandoned".
The charity have released a video on its Facebook page today to raise awareness of the impact the disruption is having upon the animals - including the oldest silverback gorilla in the UK - and staff, as well as to "combat misinformation that the Bristol Zoo Gardens site is empty".
In the video, keepers said the latest trespassers have not been able to get near the gorillas thanks to stepped up security measures, but added that repeated attempts to gain access to the family of primates could be "really distressing" for them. Imogen, one of the zookeepers, said loud alarms and sounds are triggered during each attempt.
She said: "Although it is good news that our stepped up security has managed to keep the trespassers away from the gorillas, it does mean that every time somebody comes onto the zoo grounds, the alarms and sounders go off, which are quite loud - and that's actually really distressing for the gorillas.".
The troop of eight gorillas have remained living at Bristol Zoo Gardens location since it closed to the public in September 2022. They are due to move a new Central African Forest habitat at the Bristol Zoo Project site near Cribbs Causeway this summer, ahead of its opening to the public in 2026.
