Bristol Zoo Gardens - Voted 'Zoo of the year 2004' by the Good Britain Guide, Bristol Zoo Gardens has something for everyone from the smallest and rarest tortoise in the world, to the largest ape. With over 400 exotic and endangered species to explore, enjoy a whole day filled with excitement and discovery at Bristol Zoo Gardens.

Spend a fun-packed day with over 400 amazing species from lions to love beetles. With most of the exhibits under cover, you can enjoy your visit whatever the weather. Allow 2-5 hours for your visit.

Experience animal encounters and feeding times. Try to beat the animal record breakers in the Zoolympics.

Learn about the plight of many creatures in the wild. Your visit will help support our conservation programmes.

Opened in 1836 by the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo is the world's oldest provincial zoo. It is a Victorian walled zoo located between Clifton Down and Clifton College, near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covers a small area by modern standards, but with a considerable number of species. In the 1960s the zoo came to national prominence by appearing in the UK television series, Animal Magic, hosted by the comic animal 'communicator', Johnny Morris.

South American Fur Seal seen through the observation windows at Seal and Penguin Coasts, Bristol Zoo.The zoo's official name is Bristol Zoological Gardens ('Bristol Zoo Gardens' for commercial purposes). This is not in recognition of the flower displays but recognises the first use of that title at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens. Bristol, like its earlier London counterpart, includes several original buildings which have been praised for their architectural quirks, despite being unsuitable for the care of animals; the (former) Giraffe House[2] joins the main entrance lodge[3] and the south gates on Guthrie Road[4] as a Grade II listed building. The old Monkey Temple, resembling a southern-Asian temple, is now home to an exhibit called "Smarty plants", an interactive exhibit which shows how plants use and manipulate animals to survive.

Bristol Zoo supports wildlife conservation, education and breeding programmes world-wide. For example, Bristol works with other zoos around the world to breed lemurs in captivity. Native to Madagascar, the lemurs are critically endangered because their forest habitat is being destroyed. Closer to home, the zoo has helped to reintroduce the water vole to parts of Southern England.