A new viral clip shows gorillas striking the glass inside the long-closed Bristol Zoo site, renewing public concern about animal care when attractions shut.
The Clifton gardens stopped welcoming visitors in 2022 after pandemic-related financial pressures, with operations moving to the Bristol Zoo Project at a different location.
Despite the closure, people have repeatedly entered the old grounds and filmed the gorilla troop through windows, prompting heated debate online.
Bristol Zoological Society maintains that the animals are cared for and housed in temperature-managed spaces that reflect conditions in Equatorial Guinea.
Video at the former Bristol site renews scrutiny
Footage recorded by trespassers in 2024 showed gorillas hitting windows, and another widely shared clip claims the same happened again more than a year later.
Those behind the latest upload question the transparency of the situation, suggest that other species remain at the site, and say they could have accessed enclosure doors.
Bristol Zoo has not shared any additional comments on this newest video, although previous statements from senior staff have stressed that daily care continues and that the troop has both indoor rooms and a large outdoor area.
Trespassing, security and animal welfare concerns
Since mid-2024 the former gardens have reportedly faced repeated break-ins, with the society saying alarms are triggered and the police are involved.
The organisation states that intruders have not been able to approach the gorillas when security systems activate, yet it acknowledges that each incident can disturb the group.
The latest video has intensified criticism of communication and safety, with the uploader claiming confusion about the status of other animals and arguing that the public deserves clearer updates.
The society counters that clips have circulated with misleading claims and reiterates that welfare is a priority.
Wider context and plans for relocation
Similar controversies have surfaced elsewhere when facilities closed, including two orcas still reported to be at risk in France after Marineland Antibes shut, and online investigations that documented poor conditions at Thailand’s defunct Phuket Zoo where crocodiles were left in stagnant water.
Against that backdrop, Bristol Zoo Project has announced a new Central African Forest habitat scheduled to open in spring 2026. The forthcoming exhibit is set to be substantially larger than the former gorilla space and designed for a mixed-species setting that includes cherry-crowned mangabeys.
Project updates in 2024 and 2025 reference planting, bio-floors and climate control, while the society urges the public not to trespass at the old Clifton site to avoid distressing the animals.