See the animals slowly waking up and going about their own morning routine, whilst our team of keepers, staff and volunteers get the zoo ready to welcome visitors.
Plus, you'll be getting up close to a different species for each of the early opening dates with additional talks!
Early entry is only between 9.00 – 9.30am. The Courtyard Café will be open for refreshments from 9am.
Sunday 29 June - Cheetah
Saturday 12 July - Birds of Bear Wood
Sunday 3 August - The animals of African Forest
Saturday 30 August - Remarkable reptiles
Not a member? Find out more about Bristol Zoo Project membership here.
Find out all about these lightning-fast felines, from their extraordinary speed, unusual cheetah language and impressive markings, hear about the threats cheetahs face in the wild and what you can do to help this incredible endangered species.
The zoo’s meadows and woods make it the perfect home for over two dozen different native bird species. From perching birds with bright colours and beautiful songs, to birds of prey with lightning-fast reflexes and super senses, we’ve got the lot!
And then there’s the star of the show, a bird that can mimic human speech. A bird that can use tools. A bird that can outsmart a four-year-old child! Join Ian in Bear Wood to discover more!
Find out all about the incredible species coning to our brand new area, African Forest. As well as our Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla troop, African Forest will also become home to Critically Endangered slender-snouted crocodiles, Endangered African grey parrots and several extremely threatened species of West African freshwater fish.
From planting trees and sourcing plant species, to installing biofloors and doing huge amounts of research, each area of the habitat has been designed to exactly suit the needs of the species which will call it home!
Join us for a journey from the rich green streams and rivers of Southwest England, all the way to the dense rainforest of Tanzania. Both just as stunning and full of life…yet fragile and under threat. We'll discover secrets about curious crayfish, rival invasive species of fauna and flora, gorgeous geckos, and towering forests. Let’s jump in together, become conservationists and learn what we can do to help our amazing wildlife right on our doorstep.
