Visitors queued down the street to get a final glimpse of the animals at Bristol Zoo as the attraction is set to close its doors this weekend after 186 years.
It marks the end of an era as the fifth oldest zoo in the world - and the oldest provincial zoo - is shutting its doors for the final time.
Today spectators gathered at the entrance to see the attractions before the site is closed down and redeveloped for housing.
Queues were seen snaking down the road outside as families eagerly waited to get inside.
Bristol Zoo has been open to the public since 1836 and has seen over 90 million visitors walk through its doors over nearly 190 years.
But Covid lockdowns sent visitor numbers plunging and as a result the zoo is moving some of its famous animals to a new location five miles away at the Wild Place Project.
Some of the animals will stay at the Clifton site until their new enclosures have been built.
Bristol Zoological Society, the charity which owns and operates the zoo, says they were "forced" to sell due to plunging visitor numbers caused by the pandemic.
The society will funnel proceeds from the sale into the new Wild Place Project, located just off Junction 17 of the M5.
The new zoo is expected to open in 2024 and the old gardens will be turned into sustainable homes.
Education and conservation are at the heart of the organisations work, including field conservation projects across four continents.
Famous residents of the zoo include Roger, the first black rhino born in the UK, and Alfred the gorilla who lived there from 1930 to 1948 – the longest surviving gorilla in captivity anywhere in the world at the time.
The Wild Place Project says it aims to create a sustainable future for wildlife and people through conservation and education.
