The huge interactive gorilla of Bristol Zoo Gardens has finally been revealed to kick off the zoo’s farewell festivities at its Clifton site.
Weighing more than four tonnes and 180 metres o f local yew, cedar, pine and oak donated by Westonbirt Arboretum , "Wilder" and her baby "Monty Alan" made its public debut yesterday (July 21).
It is also reported that the installation, which stands taller than the largest recorded giraffe in history and as wide as three king size beds, will be in place until the zoo closes its doors permanently on 3 September.
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The team behind the installation is Bakehouse Factory, a multi-award-winning theatrical events company in Bristol, that is also behind the organising and managing of the Zoo’s Big Summer Send-Off programme.
Wilder can be seen to make surprising movements throughout the day such as spraying water and eating lettuce that will surely catch visitors off guard.
Onlookers at Bristol Zoo Gardens have taken to social media to express their excitement on the installation, with visitors already posting photos of the installation and others who have praised the majestic gorilla.
Kaptin Barrett tweeted: “My good friends at Bakehouse have made a gigantic gorilla called Wilder which is off to Bristol Zoo. Go see her.”
The zoo’s Big Summer Send Off will also consist of another interactive experience, which is a theatre show where attendees don animal eared headphones as a cast of performers help them explore and learn about animals, as well as informing how everyone can save the wildlife.
The send-off will also see a Past, Present and Future outdoor exhibition on Bristol Garden’s historic top terrace, which will run along the main parade and include poems, pictures and heartfelt words to create a history of the zoo made by its visitors.
Visitors can purchase tickets from £5 for the Big Summer Send-Off until the last day of opening on September 3; however the family theatre show, Into The Wild, will require an additional ticket purchase of £5.00 each to cover the hire of a headset.
Other activities to anticipate throughout the weeks that will form part of the celebrations are The Zoo and You Poetry and Story Competition, The Wall of Memories and Live Legacy Art.
Meanwhile, the main attractions which visitors can meet are the 300 species of animals, such as the troop of western lowland gorillas, the red pandas, sloths and penguins, the Aquarium and Bug World.
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