Bristol Zoo Memorabilia Auctions Generate Over £161,000

Auctions featuring 300 pieces of memorabilia from one of the world’s oldest zoos have collectively generated £161,600. The Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) conducted sales on Friday and Monday, offering items such as signs, sculptures, and photographs from the now-closed Bristol Zoological Gardens. The total amount raised significantly surpassed their initial target of £50,000, achieving more than triple that figure. A BZS spokesperson expressed that it was “wonderful” to have so many bidders “join us in celebrating our long history.” The funds collected are earmarked to support conservation initiatives at the BZS’s new Bristol Zoo Project, situated near J17 of the M5. Among the items that attracted high bids was a yellow enamel zoo sign, which sold for £16,000. Additionally, the sale of 45 Victorian benches from the zoo yielded a total of £25,000, and the original stone bust of Alfred the Gorilla, a familiar sight to visitors entering the Clifton zoo, was purchased for £9,000. Auctioneer Andrew Stowe, representing Auctioneum, commented on the bust’s significance, stating: “This [bust] means so much to so many people.” He added a personal reflection: “I used to be so terrified of this statue when I was a kid, my mum used to have to cover my eyes and walk me past it. “I’m over my fear now thank goodness, I don’t think I was the only one.” Hannah Windross, director of BZS, mentioned that the team dedicated extensive time to cataloguing “to make sure we preserved the most important bits.” She further noted that individuals were provided with the chance to “own a piece of Bristol zoo’s history.” A zoo spokesperson remarked: “It has been wonderful to watch the live public auctions take place and to see how many people have taken the opportunity to join us in celebrating our long history. “Not only are they securing their own piece of Bristol Zoo Gardens history, they are also helping us to fund the future of our charity.” These auctions proceeded despite legal consultations aimed at preventing the sale of memorabilia from the former zoo. A shareholders’ group, led by Save Bristol Zoo campaigner Tom Jones, argued that no memorabilia should be auctioned until the zoo’s site was officially sold for development. The zoo’s spokesperson responded that any legal challenge was “not only wasting vital funds, but they are preventing us from saving wildlife and building a new conservation zoo.”