Zoo shares heartbreaking aftermath of gorillas being discovered banging windows of closed site

A British zoo has revealed staff received 'death threats' after a video showing gorillas banging on the windows of an enclosure at an abandoned site went viral.

Last year a clip showing gorillas still being housed at Bristol Zoo emerged online, despite the attraction closing to visitors back in 2022.

In the video urban explorers accused the zoo of a coverup, saying: "Bristol zoo: what are you hiding?"

The video subsequently went viral as people were concerned about the welfare of the western lowland gorillas, with a representative for Bristol Zoo later coming forward to reveal the video being shared online did not accurately reflect the situation at the site.

A spokesperson explained that conservation staff were continuing to care for the animals at the old site until their new habitat was finished and that trespassers on site had threatened safety.

The extent of the harassment staff at Bristol Zoo Project has since been revealed by a member of staff, who revealed that volunteers received death threats online.

"At the zoo we have somebody who looks after our social media," Hannah Windross, Director of People and Public Engagement at Bristol Zoo, explained in an interview with BBC Radio Bristol.

"She was getting death threats from people who did not understand that we were looking after our gorillas, who did not understand that we were focusing on animal welfare.

"It's tough for the volunteers and the staff when people don't really know the full story."

Bristol Zoo Project cares for critically endangered eight western lowland gorillas, which were finally moved to their new home at the conservation park's African Forest enclosure yesterday, following its completion.

The new home is reported to be four-and-a-half times bigger than the enclosure at the old Clifton site and had been specially designed to replicate the primates' natural habitat.

Windross revealed the site will be open for visitors later this spring. "It is so exciting," she added.

The zoo also hit out at the disruption which trespassers to the old site had caused, revealing the break-ins had been distressing for the gorillas.

"Unfortunately, each time this content is reshared we experience further break-ins at the site, which is extremely distressing for our Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla troop," a statement from Bristol Zoological Society, a charity which manages the zoo, said last year.

"We take these incidents very seriously. Our heightened security has ensured trespassers haven't been able to get near to the gorillas, but each time it happens, alarms are set off, which is really disturbing for them."

LADbible Group previously contacted Bristol Zoo for further comment.