Bristol Zoo Gardens Installs Gorilla Webcam

Fans of Bristol Zoo Gardens’ family of gorillas can now watch these fascinating creatures at the click of a button as the Zoo launches its new gorilla webcam.
 
The webcam will stream live views of the Zoo’s impressive Gorilla Island, home to the Zoo’s family of five gorillas: Jock the 220kg (more than 34 stone) adult male, Salome and Romina the two adult females, three-year-old Namoki and little Komale, who is almost two.
 
The camera has a 180 degree view enabling it to cover almost the whole island and the public can now tune in to watch the western lowland gorillas whenever they fancy. Simply visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk and follow the web link.
 
The best times to tune in to the webcam are when the gorillas are eating their breakfast at around 9am, and at the 12.30pm gorilla talk and feeding time – when the weather is fine.
 
John Partridge, Bristol Zoo’s senior curator of animals, said: “We’re very excited about this new project, the gorilla webcam is a first for us and we are thrilled to be able to offer this extra treat to the public.”
 
He added: “It’s great for the public to be able to watch these fascinating animals on the webcam anytime during the day as they are so fantastic to watch. But you really can’t beat seeing the gorillas up close in their full glory. We hope the webcam will encourage people to come along to the Zoo to meet our gorilla family and to find out more about them and the threats facing their relatives in the wild.”
 
The gorilla webcam has been developed and installed by the Zoo in conjunction with ITV Local West and web cam specialists, Finetra.
 
Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild. They come from an area of dense forest and swamp which covers South East Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. But their native forests are being exploited for their timber, which opens up routes into the forest providing easier access to hunters who kill gorillas for bushmeat and trophies. 
 
Since 1998, Bristol Zoo Gardens has supported the Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund (CWAF), a registered charity working to care for orphans of the illegal bushmeat trade and prevent primate extinction in Cameroon.
 
For more information about Bristol Zoo Gardens and its family of gorillas, visit the zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk or phone 0117 974 7300.
 
 
Bristol Zoo’s Gorilla Webcam
*         Bristol Zoo has worked with ITV West and web cam specialists, Finetra, to install the gorilla webcam
*         To view the webcam simply visit Bristol Zoo’s website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk or the ITV West website at www.itvlocal.com/west/gorillacam
*         The gorilla webcam runs a live feed to the ITV West website
*         The webcam is perfectly safe for the gorillas as it is situated high up on the side of the Gorilla House
*         None of the webcam streaming is recorded in any way
*         The gorillas will not always be visible on the webcam
*         The webcam may occasionally need to be switched off for short periods to enable to Zoo keepers and maintenance staff to carry out work or in the event of an emergency
*         The webcam does not cover the inside of the Gorilla House
 
 
Bristol Zoo Gardens
*         Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
*         The Zoo is an Education and Conservation Charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work. 
*         The Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
*         It employs 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
*         Bristol Zoo supports – through finance and skill sharing - over 10 projects in the UK and abroad that conserve and protect some of the world’s most endangered species.
*         Bristol Zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
*         BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.  

Photo credit: Peter Budd