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DISCOVERING the brand new African Forest at Bristol Zoo Project 🌿🦍 @bristolzooproject

"The Bristol Zoo gorilla troop finally explores the new African Forest at Bristol Zoo Project." https://youtu.be/I5IejS2QY4w It was so amazing to see the Bristol gorilla troop today including Touni, Juni, Ayana, Kera, Kala, Hasani and not forgetting Afia. I’ll tell you a little about the day but don't forget to turn on the captions to get a little more info! On the first of April 2026 we saw the opening of the Bristol Zoo Project African Forest and no, luckily there was no April fools joke! Things went a bit wrong for the Zoo as the BBC TV crew was there wanting to cut the ribbon, but someone put the ribbon in the wrong place and most people like myself came from a different direction. In the end they done a make belief ribbon cut and asked some people to go behind the ribbon. All I wanted was to see the troop after I haven't seen them for 3 years as they were off view in the inner city Bristol Zoo. For this first video I put together a bit of a compilation so you can see everything and everyone. Of course I put the captions on as well so you will know their names. I was there three days with the last day being terrible weather, but they still came out for a little bit. They've got a huge inside which I believe is either 3 or 4 rooms. The first room is visible for the visitors and the second room behind it is partly visible, but it's more for the gorillas to get away from us humans if they want to which is great that they have that choice. The other rooms weren't visible as these were housing the new red crowned collared mangabey monkeys. They still didn't want to come out and are still getting used to their new home, but these will eventually be living together with the gorilla troop. The entire troop really loved exploring the fantastic Island. Even though they had a pretty special place at their former home with lots of mature bushes and a huge tree stump, there were no tall trees to climb which they have here and they absolutely made the most of it. I'm not sure the trees will grow into something spectacular as they did a pretty good job in destroying quite a bit already! If you saw the gorillas in the trees at La Vallee des Singes I filmed in France, the bottoms of the trees were stripped of all the branches and only the crown remained. The keepers did mention that their hearts skipped a beat as they were watching them climb properly for the first time. It wasn't for the faint hearted and you always worry something happens, but they were pros, it's in the blood! It was quite funny watching gorillas like Kera not being quite sure about the different textures on her feet like mud, grass and woodland. She carefully navigated through it all while the others weren't quite as careful. It was great to see the boys Hasani and Juni again as they were so small when I filmed them last and seeing them now. We are also not forgetting Silverback Jock who passed away just after the move. He suffered a bleed on the heart which was likely age related, a condition that can unfortunately affect silverbacks. As the oldest silverback in the UK, Jock was a true icon. He will never be forgotten and his legacy lives on through his troop. Rest in peace, Jock. Because the females require a leader who will accept the two young boys, the zoo is currently searching for a new silverback to join the troop. This process will take some time to ensure the right fit, but I will keep everyone informed as things progress. I hope you enjoyed the comparisons and the quick look around. There will be a last Lope video next week and after that more from the Bristol Zoo troop! Any questions I will try to answer and apologies as some footage was a bit shaky. Why did it take so long to get the gorilla troop moved? There were several reasons including planning issues, campaigners fighting to block luxury housing on the historic Bristol Zoo site to preserve its environmental heritage, getting the right buyer for the heritage site and the infamous break ins. Everything delayed the move of the troop, but it is so good to see them here now. #BristolZooProject #Gorillas #AfricanForest 0:00 Bristol Zoo gorilla troop explores their new island 0:03 Troop names and comparisons 0:08 Kala pulling down the tree 0:13 Inside the newly opened African Forest 0:22 Will the trees survive the gorillas? 0:29 Straight to the flower buds 0:40 Hasani and Kala up close 0:43 Juni climbs high (size comparison) 1:05 Hasani tests the brand new moat 2:16 Taking in the island views 2:18 Mangabey and Gorilla sections explained 2:23 The goal: Gorillas and mangabeys living together 2:32 Habitat comparison: Why tall trees matter 🦧🦍Unlock full video access for less than a coffee! Join the channels membership today! https://youtube.com/@SloggerVlogger/join Due to background noise from human activity, the original audio has been mixed with natural bird songs for a more peaceful viewing experience. Where possible, I will keep the natural sound intact.