Bristol Zoo appeals for votes to win 'Wildlife Attraction of the Year'

Bristol Zoo Gardens is appealing for help to win the title of ‘Eden’s Top Wildlife Attraction of the Year 2010’.

The competition, which will run over the summer months of 2010, will see a selection of the UK’s leading wildlife attractions competing to win the accolade.

The competition is being run by television channel ‘Eden’ as part of its Great British Wildlife Season.

Now Bristol Zoo is asking for people to show their support by voting for Bristol Zoo to win the competition. To find out more, and to cast your vote, visit www.uktv.co.uk/eden/homepage  

Adrian Wills, Head of the Eden Channel, said: “The people who bring you first-hand interaction with the some of the world's most exotic creatures are the amazing zoos and wildlife parks spread around Britain. So, to celebrate the best of the best, we are asking the public to vote for their favourite of 9 wildlife attractions around the UK. We wish Bristol Zoo the best of luck.”

Rebecca Sawtell, Marketing Coordinator at Bristol Zoo, said: “We are excited to be part of this competition and we hope that as many people as possible will get behind us and vote for us to win! We are immensely proud of being Bristol’s city zoo and we are hoping our impressive credentials will help people realise all the good work we do here, both as a successful visitor attraction and for the important conservation, research and education work we do every day.”

Bristol Zoo is home to over 450 species of exotic and endangered animals, from impressive gorillas and fearsome lions, to giant tortoises, monkeys, meerkats and penguins.

As well as being a popular and successful visitor attraction, the zoo also works hard as a leading conservation and education charity. Conservationists at the zoo work on projects around the world that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species. This includes working to help protect orphaned gorillas in Cameroon, abandoned penguin chicks in South Africa, critically endangered lemurs in Madagascar and some of the UK’s most ‘at risk’ native species.

The zoo is also involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. This year the zoo opened a vital breeding centre for two of the world’s most endangered frogs, to help save them from extinction. Without efforts such as this, some of the world’s most vulnerable animal species could be lost forever.

Last year Bristol Zoo was commended for its “first class” zoo license inspection. Every zoo in the UK has to undergo an official zoo licensing inspection to ensure animal welfare and husbandry are of the highest possible standards.

Inspectors also check animal diet plans, veterinary care, policies and procedures, conservation and research programmes, health and safety, security, education and staff training. The inspectors were impressed with all aspects of the zoo, including the general appearance and upkeep of the gardens and buildings, and the zoo’s ‘continued commitment to first-class animal care’.

Bristol Zoo aims to combat the problems facing the planet by researching these threats, working to overcome them and communicating the findings to a wider audience, so that more people – today and tomorrow – help save species.

To help Bristol Zoo win the Eden Top Wildlife Attraction of the Year 2010, vote for Bristol Zoo online at www.uktv.co.uk/eden/homepage or visit the zoo website www.bristolzoo.org.uk.

ENDS

 For press enquiries please contact the Bristol Zoo Gardens press office:

Lucy Parkinson, T: 0117 974 7306, E: lparkinson@bristolzoo.org.uk

Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, E: vhollier@bristolzoo.org.uk

Notes to the Editor
Eden
Crammed with the greatest nature and wildlife shows on earth, including great programmes such as Animal Park and Bill Oddie’s How To Watch Wildlife, Eden brings you the most breathtaking animal and natural wonders, taking viewers on an incredible journey lead by the world’s most experienced experts. Eden’s Great British Wildlife Season will explore the fascinating and varied wildlife living right on your doorstep. Catch Eden’s Great British Wildlife Season every night from 6pm. Eden is available on Sky 532and Virgin Media 208.

    EdenWildlife Attraction of the Year      

Other wildlife attractions in the competition are: Paignton Zoo, West Midlands Safari Park, Marwell Wildlife Park, Knowsley Safari Park, Colchester Zoo, Blue Planet Aquarium, Blackpool Zoo and Blair Drummond Safari Park.

BristolZoo Gardens

• BristolZoo Gardensis an education and conservation charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work. 
• Throughout 2010 Bristol Zoo will be running a series of events to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s biodiversity, as part of the international Year of Biodiversity. For more information visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/conservation/campaigns/iyob
• To find out more about the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity visit the website at www.biodiversityislife.net
• Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
• The Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
• Itemploys 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
• BristolZoo Gardens supports – through finance and skill sharing – 15 projects in the UK and abroad that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species.
• BristolZoo Gardensis a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.