Wild Place Project

What Wild Place Project does

Wild Place Project, operating commercially as Bristol Zoo Project, is a UK-registered conservation charity (Bristol, Clifton & West of England Zoological Society Ltd.) running a single-site zoological attraction near Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, just off junction 17 of the M5. The site features two primary habitats — African Forest, a newly opened exhibit anchored by a gorilla troop led by silverback Nkoumou, and Bear Wood, a European brown bear enclosure — supported by a broader animal collection marketed for family entertainment and wildlife education.

The underlying operating platform is a website-driven booking and membership management system that supports day ticket sales (including a 15% Family Saver promotion), annual membership subscriptions, charitable donations, private venue hire, and on-site retail and concessions. The organization also runs seasonal programming such as Summer Lates evening events and a Shaun the Sheep Wildlife Mission trail co-created with Aardman Animations for Aardman's 50th anniversary. Beyond the visitor attraction, the charity funds and operates international conservation programs across 10 countries on 4 continents, and holds BIAZA, EAZA, Visit England Quality Assured, and Disability Confident credentials.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across physical gate sales, online ticket booking, and direct membership sign-ups, with marketing concentrated on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, email, and co-branded IP partnerships. Pricing is largely undisclosed publicly; the mix of ticket, subscription, donation, venue hire, and retail streams produces diversified revenue but constrains unit-level transparency.

Name

Wild Place Project

Legal name

Bristol, Clifton & West of England Zoological Society Ltd.

Website

https://wildplace.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wild Place Project, operating as Bristol Zoo Project, is a UK conservation charity running a single-site zoo in Bristol with habitats including African Forest and Bear Wood, selling tickets, memberships, and venue hire while funding wildlife conservation programs across 10 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation & Zoo Visitor Attractions

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAEAE

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Theme Parks, Water Parks & Family Entertainment Centers

SECONDARYTHAJADAL

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYBPAGAGAB

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation programs
• Zoo visitor attractions
• Animal habitat exhibits
• Conservation education services
• Charitable venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from day admission tickets to the zoo and Bear Wood attraction, with standard and discounted family ticket options available.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership programs offering unlimited visits throughout the year with exclusive member benefits, providing recurring revenue for the conservation charity.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable giving through one-time donations, fundraising campaigns, and venue hire. The organization is a registered conservation charity.
4. Venue Hire: The zoo grounds and facilities are available for private hire events, generating additional revenue beyond standard admission.
5. Retail and Concessions: On-site food, beverage, and gift sales during visitor hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bristol Zoo Project (Wild Place Project) operates a single-site zoo attraction featuring animal habitats including African Forest (home to a gorilla troop led by silverback Nkoumou) and Bear Wood (European brown bears). It sells day admission tickets and annual memberships, runs seasonal events (Summer Lates, Shaun the Sheep Wildlife Mission trail), provides venue hire for corporate and private events, and funds an international conservation program spanning 10 countries across 4 continents. The organization is a registered conservation charity (Bristol, Clifton & West of England Zoological Society Ltd.) holding BIAZA, EAZA, and Visit England accreditations.

Product overview

Wild Place Project (Bristol Zoo Project) is a conservation charity operating a single-site zoo attraction with integrated conservation programs. The core product is zoo admission combining access to habitats (African Forest with gorilla troop, Bear Wood with European brown bears) and animal encounters. Additional offerings include membership subscriptions, venue hire services, educational programs, and seasonal events (Summer Lates evening events, Shaun the Sheep Wildlife Mission). Conservation work spans 10 countries across four continents, funded by visitor admissions, memberships, and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• African Forest Walk-in zoo habitat exhibit providing a home for threatened species including a gorilla troop, with daily scheduled animal feedings open to paying visitors.
• Bear Wood Walk-in zoo habitat exhibit housing European brown bears, included as part of zoo admission.
• Zoo Admission Tickets Day admission tickets to Bristol Zoo Project, available online and at the gate, including discounted Family Saver tickets.
• Annual Membership Annual subscription membership granting unlimited visits and exclusive benefits, sold directly via the website to support the charity.
• Conservation Programs International species conservation and habitat protection programs delivered across 10 countries on 4 continents, funded by admissions, memberships, and donations.
• Summer Lates Ticketed after-hours evening zoo events featuring live music, performance, animal talks, and food and drink.
• Shaun the Sheep Wildlife Mission Interactive family trail experience featuring Shaun the Sheep characters, created in partnership with Aardman Animations.
• Venue Hire Rental of zoo grounds and facilities for corporate and private events.
• Education Programs Educational initiatives and learning experiences related to wildlife conservation and animal welfare, including school engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conservation presence in 10 countries across 4 continents

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aardman AnimationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol Zoo Project partnered with Aardman Animations for the Shaun the Sheep 'Wildlife Mission with Friends' trail as part of Aardman's 50th Anniversary celebrations. The collaboration creates an interactive family experience combining Aardman's beloved IP with zoo conservation messaging, driving visitor engagement and family attendance.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Longleat Safari Park: A long-established UK wildlife and leisure attraction combining safari, attractions, and events. Comparable as a UK family wildlife destination, though operated as a commercial leisure attraction.
• West Midland Safari Park: UK family wildlife attraction combining drive-through safari with walk-through animal areas. Comparable as a regional wildlife-visitor attraction targeting families, though commercially operated rather than charity-run.
• Knowsley Safari Park: UK safari park with both drive-through and walk-through wildlife experiences. Comparable as a family-focused wildlife visitor attraction competing for the same regional discretionary spend.

Direct peers

• Chester Zoo: The UK's largest charity zoo and most direct comparable. Operates as a conservation charity with international field programmes, BIAZA/EAZA accreditation, and a comparable revenue mix of admissions, memberships, donations, and venue hire.
• Marwell Zoo: A regional UK conservation-charity zoo with admission, membership, education, and species-conservation programmes. Closely comparable operating model and visitor proposition to Bristol Zoo Project.
• Paignton Zoo: Another regional UK conservation-charity zoo, part of Wild Planet Trust, with comparable ticketed admission, memberships, education, and international conservation programmes.
• Twycross Zoo: A UK charity zoo with BIAZA/EAZA accreditation, known for primate collections and conservation work. Comparable in size, operating model, and visitor proposition to Bristol Zoo Project.
• ZSL London Zoo: Run by the Zoological Society of London, this is a heritage UK conservation-charity zoo with signature exhibits, membership programmes, and international conservation work — directly comparable in mission and operating model.
• Edinburgh Zoo (RZSS): Operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, this UK zoo is a registered charity with membership, conservation, and education programmes closely mirroring Bristol Zoo Project's model.
• Whipsnade Zoo (ZSL): ZSL's larger countryside zoo with admissions, memberships, and conservation programming. Comparable as a BIAZA/EAZA-accredited UK zoo with a similar mix of signature species and family attendance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpYh_6Ez11orAWD7egDyocA
• Facebookfacebook.com/wildplacebristol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristol-zoo-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/bristolzooproject
• TikToktiktok.com/@bristolzooproject
• Xx.com/wild_place

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wild Place Project