Bristol Zoo Gardens unveils new aerial rope course
Wednesday, 1st July 2009
Bristol Zoo Gardens' latest attraction, ZooRopia, gives visitors the unique opportunity to swing alongside some of the Zoo’s most popular inhabitants – gibbons, gorillas and lemurs.
The new aerial adventure course was officially opened on Monday 29th June.
ZooRopia takes participants on a thrilling course around the centre of the Zoo, traversing 17 sections themed around tree-dwelling animals. This includes the red panda clamber, the lemur leap, the gibbon swing, the orangudangle and the gorilla gangway. The course finishes with a zip wire onto the Zoo’s main lawn.
It is the first rope course in Europe that is accessible to children as young as five and set within a zoo.
Alex Page, head of commercial operations at Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “ZooRopia is the result of months of hard work by a lot of people so it’s great to see it open now; I’ve had a go myself and its fantastic fun. It gives visitors of all ages the chance to swing next to some of our most popular primates while enjoying a great birds’ eye view of the animals and the Zoo grounds.”
ZooRopia is up to 5m (16ft) high and participants use an innovative, continuous belay system so that, once fastened into a harness by an instructor, the adventurer remains secured to a rope and completely safe at all times. It also gives participants the ability to move freely and at their own speed.
Rod Baber, managing director of Head 4 Heights, the company operating the new ropes course, said: “ZooRopia at Bristol Zoo is the first ropes course of its kind to date. It offers a fantastic opportunity for young and old alike to experience moving around like primates in a totally safe environment – after all, millions of years ago our ancestors came down from the trees, now we all have a chance to go back up again!”
ZooRopia is suitable for visitors aged five and over, there is no maximum age limit. Participants must be over 1.1 meters tall. ZooRopia is designed so that adults and children alike can take part (charges and restrictions will apply). The course will be staffed by trained instructors at all times.
Find out more about Bristol Zoo Gardens.
