New director announced for Bristol Zoo Gardens
A new director is set to take the helm at Bristol Zoo Gardens this summer.
Dr Bryan Carroll, currently Deputy Director at the Zoo, will take over the role of Zoo Director from September. He succeeds Dr Jo Gipps who announced his retirement earlier this year after nine years as Director.
Bryan, who lives in Backwell, North Somerset, joined Bristol Zoo in 1995 as Operations Manager and took on the position of Deputy Director in 2003.
Martin Davies Jones, Chair of Trustees for Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “We received an excellent response from a large number of applicants for the position, not only from within the UK, but also from Europe and further abroad.
“At the end of this process, the unanimous decision of the interviewing committee, subsequently endorsed by all the trustees, was to offer the post to our Deputy Director, Bryan Carroll.
“As well as his close involvement in the day-to-day activities in the Zoo, Bryan has played a leading role in the development of our conservation projects and is also widely respected in the international zoo community.
“It gives me particular pleasure that we were able to find the right man on our own doorstep and I would like to congratulate Bryan on his appointment.”
Bryan, added: “Ever since I have worked in zoos I’ve wanted the opportunity to lead an organisation such as Bristol Zoo Gardens, which, as well as being a fantastic visitor attraction, bringing wild animals and people together, has strong conservation credentials and works towards important charitable objectives.
“I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to lead Bristol Zoo and I very much look forward to this fantastic challenge.”
The current Zoo Director, Dr Jo Gipps, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Bryan will take over from me as Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens. We have worked together closely for the last nine years, and the partnership has been constructive, friendly and productive. I wish him the very best of good fortune.”
He added: “I have loved working at Bristol Zoo; it has been absolutely the best nine years of my working life. I will miss it deeply, but feel immensely proud that the people of Bristol have a city zoo that they value so highly.”
Before joining Bristol Zoo, Bryan worked at Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (Jersey Zoo) where he was Curator of Mammals for six years. In 1993, Bryan gained his PhD in primate social behaviour.
In 2003, Bryan became Deputy Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens with responsibility for the animal collections, the gardens, research and field conservation programmes.
Bryan chairs the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Bushmeat Working Group, the Callitrichidae Taxon Advisory Group, and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation and Sustainability Committee.
Within EAZA, he is a member of Council, the EEP Committee (which oversees collaborative breeding programmes) and the Conservation Committee.
Bryan is a member of the IUCN/SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Primate Specialist Group and also the IUCN UK Executive Committee.
He is also a member of the International Zoo Seminar Group and of the Defra-Zoo Liaison Group and is a Secretary of State Zoo Inspector.
Bryan is a Governor of Filton College and a Trustee of Ape Action Africa, a charity dedicated to helping Cameroon’s threatened primates.
For more information about Bristol Zoo Gardens visit the website at http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/ or phone 0117 974 7300.
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