Bristol gorilla statues to be used for charity events

Bristol Zoo placed the 61 gorilla sculptures around the city as part of its 175th birthday celebrations

Life-sized gorilla statues which formed a public art trail in Bristol are to receive a new lease of life.

The 61 Wow! Gorilla sculptures were part of Bristol Zoo's 175th birthday celebrations and raised £427,300 when auctioned at a charity event.

A project started by one of the new owners is making the gorillas available for charity events in and around the city.

Tim Baines said: "I thought it would be a shame if the gorillas just retired."

Mr Baines, from the newly-formed group of owners called Wow Gorillas - A New Life!, contacted each of the other owners to see if they wanted to get involved, and 33 agreed to join in.

He said: "We now want to hear from charities, with their ideas as to how the gorillas can help their event raise money."

Bristol Zoo's head of marketing and development, Owain Cassidy, said: "Wow! Gorillas was a fantastic success in celebration of the zoo's 175th birthday this year. It brought Bristol together in a city-wide celebration.

"It's great that the gorillas have been given a new lease of life by their new owners, and I am sure they will continue to bring a smile to many more people as they are enjoyed in future."