Building a Bespoke Crate for Bristol Zoo's Gorilla Troop Move

Building a Bespoke Crate for Bristol Zoo’s Gorilla Troop Move

Bristol Zoological Society recently relocated its much-loved troop of Critically endangered western lowland gorillas from their former home at Bristol Zoo Gardens in Clifton to a new, purpose-built habitat within Bristol Zoo Project’s wider African Forest development.

This move required a highly bespoke wooden crate that would ensure the animals’ safety and comfort, fit within the site’s complex spatial constraints and, above all, meet strict animal welfare standards.

Our partnership with Bristol Zoological Society was the first of its kind for IES. But it’s one we were incredibly honoured and proud to support, offering us a unique opportunity to work with a world-renowned conservation charity (just a few miles from our headquarters) and give back to our local and global communities.

Drawing on our expertise in precision engineering and complex packing solutions, we created a tailor-made crate designed specifically for this extraordinary journey. Here’s the story of how we did it.

Meet the troop

The troop is a close-knit family made up of seven incredible individuals, each with their own distinct personalities, roles and relationships within the group.

• Kera, the eldest female in the group at 21 years old
• Touni, a curious, clever and confident 18 year old female
• Kala, a more reserved 15 year old female
• Afia, a growing ten year old female and daughter of Kera
• Ayana, a confident and sociable eight year old female and daughter of Touni
• Hasani, a five-year-old male, co-parented by Kala and Kera
• Juni, a playful, five year old male and son of Touni

You can learn more about the troop and its members via the Bristol Zoo Project website here.

While the zoo had been able to get specific crates on loan to carry most of the troop’s members, they needed a unique type of crate that could allow mothers and infants to safely travel side by side. Except, there was nothing like this already on the market.

That’s where our specialist crate-building expertise came in.

We designed and built a first-of-its-kind crate that enabled two gorillas to travel together, with a built-in partition that provided the option to separate them mid-journey if needed for safety or comfort.

A crate that’s built to last

While the troop only moved a few miles across Bristol in this instance, the zoo requested early on in the process that we build a crate that could be reused for future projects (including potential international moves).

With that in mind, we were conscious the crate would need to meet IATA (International Air Transport Association) standards for live animal transport. This meant paying careful consideration to several key requirements during our design process:

• Space: Enough for each gorilla to stand upright, lie down comfortably and turn fully
• Materials: Durable construction using hardwood, metal, welded mesh or similar
• Sides: Solid wood to prevent escape
• Handles: Fitted on three sides for safe handling
• Floor: Solid, secure, and leak-proof
• Door: Sliding, with strong fastenings to prevent accidental opening
• Ventilation: Openings of approximately 2.5 cm (1 in) across all sides, allowing airflow at all levels
• Feed and water containers: Secure, externally accessible containers positioned at an appropriate height
• Stocking density: One animal per container or divided compartment, each with full access to feeding, water, and ventilation

Alongside these strict standards, the design also had to work within the physical limitations of the Clifton site.

The gorilla animal loading area in the Clifton site was compact with low ceilings, limited access and minimal space to rotate or load a crate—all of which heavily influenced the crate’s dimensions and overall structure.

A lengthy design process

The crate we designed was far from an off-the-shelf solution.

Over several months, we worked closely with the zoo team to refine the design, ensuring it met technical regulations, spatial restrictions and, most importantly, the welfare needs of the troop.

During our site visits and surveys, we were delighted to see just how inquisitive the gorillas were—watching us work, listening, and inspecting the progress of their crate from the safety of their habitat.

On our second visit, we brought a plywood template cut to the exact footprint of the proposed crate to check how it would fit, rotate and move through the space.

Together, we designed a crate with:

• 18 mm exterior-grade hardwood ply (IPPC stamped/treated) and C24 construction-grade softwood for maximum strength and durability
• Sliding doors for quick, controlled access and separation
• A removable partition to allow Kera and Hasani to travel together (while providing flexibility to divide the space if needed)
• Feeding hatches and breathing holes for airflow and easy access
• Mesh viewing panels to allow the gorillas to see out and keepers to monitor welfare
• The ability to retrofit a gridded floor and waste trays for longer journeys
• A carefully calculated crate height that could fit within the enclosure while still allowing each gorilla to fit and move inside comfortably

From concept to crate

Once the design was approved, we moved into production.

We first modelled every element of the crate in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to ensure absolute accuracy. We then used CNC machinery to cut all panels and structural components to guarantee a precise, high-quality finish.

Our team then began constructing the structural frame of the crate. We used overlap joints to provide extra surface area for adhesion and greater overall strength, as well as heavy-duty screws for additional reinforcement.

Once the frame was complete, we installed the exterior hardwood plywood panels, securing them to the frame to form a solid, enclosed structure.

We then added the sliding doors, and multi-point bolt locking mechanisms to all access points, ensuring the crate could only be opened safely and intentionally.

The internal floor of the crate was treated with a water-resistant, protective coating to guard against moisture during transit.

Finally, we clearly stencilled the crate with handling instructions and identification marks, ensuring anyone involved in the transportation process would be able to follow the correct handling procedures.

What happens next?

With the crate now delivered and the gorillas moved into their new space, the troop is settling into its new African Forest habitat well ahead of the public opening.

At over four and a half times the size of their former home, the newly developed space provides the troop with expansive areas to roam and explore.

They’ll also soon be introduced to a new group of Endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys who will live alongside them, in a UK zoo first.

This marks an exciting new chapter—not just for the gorillas, but for the future of Bristol Zoological Society. And we’re honoured to have played our part.

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