13 schools in Chippenham have gone ape this term helping Bristol Zoo Gardens to celebrate its 175^th anniversary through a creative and innovative mass public art project.

Children from across Chippenham have been busily designing, decorating and naming their 3-foot gorilla sculptures. They were ‘released’ to various locations earlier this month.

                                            Peter the gorilla

Peter, the gorilla, has come to the history centre on loan from St Peter’s School in Chippenham. Come and meet him in our reception area, pick up a trail map and look out for the other 12 gorillas on your travels. Trail maps can also be picked up from the Town Hall (main funders of the project), Tourist Information Centre and the Museum and Heritage Centre in the town centre.

Completed trail maps will be entered into a prize draw in September when the gorillas return to their schools. The prize is a family ticket to visit Bristol Zoo Gardens.

As well decorating the gorillas, the children in the 13 schools have received a visit from the education team at Bristol Zoo Gardens to learn more about gorilla conservation

We will be looking after Peter, the gorilla, until 5^th September 2011.

Whilst you’re visiting the history centre, you can take the opportunity to find out more tales about wild animals in Wiltshire over the years. These include elephants from a travelling circus stopping to enjoy a cool wash in the River Avon here in Chippenham in 1906 and an escaped sea lion from the lake in Longleat swimming along the river all the way up to Trowbridge. You can also pick up a leaflet about our FREE Open Day on Saturday, 1st October, an opportunity to meet knights, hear musicians, take a look 'behind the scenes', create and make, and lots more...

Have you got any tales to tell or have any photos of any exotic or unusual animals on the loose in Wiltshire – if you do, we’d love to hear from you.

If you have enjoyed this article, the following entries may also be of interest:

Curiouser & Curiouser.... Wiltshire Animal Tales

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The School Life of Evacuees