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Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2017 #1

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Giant Panda, 29 Jan 2017.

  1. haydn

    haydn Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Hopefully if tigers do re-appear. It's part of some big cat complex that involves giving a better home to the leopards... and leaves space for lions too!
     
  2. zoogiraffe

    zoogiraffe Well-Known Member

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    That plan is long dead from the time of Mrs Boardman!
     
  3. haydn

    haydn Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Kuno is dead yes. But if a new tiger exhibit is in the current 10 year plan, a replacement leopard enclosure is not entirely out of the question.
     
  4. zoogiraffe

    zoogiraffe Well-Known Member

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    No it isn't but them under the last plan they should have had Okapi now for 5 years now,that never happened.What they need to do is keep doing stuff like the Gibbons that doesn't cost too much,while they build up funds for the far bigger projects they want to do.In the old days they had the money to large multi million pound projects but sadly all that money was wasted under Boardman!!
     
  5. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    ZC-ers should be aware of the fact as zoo giraffe has eluded to many many times that the golden days of large sums in the bank is a thing of the past and right now they need generate cash to get the next projects on the go. Which probably is the reason they have waited us for the new Eden Great Ape project to come to fruition till now (and perhaps even the rest of 2017 before they start it up).
     
  6. haydn

    haydn Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The past management were all talk and no action, and did squander the cash on vanity projects like Himalaya.

    Big hoards of cash may no longer sit in the bank but there is certainly something different about current master plans though. They seem a lot better thought out, and whilst all the finer details are still unknown to the public, the aspirations are clear and everything they've committed to as been delivered to a solid standard.

    The zoo is already a better place than it was 5 years ago. Visitor numbers are climbing and so will be profits and the zoo appear to have pretty strong backing from their banks too.

    I think it may be time to put the disappointments of the past to bed. Twycross Zoo's future is genuinely looking much brighter now!
     
  7. Nisha

    Nisha Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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  8. Zia

    Zia Well-Known Member

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    I do agree with your point here - the key clearly is to have a realistic 5ish year strategy that is within budget and stick to it. I was impressed by the new gibbon complex and I feel like they do have much more direction in where they want to be heading.
     
  9. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    They delivered the Giraffe House, they delivered the Gibbons, so long as they also deliver the Chimps, I'll be happy- for now.

    I think a future plan to reinstate one big cat e.g. Tiger or Lion, is sufficient and is one of the things they are badly missing at present and that most visitors expect to see, as in 'but they've haven't got any Lions or Tigers'

    The Leopard area is horrible, I think they would do better erasing those awful ex chimp enclosures and building something else for the Leopards even it was more modest in size. I never understood why they moved them from the other enclosure which was much nicer and sufficient-sized.

    Overall its good news at Twycross though, with all these positive developments.
     
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  10. TriUK

    TriUK Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Visited for first time in 5 years yesterday. I was impressed with the pet, butterfly, lorikeets and giraffe areas as well as the excellent gibbon exhibit. When great ape enclosures are rebuilt with expansive open areas this will once again be a great zoo.
     
  11. banham.tiger

    banham.tiger Well-Known Member

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    I asked about big cats roughly a year ago and was told that there were no plans to bring them back. Hopefully this will change as they are defiantly what twycross is missing.
     
  12. zoogiraffe

    zoogiraffe Well-Known Member

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    So Leopards aren't Big Cats now you learn something new every day!
     
  13. banham.tiger

    banham.tiger Well-Known Member

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    Sorry I was referring to the lions and tigers in the quote. :rolleyes:
     
  14. giant_anteater

    giant_anteater Well-Known Member

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    The zoo has announced, via Facebook, that the elephants will soon be leaving the collection. Unexpected, to say the least!
     
  15. TriUK

    TriUK Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Wow!! Is this the footprint for the new Great Ape habitat?
     
  16. kiang

    kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The zoo's statement;

    Whipsnade perhaps?
     
  17. Nisha

    Nisha Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Bit of a turn around - hopefully for the best long term

    I predict they'll go to the new facility at Blackpool..
     
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  18. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    This is a big surprise but can only be good for the Elephants. A lot of disappointed posters on their Facebook of course but I've long been critical of them keeping a female group without a bull and relying on AI to produce an occassional calf. I hope perhaps they will stay in the UK though.

    This is not the area originally planned for the Great Ape complex, that originally was sited over much of the area where the other Ape Houses currently are, but of course things might change now.

    Or, and this is speculation of course, could this now see a redevelopment of the Elephant house/enclosure as the new 'Chimp Eden' instead of a new build which has shown no sign of appearing yet?
     
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  19. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Fine- if Blackpool get a bull as well- this does seem a likely venue.
     
  20. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Well that makes the million pound footpath an even bigger waste of money! That is a very big shock though, any idea where they're going?