Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2014 #1

Without them putting out any detailed information about the Chimps, current moves and future intentions, its difficult to ascertain what exactly is going on. However I presume in the first instance this could either mean setting up one verus group in the future, with the others kept seperate in other groups, or keeping them pretty much as they are but restricting breeding to the verus. (if they can add e.g. a couple of pure females to a group containing pure males)

Then if the new big complex ever becomes reality, they could still put all/the majority(?) of their Chimps together, but only breeding from the verus, along the lines of the Edinburgh 'Budongo' group. Gradually the others will die off leaving them a pure group.

P.S. this is a hypothetical scenario without any better information available.

 

Oblivious question (perhaps) really ...: Can anyone provide a listing of all chimps Pan troglodytes and ages at Twycross Zoo?

How much space is available anyway to the chimps?

 

I thought you had been to Twycross?

Since the closing of the Chimp Row(green mile) cages, there are now three 'Chimpanzee houses'. Two of them are ex Gorilla houses now holding Chimps. With modifications according to age, all are basically of similar design- apart from sleeping shut-offs, they each have two inside exhibit dens connecting to a walled, or glass-walled open outside area. One of them has a second smaller outdoor area(now roofed) that used to be the old male Gorilla Joe's seperate outside area. The interior areas in this house(which was the second Gorilla house) are rather larger/deeper than in the very first Gorilla House(behind the mansion) and the 'colony' building which was built specifically for a small social group of chimps.

I am again confused by the current groupings as there seem to have been fresh moves quite recently, but I think all six of the indoor areas are occupied by subgroups of two or more Chimps, so these houses are pretty much full to capacity. In two of the houses, split groups can only use the single outdoor area by rotation.

 

I am to be honest now very suspicious about what the future may hold for two of the chimps at Twycross.

 

The alopecia with the chimps is not hereditary Jambos was caused through stress in the old days it was a constant stream of different keepers them Miss Badham was persuaded to use this cream so of course he kept being darted and put out to have this cream on which was a complete waste of time because by then the baldness was getting worse and Mongo his was over grooming I mean look at Coco and Jeanette they are not bald and they are chocolate.

 

I am sure I was told in the past that the Alopecia was related to the chocolate gene. But not every chocolate-coloured chimp would necessarily carry the gene for the alopecia as well.

 

Sex could play a part as the two with it are male and the two without are female.

 

Was flicking though some of the pics i got (which i still not uploaded) have they fixed the aviary netting on the wetlands on the entrance??

 

I've deleted many messages on this thread. The petty bickering, speculation, and mud-slinging stops now. I am hereby closing this thread. As a community, we should be supporting zoos, not trying to undermine their very existence.