Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2019

I will miss Molly at TZ, but pleased she is moving to ( hopefully ) have babies! Is Kayan female? I thought she was a male?

 

Kayan has been sexed as a female from the beginning....!

 

I visited today- it was fine and sunny but very quiet due to the time of year. I haven't been since the addition of more fencing blocking off some paths and access. This is a real nuisance, and frustrating to have to negotiate this new obstacle course, and I have no idea why they have brought this system in, as it does not seem to have any real function except to make you walk further and make it harder to reach certain exhibits. The monkey houses (bar Gorillas, Chimp Eden etc) are also now permanently closed too- reducing your chances of seeing the inmates in several cases by about 50%. All very unsatisfactory IMO.

A few notes;

Still only the one female Black rhino.
Baby White-cheeked gibbon born very recently.
The four surviving chimps from the Colony Building are in one side of Chimp Eden but not integrated with the main group. Some chimps outdoors -but such an ugly wall!
L'Hoests' monkeys have a small baby.
New Tiger enclosure perfectly adequate but nothing unusual apart from the glass tunnel.
Area between mansion and the oldest gorilla house and old Children's barn is all permanently closed off now. So many 'staff only' areas and fences...
Path alongside old elephant enclosure looks neglected as does the now unused paddock.
The additional stretches of fencing cutting off several access routes (for no apparent reason) the increase in 'staff only' areas, plus the two closed buildings that formerly held the chimps, make some sections of the zoo look even more neglected or like a building site than previously.

 

That is a bit rude...I was only asking.

 

Thanks for this. Does anybody know the names of the four chimps, from the old "colony" building.
Also, why have they closed the inside of the old monkey houses? Is it animal welfare reasons?
Did the last Javan Languar leave the collection?
Apologies for the questions - I am nosey. TZ is definitely one the rise

 

Apologies - didn’t intend for it to come out that way.
Yeah, with Molly leaving it should now be two males and three females at twycross

 

No worries! Thank you
Sorry to see her go, but happy for the bigger picture.

 

William, Peter, Tommy and Samantha are the four from the complex - Jambo, Flynn, Jomar, Kibali, Coco, Noddy, Rosie, Tojo, Holly, Josie, Victoria, Genet and Tuli are the names of the larger group.
Welfare reasons is one excuse....it’s also that the houses are starting to empty at a pretty quick rate.
Presumably yes, or it died. I haven’t been in a little over a year so wouldn’t know the specifics!

 

I'm presuming it is because the interiors are small and the public could get very close to the monkeys and nowadays that is seen as causing stress. I guess their attitude is that at any time 'some' monkeys will still be visible in their outside areas, which may be sufficient for most visitors probably- though there are a lot of apparently empty cages as a result. But if you want to see all, or any particular, species they have, you've got a much lower chance now.

 

I e-mailed them a while back to ask about this, and their response that it was for animal welfare reasons. I wonder if it is a case of someone being an idiot inside a monkey house and thus spoiling it for everyone else.

 

I bet that is it, or some parent letting their child bang on the glass ( nothing winds me up more than this! )

 

I suspect this also helps with there one way system as you could cut through the monkey house to buy pass the fencing around the orangs house and cosmetically if they are trying to inprove the zoos aperance there indoor enclosures with the 70’s kitchen floor tiles has always looked a site in the zoo today

 

I think probably a combination both of old fashioned appearance and the welfare issue of noisy people being so up close to the monkeys. But the shortcomings of this old-style housing has now resulted in major shortcomings in seeing the animals! Its rather similar to the Chimpanzee situation for a few years before 'Chimp Eden' was done.

 

Hopefully it is a sign that the old style housing is going to be replaced?

 

A nasty scrap in the chimp house which has left Jambo licking his wounds again...



I wonder how long he will be in charge for, if he is at all.

Chimp society is brutal, but if the battle for dominance eventually starts becoming too much of a risk to Jambo's life should the zoo intervene or just let nature take its course?

 

Afaik, Kibale, the West African male they brought in from France a few years ago is now the dominant male.

Is this a very recent video? It is well shot- very steady and follows him well.

I don't know how serious this all is and how often it happens. They were all very calm during my visit a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure they would remove him if they thought things were deteriorating.

 

It was uploaded to YouTube on 3rd December 2019 by our very own @sloggervlogger who regularly posts short videos of the great apes at Twycross on their YouTube channel.

 

Gosh - it is a huge dilemma. I mean as you say, chimps are essentially violent and that is natural, but should they step in if one of their lives are at serious risk? I am glad it is not me that has to make that call...

However it is good to see them acting naturally. Let's not forget the simply dreadful pairs and trios they were housed in not so long ago. Bravo to TZ for Chimpanzee Eden.

 

Visited today for the first time in a long time (circa. 2008) and was suitably impressed with the place, it's looking a lot brighter and better than it ever did before. So many improvements that it's impossible to list but some highlights included Chimp Eden and the gibbon complex, along with the enlarged monkey enclosures all across the zoo. Some people may lament the downsizing of the collection but the improvements in husbandry are to be commended. It has to be said that the yellow-throated martens stole the show though, my personal highlight of the day.

Other things I noted include the new tiger enclosures which are definitely spacious but the tunnel seems a bit out of place, and the single rhino that is currently looking a bit lost in that enclosure and house, but yet again another two solid improvements for Twycross. The giraffe/nyala enclosure is also worthy of a mention as well, again definitely another step in the right direction for this once faltering zoo.
My complaints are the same as everyone's usually are, the single outdoor for two groups of bonobos isn't really acceptable in this day and age, the orangs definitely need an upgrade soon, and mara in an ex ape enclosure is a bit odd.

Now for some news as well, gundis and Edward's pheasant are on-show in the children's zoo area, and quite a lot of monkeys have young as well including all three guenon species and the Francois langurs. They've also bred the red-throated macaws this year as well.

Really enjoyed my return after such a long absence, and quite enjoyed lunch and a beer overlooking snow leopards with @cliffxdavis for company. It also has to be said that the Twycross staff were very friendly despite the cold of the day, everyone seemed to have a smile. I'm genuinely looking forward to returning when the weather is a bit brighter, and I'm quite optimistic for the future after seeing all the new developments.

 

Just to echo Brums comments I had a great visit on a day when guests seemed to outnumber staff. That wind is cold. My only negative is the strange maze like path structure. A Snow Leopards face inches from mine when I was enjoying a burger is something I will never forget.