Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2021

I know they’re doing everything they can but I do have concerns over using the concrete snow leopard offshow area for the mother. She’s been there months now as well. Could they not rotate her and the snow leopards? Even if they let her into the main snow leopard enclosure for a couple of hours after the zoo closes? I just don’t think it’s suitable to keep her in a small (and it is very small if you look on Google Earth) concrete and metal offshow area for a different species.

 

Maybe they gave it a slight extension before she moved in??

 

Unfortunately no. The snow leopards paddock has scent marks everywhere from the snow leopards. Would be unnatural for her and would probably stress her out. However they share the same house so they can smell and hear eachother. They have laid down wood chips and bark in the off show so at least it's not entirely concrete. They couldn't expand it due to the bio tanks being nearby by but they added more climbing frames and heighted the roof.

In better news they announced they have a male snow leopard lined up but they need to move on the amur female first.

 

Very concerning and worrying. Considering that the leopards in the on show area look demented, one can only shudder at the mental distress she must be in. You can't expect a wild animal to think: " Oh well, this is just temporary." I am quite shocked at TZ with this. Having said that, I understand that the circumstances are difficult.

 

I don’t think they have a choice if they did I’m sure this wouldn’t be the situation they are in though I would think of the sisters are moved on they might think twice before breeding her again if the stud book even allows it. On better news though if a new snow leopard is lined up hopefully this will speed up the process of finding new homes for the Amur leopards so they can breed the snows again

 

True. How doew the stud book work? Would they stop them breeding if there was an accomodation issue? ( Like present?)

 

I think the studbook simply gives a breeding 'recommedation' i.e. a green light to breed, but in a case like this it would be up to the Zoo whether they followed it or not, and with the current situation probably would not at present.

 

Twycross are now limiting the number of member they let in per day just went to book a visit and it was showing availability all day until you book then you have to follow a members link and all slots are gone for the day, I was surprised at this as they haven’t done this through the pandemic and in a month all restriction might be lifted any way if all goes well

 

We went to do the same got quite excited until we realised it was for non members quite shocking really I know they need as much money as they can but when the weathers hit and miss could they not free up more space for members x

 

Been to twycross first time for a while nothing really new or exciting to report apart from that they had a notice in chimpanzee Eden that were starting to introduce Samantha to the other group and that sometimes the viewing windows could be blocked off, it’s to further there breeding conservation surprising as I thought she might be to old but who knows ? Missed seeing the otters x

 

I wasn't aware she is a West African chimp ? Afaik their intention was (in line with EEP guidelines) to only breed pure West Africans into the future- unless they have decided otherwise now. Possibly she is the only one of the four that they think can be assimilated into the main group?

 

I wouldn’t have a clue lol there was a notice board as you go inside x

 

Had a lovely visit in the sunshine today as expected it was packed don’t know if they are still running on reduced cap but all but the second grass car park was full. As said by trudie not much to report but they have extended the tortoise out door area to double the size with the option to separate the new section from the original and the old newer chimp enclosure, closest to chimp Eden is having construction work done. It was fenced of with scaffolding over the house section, speaking to some one there a while back they where looking to possibly convert one of the old enclosure to storage perhaps this is what they are doing as I would think this enclose would suit that better than the older enclosure. The older enclosure is signed to have the mara’s back in it though I didn’t see them today. I couldn’t help but think this is a bit of a waste of an enclose on Twycross’s part though give the leopard situation, couldn’t the leopard being housed in the snow leopard house be housed in one of the old chimp enclosures. If the chimps could climb out wouldn’t that also be true of the leopard mabey a few light mods, hot wire ect. I would think it would be a better option for the leopard for a temporary solution and allow them the space to get another breeding snow leopard in.

 

Female Samantha is a Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. So, I think not (for purpose of having her breed ...).

 

What tortoise area are you talking about? Is this the giant tortoise or the other tortoise grounds?

 

Yes giant tortoise

 

We did see 2 maras in the enclosure and also wondered what they might be doing with the construction works going on

 

Why would twycross try and introduce her for potential breeding it’s a bit daft isn’t it x

 

Looking at your photo of this it looks like a fairly major overhaul. I know the inside of this building is in a poor state after the larger group of Chimpanzees lived in it, but somehow I'd be surprised if this level of work was being done just for it to be used as storage. Possibly there are other plans for it...

 

Could it be that they need her integrated, so they can begin breeding? Not necessarily breeding her as such? I would have thought she is too old now?