Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2022

Just got home from my first visit of 2022.

Not much to report:
-We saw Maliku, Basuki and Batu (Orangutans), no sign of Kayan. Indoor area is still blocked off for visitors.
-There is a sign in the chimpanzee house saying Samantha is being introduced to the larger group 'as part of an international breeding programme'.
-There was a keeper doing a talk in the bonobo house. Does anyone know if the talks are held regularly and if they do them for other species too? I only happened to walk in as the talk was starting.
-The L'Hoest's, De Brazza's and Diana Monkeys were all very active today.
-Does anyone know where the Variegated Spider Monkeys have been moved to? Signs on the enclosure say empty for maintenance and have said this for the past few times I've visited.

 

I paid a shortish visit today also, first in a couple of years. Being a bank holiday it was pretty/very busy. A few notes;

Still lots of fences everywhere but has the One Way system been disbanded(?) as I saw no sign of that. Quite a lot of mud and flooded patches everywhere though. Orangutan house still closed off completely apart from access to outside area.

The ex Bonobo/Tortoise House now houses the L'Hoest's guenon group(7). They make a good active display there.

I saw no signage for Spectacled Langurs, have they gone? Francois Langurs now where they used to be in Monkey House.

Hard to see some of the monkeys these days as most of their inside houses are closed to the public, but the Dianas were out this time for a change. Now 3 born in the Zoo(total 6).

Some birds were offshow due to Avian Flu.

It was Lope the young male gorilla's 9th birthday today.

Saw three Tufted Deer, all very active.

I know its midwinter but the zoo did still look very shabby. Some empty enclosures too. What happened to plans of landscaping the whole site and adding more trees and whatnot?

 

I have to say the fences are very annoying. If anything with Covid it made areas more congested as there were less ways to get around the zoo.

The Dusky Langurs should be near the marmosets/tamarins (near the zebras). In fact looking at the app, the Variegated Spider monkeys are there too. I didn't go up that way today so cannot confirm. I must be lucky with the Diana monkeys as I always see them out, especially the younger ones.

I went today especially for Lope's birthday hoping to get some photos, but he wasn't very active while I was there, must have fancied a lie-in this morning

 

Glad to hear the Dusky Langurs are still there, I forgot to go past those enclosures this time. Its a bit like musical chairs with the the larger monkeys there, they are rarely all in the same place on my (infrequent) visits.

I saw Lope playing with Shufai briefly in the morning, and then he was outside briefly in the afternoon, but otherwise he seemed pretty inactive.

 

Yes they do change it around sometimes. Fingers crossed the new monkey forest, whenever the time comes to build it, will accommodate some of them with more permanent exhibits.

 

Twycross have announced on Instagram that a Chilean flamingo chick was born in September and this is the first time in 30 years they've bred.

 

There was some debate about Kayan's whereabouts near the end of the 2021 Twycross thread. I've just seen some comments about her elsewhere on social media and someone reports asking Customer Service - "They said she was doing really well. They expected issues when Kibs died but she produced feisty buggers so she's been fine. She's often at the top pf the tower outside they said."

 

Aah! Good to hear. I have seen her a couple of times, I think.

 

Has there been any confrimation of what is going on in the explorer zone? Or when it will be reopening?

 

Is there an indoor area? I thought that went when they did the upgrade a few years ago.

Breeding programme!!! I thought we were aiming for pure Western chimps!!! How old is she for goodness sake, Peter her son is no spring chicken!

 

The indoor area has been closed off since Kibriah passed away last year.

 

Just found this from 2020
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Probably the reason the tortoise suddenly got there out door area upgraded

 

How do you access the indoor area? I've been going for years and have not been in an indoor area since they upgraded it.

Edit! Ah, after conferring with friends I realise you mean look at them indoors rather than you get to go indoors!

 

@OrangePerson I have never been to Twycross but from your description the setup sounds the same as the Gorillas at Chessington World Of Adventures.

 

I thought that was strange too. I didn't see that notice when I was there recently but then I didn't linger in the Chimp house due to close proximity with other visitors...

 

The whole area is cordoned off with security barriers and black plastic sheeting over all the windows and more. Looks terrible. You can only view if they come outside (which they didn't).

 

It was by the door at the entrance to Chimpanzee Eden. I'll upload the photo of it to the gallery, although it doesn't say much more than I posted above.

 

The zoo have started promoting the new area. Not much given away yet, but confirms it will open this year. My guess is in time for the Easter holidays.

Can you help discover Twycross Zoo's BRAND NEW LAND?

 

I'm not sure if it's at all related, but I had noticed that zootierliste was showing that the zoo now held an Indochinese smooth-coated otter, so possibly a new Asian-themed area?

 

It has been a long time since Twycross last kept Smooth-coated Otters. I wonder if they are going in the current old Otter pool or part of the new area.