Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
I think i saw Tree Kangaroos at Twy in the mid 1970s double checked a guide with them in it but as per usual no date in guide. They were definitely there though
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2023
- Thread starter Moorhunhe
- Start date
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I agree, I definitely think this new planning application and Indonesian themed area is no reason to believe that Twycross have dropped their 2030 masterplan. The way I see it, (from what I remember) the new orangutan enclosure and National Science and Conservation Centre were purely the two highest priority developments/projects on the masterplan, not least due to them being interlinked with the lecture facility.
So I think it needs to be considered that the previous map showed all completed great ape enclosures alongside each other, whereas this new map/planning application is just showing what this upcoming phase of development will consist of, and chances are the 2030 plan is still being mostly followed, just (at least in the upcoming phase) scaled up in many ways. This might just mean we will have to wait a bit longer for the phases, but in return I believe they have the chance to be of higher quality overall and this will be for the good of the zoo in the long term.
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
Yes the new parking area will be for the NSCC and Lodges around the new site. The main entrance will remain where it is for guests.
Yes, for now. But there was some talk in some of the early long term plan stuff that’s no longer online about moving both the main entrance and also the car park entrance as well - but not far. The idea then was to move Himalaya inside the pay-wall so to speak. Not sure how likely the road entrance changes are now though after they’ve already made some improvements to that junction in recent years.
Not too sure about that, especially if they build the rest like Chimpanzee Eden, which looks like a concrete prison to me.
Looking at the proposals it’s quite clear there is a public side and science centre side to development. The actual guest access area looks to be about the same if not less than the area currently offers looking at the design statement section 8.4. Which could work well for the public as I would think if they concentrated on the zoo side of it over the science centre that side could well be completed by the end of next summer giving the zoo a new addition for next year to market and cash in on over the summer. The science centre which the public won’t get any benefit from as I see it would take far longer in construction. Also I see there are four vivarium’s in the orangutan house of some considerable size
I now better understand why Lope is heading to a male group in France, if their own Gorilla build is being pushed further back. I had thought previously that it would happen in time for him to become a member of a male group in his home zoo, but obviously it will be too long now. I wonder where the Gorilla and Bonobo areas will now be sited when they do happen.
It's disappointing that there are no current plans for it. While I was aware that the Orangutans were scheduled to have a new space, I had anticipated that the gorillas' new habitat would be part of the plans as well. I had hoped they would at least construct a new outdoor frame, as initially proposed a few months ago, but unfortunately, that hasn't materialized. The fact that that it hasn't been done and the viewing area glass remains unrepaired led me to believe that a new habitat for Oumbie's family might be in consideration, but it seems that's not the case—nothing has been set in motion.
I noticed the boarded up window when I was there a few weeks ago. Perhaps its a distribution problem/delay in getting a replacement put in. I do think the current Orangutan enclosure is by far the most in need of replacement though, and they obviously recognise that with the new plans. But by placing more emphasis on it becoming the central exhibit of a new 'Asian area', the accent seems to have shifted from the new builds for the other Great Apes. Rather disappointing I think, especially as the Asian 'theming' (a market?) will IMO divert funds from the other badly needed enclosures. This type of themed exhibit is obviously the new trend these days, though not sure how much visitors really appreciate it over more good animal enclosures for the most popular species.
The window has been broken for a year now, so I'm not optimistic that it will be repaired. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the future and the fact that things are finally in motion. Let's wait and see how it unfolds.
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
Babirusa and Tree Kangaroo were listed in a drawing. Other than that we don’t know much.
Which drawing was this? As all the references I saw they’d deliberately removed names and said it would be confirmed at later date. The only reference to Tree Kangaroos I saw was in a photo of another enclosure at another zoo somewhere, but that was purely as an example of a type of fencing/architecture.
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
it’s hard to read it but you can make out what it says.
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Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
As I suspected from seeing the other maps of these plans, it also details an otter enclosure and indoor area to the right of the main orangutan outdoor space, presumably they will be mixed together in the larger orangutan enclosure. There are also be a few other bits of writing relating to other areas including the orangutan enclosure, but they are more difficult to make out.
Twycross definitely had Doria's tree kangaroo back in the 1980s; I saw the species there many times. They bred there too.
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I would potentially take this drawing with a pinch of salt as it’s inconsistent with every other.
I see now that it’s from the flood risk assessment only, so possibly an early revision. All of the other more detailed drawings of the site show a different layout for both those smaller exhibits and that area (see attached). But they do still show the otter house/water even if the labels are gone!
That said, just because the labels are gone and that plan is seemingly an early revision doesn’t mean those still aren’t the target species. But, as they stress in multiple other docs no decisions have been taken on what species they’ll hold, I’d recommend cautious optimism.
Edit: the dates on the drawing confirm the one with label species is an earlier revision. By almost a year (it’s dated November 2022).
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Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
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I don’t expect Twycross to get Tree Kangaroos. But who knows what the future will bring.
It is literally just a wall. I doubt the chimps mind it. They have a huge outdoor and indoor area.