Twycross Zoo Twycross Update 13/09/09

Maguari

Maguari

Never could get the hang of Thursdays.
15+ year member
Premium Member
Very pleasant couple of hours round Twycross this afternoon, with a few updates to report:

Very pleased to see two new bird species since my last visit. There's now a Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) in the aviaries behind the Tropical House, and a pair of Little Pied Cormorants (Phalacrocorax melanoleucus) in the Longhouse Aviary, which were very showy, the only ones in the UK (I think... anyone know better?).

Among the bigger animals, the elephant calf Ganesh/Vijay was out in the paddock with the group - he's undergoing treatment on his ear (not sure exactly what for) but otherwise looks in fine form.

The new male gorilla is a beauty - but signs saying that the zoo are aware of some injuries caused while the new group is established suggests they've had a few problems.

As well as the elephant house and one of the gorilla houses, the Bonobo house was also closed - there were two people in there with clipboards watching the apes but otherwise no clue as to why.

For those keeping track, the Hamlyn's Guenons were out in the shared guenon enclosure today (and no amount of craning through the window would let me see the Crowned).

Following recent discussion, there are definitely still two Patagonian Sealions.

Photos to follow, plus probably some other things that I've forgotten!
 
Do you know where the new gorilla came from?
Im guessing hes in the newer enclosure, Cant wait to see him and hope things go well with him and the others :), Oh yes anyone know the others he is with?
Thanks
 
Riziki said:
Do you know where the new gorilla came from?
Im guessing hes in the newer enclosure, Cant wait to see him and hope things go well with him and the others :), Oh yes anyone know the others he is with?
Thanks
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Oumbi came from Port Lyme :)

Boulas (Correct spelling?) Is coming from Belfast as well in the near future.
 
Thanks Stripes. Hopefully he will sire some babies he in the future and keep the Aspinall line of gorillas in other collections! ;)
Boulas was also another Port Lympne male is he coming to Twycross then?
If so Twycross could have the begginings of a good group, Although some talk was of Boulas being infertile? Still it would be very good for group dynamics :D
Good luck to Twycross!
 
Yes Boulas is coming to Twycross in the near future as well although the boys will be kept apart. :D

I think these 2 are full/half brothers.
 
 
Thanks Maguari :),
I was quite sure they would be kept apart but with the begginings of two groups and breeding occuring it should all signal well for the Twycross Gorilla Siutation :)
 
I was at Twycross today too. My first visit for 18 months. The gorillas were tense. Matadi has a few minor injuries and a very nasty looking one on his right rump. If he were human and a member of my family we'd be in A & E and I'd be demanding to see a plastic surgeon. But gorillas are much tougher than we are and he wasn't even limping.There was at least one keeper in the house watching at all times.
Matadi was keeping well away from Oumbi, staying outside unless he came out. Ozala was grooming Oumbi inside when I saw them first. She was trying to be with him when he came out - perhaps to protect Matadi, who would scoot round the enclosure to enter the house by the other door. Ozala didn't have any visible wounds. Asante stayed on her own, she has a long scratch or cut across the back of her head, but seemed untroubled. Oumbi has some marks on his face and a couple of raw spots, which could have been caused while he was being moved. He seemed quite quiet, he just did a couple of strutting runs to show off.
The bonobos are another matter: they had a really nasty fight in the morning when the females ganged up on the third ranked male (I think, don't know his name) and bit his fingers and toes badly.
I was speaking to the girl with a clipboard watching the outside run when it kicked off. Apparently they have been running them in one group for about four weeks, which may have contributed to the fighting. They were certainly very wound up while we were watching them - very noisy and with lots of g-g rubbing even by bonobo standards (if you don't know the term, it's what female bonobos are famous for).
I knew something was wrong when none of them paid any attention to the scatter feed. Then they started chasing in and out of the house until the male was caught by the females. Jasongo did pull some of the females off and eventually the males were shut outside while the females went in. Keepers arrived and they closed the house. There was obviously a 'case conference' happening, so I left. I saw the girl with the clipboard in another part of the zoo in the afternoon, and she said there had been another incident - which I had guessed from the noise. But many of bonobos were back outside, looking quite subdued, by 4pm.
I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I never see it again - I have read about bonobo aggression and I now know how real it can be. I suppose it is possible that things will settle down, but perhaps there may have to be transfers to separate some of the individuals involved.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
I was at Twycross today too. My first visit for 18 months. The gorillas were tense. Matadi has a few minor injuries and a very nasty looking one on his right rump. If he were human and a member of my family we'd be in A & E and I'd be demanding to see a plastic surgeon. But gorillas are much tougher than we are and he wasn't even limping.There was at least one keeper in the house watching at all times.
Matadi was keeping well away from Oumbi, staying outside unless he came out. Ozala was grooming Oumbi inside when I saw them first. She was trying to be with him when he came out - perhaps to protect Matadi, who would scoot round the enclosure to enter the house by the other door. Ozala didn't have any visible wounds. Asante stayed on her own, she has a long scratch or cut across the back of her head, but seemed untroubled. Oumbi has some marks on his face and a couple of raw spots, which could have been caused while he was being moved. He seemed quite quiet, he just did a couple of strutting runs to show off.
The bonobos are another matter: they had a really nasty fight in the morning when the females ganged up on the third ranked male (I think, don't know his name) and bit his fingers and toes badly.
I was speaking to the girl with a clipboard watching the outside run when it kicked off. Apparently they have been running them in one group for about four weeks, which may have contributed to the fighting. They were certainly very wound up while we were watching them - very noisy and with lots of g-g rubbing even by bonobo standards (if you don't know the term, it's what female bonobos are famous for).
I knew something was wrong when none of them paid any attention to the scatter feed. Then they started chasing in and out of the house until the male was caught by the females. Jasongo did pull some of the females off and eventually the males were shut outside while the females went in. Keepers arrived and they closed the house. There was obviously a 'case conference' happening, so I left. I saw the girl with the clipboard in another part of the zoo in the afternoon, and she said there had been another incident - which I had guessed from the noise. But many of bonobos were back outside, looking quite subdued, by 4pm.
I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I never see it again - I have read about bonobo aggression and I now know how real it can be. I suppose it is possible that things will settle down, but perhaps there may have to be transfers to separate some of the individuals involved.

Alan
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Gorilla's sorted, Bonobo's are on there way to be sorted, whats next a bull elephant! :rolleyes:

I need to get back down there sometime soon me thinks. :D
 
gentle lemur said:
Matadi has a few minor injuries and a very nasty looking one on his right rump. If he were human and a member of my family we'd be in A & E and I'd be demanding to see a plastic surgeon. But gorillas are much tougher than we are and he wasn't even limping.
Alan
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I think whenever there is a new introduction between strange Gorillas you can expect some nasty wounds- I always say Gorillas certainly aren't 'Gentle Giants' at those times! I remember how Jock severely gashed Salome's arm at Bristol, it looked awful but it did heal in time.

Thankyou for the description of how the new 'group' is relating to each other. Matadi will have taken a big knock to his confidence but as you mentioned before its good for him in the long run. I really hope Oumbi mates with both females, though Asante is actually the more important genetically.

Is their indoor house now open to the Public again?
 
gentle lemur said:
.
The bonobos are another matter: they had a really nasty fight in the morning
This is the first I've heard that the Bonobos have been put back into one group again. I wonder if the fighting is temporary or more permanent and they will have to transfer some individuals? I would rather see that done and a single group kept than the previous 'two group' system with its attendant problems of outside access.
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Matadi's bite injury.

I saw a photo of Matadi's injury on Flickr, it is very unpleasant-looking and similar to what Jock did to Salome's elbow when they were first introduced at Bristol. No wonder Matadi is keeping his distance from Oumbi now. But it will heal up.
 
Pertinax said:
I saw a photo of Matadi's injury on Flickr, it is very unpleasant-looking and similar to what Jock did to Salome's elbow when they were first introduced at Bristol. No wonder Matadi is keeping his distance from Oumbi now. But it will heal up.
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Yes indeed, I have just found the photo. The wound had widened a little by Sunday - but it looked clean and healthy. I'm sure the keepers and vets are giving it all the attention necessary. I would be worried if it slowed him down, so that he could not get out of the way if Oumbi charged; but as I wrote previously, Matadi wasn't even limping. Any gorilla will tell you - humans are just wimps.

Alan
 
Twycross primate update.

Went to see the new Gorilla setup! Although I knew the indoor house was closed(and will be for some weeks to come) it doesn't really matter as you can easily view them through the windows if they are inside(which is 90% of the time). The young male 'Matadi' stays outside near the waterfall watching the doors, occassionally he goes over to look through the windows- if the big male comes out of one door, he heads straight in the other to keep as far away as possible. The wound on his rump seems shallower now but still open- he touches it and licks his fingers all the time. He has several other cuts and abrasions too but I don't think Oumbi bothers with him now. A newer notice explaing the current situation has appeared saying they have added a new silverback etc.

The two females Asante and Ozala seem very relaxed- perhaps because they are on home ground. It is Oumbi who is still tense. Occassionally he comes marching outside looking very impressive and tightlipped. Ozala follows him and waits closeby whereas Asante doesn't do this. I think Ozala has taken a big fancy to him (she could be trying to protect her son Matadi by this behaviour, but I think it is 'love at first sight' and not related to Matadi) But a couple of staff are watching them all the time in case trouble suddenly erupts.

There hasn't been any mating yet but I'm not too surprised. The good news is 'Asante' still comes into oestrus so mating will hopefully occur.

Bonobos- these are split into two single sex groups again- three males and eight females. When the females were let out, some of them gathered round the males' door screaming and yelping as if they wanted to join them(or attack them?).

Purple faced Langurs- some died and the last two have left the collection to join the two at Cotswold

The single(seperate) female Swamp Monkey will go to Paignton.

The Crowned Guenon was inside as usual, I've never seen it outside.

The old Chimpanzee enclosures are really awful- a real blight on the Zoo. The same pairs and trios of chimps still permanently seperated. The most they have together is in the 'colony' and that is only 5 or 6. I believe there are plans to do something about all this but nothing specific (I would like to see ALL the Twycross chimpanzees in a single large group) I would have rated a replacement for the oldest cages as higher priority than the new visitor centre/snow leopard complex.

Any questions about any other animals- just ask....
 
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Pertinax said:
The Crowned Guenon was inside as usual, I've never seen it outside.
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My last three visits have been Hamlyn's 2 - Crowned 1 in terms of being outdoors. Seems to be luck of the draw which is out on any given day.
 
Gigit said:
Pertinax - anything to report on the orangutans?
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Not really. It looks better now they only have four as it isn't crowded with animals segregated indoors etc. And the outdoors looked slightly better somehow though it hasn't changed since last time.

The two adults are Batu & Kibriah. Which are the two younger ones?- even with the family tree I wasn't sure.
 
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