Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2011 #1

Goretex said:
I think Twycross has its problems. But lets relax reagrding it for now?
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I agree.

I don't want to be involved in this ridiculous debacle at all but cannot leave it undefended.

Twycross is undergoing changes, I am convinced that time will prove that they are for the better.

I am also convinced that most of the "Problems" are based more on bile than fact.

I happen to think that the animals are Important!

What happened to the great Lar Gibbon turning into a White Cheeked Gibbon en route from Drayton to Twycross debate? Where are the interjections from the "I know more than everybody about everything" gang about it being described variously as white checked or even white cheecked Gibbon?
 
Sorry, I can't let this pass without comment.

A Fish said:
I also believe that there is a movement intent on causing trouble and ill feeling, There are definite axe grindings and bitterness, possibly jealousy.
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A movement? That sounds a little paranoid to me. Personally I think there's been one poster (who may or may not have been justified) with an axe to grind. Almost all the other posters (myself included) criticising Twycross have expanded upon and explained their perspective when challenged. Sometimes when a number of people have the same negative opinion of something it doesn't mean they've got any hidden motive, it might just be they're right in their opinion. I concede that majorities (or large vocal minorities) are not necessarily right but significant numbers supporting a perspective are persuasive to that opinion being correct.

The idea of anyone being jealous of Twycross is, frankly, bizarre. What would one be jealous of? A zoo that's a complete curate's egg? A majority of poor run-down enclosures? The Chimps on "Green Mile"? The large staff tunover? The (very good) Pets' Corner that's missed by many because of it's poor location? The abilility to seemingly spend money badly? Sorry that sounds a bit harsh, but I'm genuinely intrigued to know what you think individuals/other collections would be jealous of Twycross for?

A Fish said:
I visit many Zoos, some are better than others for many different reasons.
I have not visited every UK Zoo (Yet) but Twycross is top of my list.
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With respect, either you've got a very skewed perspective or you've really missed out on visiting some major and great UK zoos. In my opinion, overall Twycross (though well loved and visited by many) wouldn't make it near my list of top UK zoos. Unless one was basing the opinion solely on the species held I don't think many other well-travelled ZooChatters would disagree with me.

A Fish said:
One thing that I have found is that all the staff I have come into contact with, at all levels, are keen, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, the keepers are keen to impart information about their animals when asked, even on occasions without being asked when someone is clearly more interested than the "just looking at the animals" visitor.
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That's something we can agree on though I think it's a crying shame that Twycross has took so long to better harness this enthusiam -it's only very recently that they've joined other zoos in offering keeper talks and" keeper for the day" experiences.
 
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Shorts said:
It's my birthday (yesterday) and I'll edit if I want to
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happy birthday ;)

Getting back to the current flow of the thread, the "jealousy" comment was a bit odd. Why would a collection of zoo enthusiasts be jealous of a zoo?
 
@Shorts.

Very concise and articulate. Agreed on all points.

Sorry to say, I am not part of a "movement", nor are the other so-called critical of Twycross Zoo as it is. We are generally speaking an articulate and well balanced group of zoo visitors and may know more than your average Joe Public re. the comings and goings on in the zoos under scrutiny. In that respect - allthough Twycross is a very well-visited zoo - it has some major shortcomings in both general management and animal husbandry/management.

Now off with all that banter. And give us some news!
 
Well put Shorts.

I am regular visitor to twycross and my main love of it is for the primate collection ( no surprise there!), but I can't wait for the proposed upgrade. It's long overdue.

I don't think there is a organised anti-twycross movement on zoochat, though some members don't like it. I only have issue with people who can't actually sustain a good argument against it - and instead rely on hearsay, rumour and the old favourite of 'he who shouts the loudest' school of debate.
 
OK everyone,

I guess I could be accused of being overprotective about "My" Zoo.

Perhaps Jealousy is a little strong, but I did get a sour grapes feeling about Himalaya.

I do accept that there is a long way to go before a better Zoo emerges and I am quite certain it will be a very hard road.

I just felt that the Zoo was being ganged up on.

It is clear that most who contributed are not only enthusiasts but also knowledgeable.

I think it is time for me at least to leave this subject now and I agree that it is time to get back to the animals, they are what really matters to me.

I hope to be at Chester tomorrow, does anyone else wonder if anyone they see is a Zoochatter?
 
A Fish said:
I hope to be at Chester tomorrow, does anyone else wonder if anyone they see is a Zoochatter?
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Probably potentially fewer than usual at Chester tomorrow, there's a ******** of Zoochatters at Blackbrook tomorrow.

Nice post by the way, maturity, dignity, humility -it's good to remember that every disagreement doesn't degenerate to name-calling or turn into a "Monkey King marathon".





******** insert appropriate collective term for a number of Zoochatters here
 
Shorts said:
Probably potentially fewer than usual at Chester tomorrow, there's a ******** of Zoochatters at Blackbrook tomorrow.

Nice post by the way, maturity, dignity, humility -it's good to remember that every disagreement doesn't degenerate to name-calling or turn into a "Monkey King marathon".





******** insert appropriate collective term for a number of Zoochatters here
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Cheers Shorts,

I really appreciate your comments, I can't remember anyone ever saying anything like that about me before !
 
Hi, I know that this is a raw subject with many of the posters here (someone pointed out that this forum is for people who care about Zoo's and Animals, Conservation etc) but I think that the Regime problems at Twycross Zoo have everything to do with the animals. I know many will jump to the conclusion that I have an axe to grind but hear me out.
I agree that since the current 'Director' took over, the Zoo has undergone a massive transformation, however these have not always been for the better, mostly due to poor forward planning (as someone here quite rightly pointed out) which has overall cost the Zoo HUGE sums of money to rectify.
Few would argue that the Zoo NEEDED that Giant 8 Million Pound Wacky Warehouse they built when the Zoos chimpanzee, giraffe, gibbon & lion (to name a few) enclosures are in such a poor state? When they had perfectly useable cafe facilities before (and before you jump at me about the old 'out of date cafe' - for which 'Himalaya' is the replacement – It’s still there as a staff cafe which opens to the public on bank holidays and busy days- Progress eh??)
Every pound that is diverted away from the animals and towards the latest ‘get rich quick scheme’ is a pound wasted. And while I totally accept that change is necessary and modernisation is Vital – I would like to see a more measured approach.
I wonder if anyone could tell me why the Zoo might require an ‘Art gallery’ selling items worth up to £20,000? For commercial reasons? Twycross never needed an art gallery to support the Zoo before - it used to survive under it’s own steam, or is it that the poor financial handling of the zoos affairs mean that ever more elaborate ways of recouping money have to be thought up?
So I bring my original thought back to the idea that the management of the Zoo itself has everything to do with the animals.
 
From the zoos twitter page -

"we've had a baby howler monkey and some baby meerkats born last week as well as the baby orangutan recently - its baby season at the Zoo" :)
 
Rothschildi said:
By the look of one of the female gorillas and woolly monkey they'll be more babies soon as well.
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Care to expand on that a little? If one of the Gorilla's are pregnant Twycross (as far as I know) are keeping very quiet about it. Are you sure one of the females is not just carrying a little extra weight (as can often happen in older females)?

Basically, are you being speculative or can you offer something more tangible?
 
a new baby woolly would be nice but have they got a new male in with the females as the male in there are related to most of the females already milico and branco (not sure how to spell it) mother is djoy and rosa i related to luca i think some one has said they are looking at getting a new male in from another zoo to keep the woollys going at twycross and luca going there to have his own group.
 
Shorts said:
Care to expand on that a little? If one of the Gorilla's are pregnant Twycross (as far as I know) are keeping very quiet about it. Are you sure one of the females is not just carrying a little extra weight (as can often happen in older females)?

Basically, are you being speculative or can you offer something more tangible?
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In comparison to the other female in the enclosure this female appeared to be carrying extra weight around her mid section. Im not gorilla expert so there is the possibility im wrong but there were no keepers present for me to ask.

It appears A Fish has asked someone so we can only assume she is not pregnant.
 
The gorilla you mean is Biddy. She's 36 so it would be quite a thing if she was pregnant. In the wild females usually stop breeding around 35 tho with a good diet I'm sure it's different for captive gorillas.

I have visited a lot over the last few months and biddy has definitely put a bit of weight on. Whether she's pregnant or not though is pure speculation as I haven't really seen anyone to ask.
 
A few snippets from today:

Firstly, apologies to zoogiraffe for not being able to go yesterday when we could have met up! :D

The Wedding Fayre at the zoo today meant that the 'Windows on the Wild' aviary was open for visitor access - but the chains over the entrances were tied back and birds nowhere to be seen (presumably shut in rather than legged it!). Did give me a chance to actually see the main area of the aviary, though.

Young orang looks well and is being closely guarded by its mother.

The pudu have disappeared and there is a single Meerkat in their old house.

The Crowned Guenon is now mixed with two Lesser Spot-nosed Guenons and this seems to be working well.


And the main news this week: 1.2 (parents and daughter) De Brazza's Guenons arrived this week from Port Lympne - these are on show in the Langur House (Kerry the Phayre's Langur's old exhibit).
 
At last, we see behind the curtain

Thanks for posting the "Windows on the Wild" photos, they've gone some way to satisfying my curiousity. Was the Wedding Fayre well attended?

De Brazza's, nice!
 
Shorts said:
Thanks for posting the "Windows on the Wild" photos, they've gone some way to satisfying my curiousity. Was the Wedding Fayre well attended?
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Hard to say - there were certainly a lot of people milling around in the parts of the event that were in the main area of Himalaya - not sure about the less obvious areas. The zoo as a whole was actually pretty busy considering the rather underwhelming weather!


Shorts said:
De Brazza's, nice!
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Indeed. A very worthwhile addition.
 
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