Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2012 #1

[leiclad20]

I have a feeling that the wetlands was built with money partly from the himalaya project, as the whole purpose of the wetland area is to deal with waste water from the new building - it is cleaned naturally via reed beds and ponds, hence the exhibits long course through former car parks.

Of coures the porblem with himalaya and wetlands is, that so much car park space has been eaten into that now on busy days most visitors will park in the back field (giraffe car park?) and enter through the back of the zoo, completely missing the himalaya as a grand entry point. Now that really is poor planning.

Has there been any further update on the asante situation/any confirmation that she is to move on? It prob is the best thing really, twycross has messed her up enough, let someone else attempt a better job! If she does move, I wonder if oumbie will now not move to longleat as was rumoured on the longleat thread, and theyll instead put biddy, ozala and oumbie in together, and source a couple new young females to get a new group going. The problme is asante, really, not the other gorillas there.

 

[Pertinax]

Maybe these two would fit the bill

Of course this article doesn't mention the reasons behind this odd set-up. The female Digit at St Martin has a very similar history to Twycross' Asante though is 10 years younger. She was also the first Gorilla born at that Zoo and was handraised/ very humanised and then lived on her own for many years. She couldn't be assimilated into their groups. Gingko is her younger brother, also handraised, he was sent away (to the male group at La Boissiere) and when that didn't work out, was later returned to St Martin. I don't know how he is kept now but suspect he has to live alone. Obviously he's too strong to live in the house like the sister!

 

[Pertinax]

Moving her away from her half sister - is that going to help her stress levels? I contend that it's the fault of the humans alone- the Gorillas are only doing what comes naturally, Twycross owes these humanised animals (chimps, gorillas etc) a good life and to quit and just pass on the problem is shirking the job to a degree.

Moving Asante away would solve their problem, and she is a real problem that will not change now. The thing is its not the current management/zoo that have made her like this- its her early history and background from the Molly Badham era. I agree it would really be better for her to stay at Twycross, with Ozala, but if she can't live with Ozala and Oumbie, and Ozala and Oumbie need to be together, then unfortunately Asante is the 'lame duck' here. I have no idea where they might send her if she does leave, but she almost needs to live just with people, like the French gorilla 'Digit' which has a similar history, rather than with other Gorillas, even if they are all misfits as they won't like each other any better for being that.

 

[Pertinax]

If she does move, I wonder if oumbie will now not move to longleat as was rumoured on the longleat thread, and theyll instead put biddy, ozala and oumbie in together, and source a couple new young females to get a new group going. The problme is asante, really, not the other gorillas there.

You are absolutely correct on the last sentence.

I have feeling they may have been considering the various options to improve the situation i.e. a. get rid of Oumbie, or b. get rid of Asante etc and perhaps have still not arrived at a final decision? You are right that if Asante leaves, there is no need for Oumbie to do so- he is valuable as a breeder there (no other Howletts males are in the general UK gorilla population) and I hope he does not go to Longleat as has been suggested. I could imagine Howletts perhaps letting them have one or two younger females in due course to produce a better group ratio too.

 

[wild watch]

Despite attending a "tour" specifially aimed at the apes kept at the zoo(Sunday), hosted by a keeper "in the know"( or do I asume too much here), it would seem that the great Twycross misinformation machine is in full swing yet again. First I was (reliably) told Boulas was destined for Frankfurt and Oumbie was staying to form a "stable group". Asante would go to a group of humanised gorillas. Today however I'm told that Boulas is going to Longleat REALLY soon to head up a group of blackback males, biddy is to join oumbie asante and ozala and there were no definate plans for asante- the day at a time approach being once again adopted. I really hate the fact that the zoo seems to have a new line on what's what every day. And if it's that the management keeping the keepers that much in the dark then that's a REALLY bad way to run the zoo. I can't seem to get the same story from 1 day to the next. I have yet again had to listen to a keeper describe Asante as fine, settling in, gaining weight. I think She is just an expert at anticipating oumbies moves and avoids bites for the most part now. It's still contrary to 1 of the 5 freedoms if an animal lives in fear of bullying etc. The 2nd gorilla house is now divided into 2 enclosures, plan being to have biddy and boulas in 1, the chimps in the other. Both the males were reacting badly to the change and workmen noise, charging etc. boulas got so upset he bit biddy. The workmen had 2 stop. Guess 2morrows plan is to work with rubber hammers? What a mess. wish they would 4get "Kuno" and get their existing animals homes sorted first. they could praps then build a small hand raised group kept close to the "real" gorillas so they could gently learn by watching over time and be happier(?) It's got 2 be a huge dilemma 4 them as to whats best, but 2 do nothing is not an option

 

[mazfc]

Well from wat you've just said they aren't doing nothing

 

[Pertinax]

First I was (reliably) told Boulas was destined for Frankfurt and Oumbie was staying to form a "stable group". Asante would go to a group of humanised gorillas. Today however I'm told that Boulas is going to Longleat REALLY soon to head up a group of blackback males, biddy is to join oumbie asante and ozala and there were no definate plans for asante

The 2nd gorilla house is now divided into 2 enclosures, plan being to have biddy and boulas in 1, the chimps in the other. Both the males were reacting badly to the change and workmen noise, charging etc. boulas got so upset he bit biddy. The workmen had 2 stop.

More confusion, confusion! The information is never the same twice. I think that may reflect their indecision over this.

1. Frankfurt need 'Boulas' like a hole in the head, they have a small established breeding group headed by the male Viatu from Basel- why on earth they would want/need the probably infertile Boulas would be a mystery. I think we can discount that one.

2. Interesting about this group of 'humanised' gorillas, I wonder where they are? Asante won't like them any more just because they are humanised, in fact she will be stressed by more changes. However, its possible they may be able to provide better specialist care for her. Having any more handraised or humanised Gorillas at Twycross seems a bad idea to me- they have had too many in the past and need to get away from all that I think. A single breeding group is what I think they are aiming for at long last.

3. The plan of Boulas going to Longleat as the senior male and the others at Twycross forming a single group in which Asante may stay or leave, still seems the most likely outcome to me. Of course they could delay to see if Biddy transferring into that group improves Asante's position at all, but I don't think it will.

4. I thought the move of Boulas/Biddy away from that house would happen before the Chimps are moved in. Not correct perhaps?

5. The current work in that house or perhaps being confined to a smaller area, or maybe both, is evidently upsetting Boulas- recent photos of him show little thin patches on his upper arms suggesting he has started to pluck the hair there-a classic stress sign.

6. Asante- its misleading to suggest she is doing 'fine' with Oumbie, when its clear the situation is almost the same as before. Otherwise why would they also talk, on the other hand, about moving her?

 

[adrian1963]

Will be visiting saturday 19th may any photographs anyone wants for the gallery