Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2012 #2

[Kifaru Bwana]

I would take the opposite view- Biddy is a very normal, though late middle-aged female and shows proper respect to males. She has had three previous adult male partners(four if you include 'Joe' in the past) and got on well with all of them, and she took to Boulas immediately. There may be scuffles initially but I would expect her integration to go smoothly otherwise.

I took the discussion on the thread perhaps to literally!

I did think the frequent moving back and forth was not helping her case much ... Was management of the gorillas this jittery?

In normal gorilla integration process(es) a new gorilla will be "tested" by the female cohorts to determine rank and the silverback will exert is position pretty much from moment zero/go. One would expect scuffles to happen initially and weathering out over a short period of time when the new ranking system of the entire group has been set.

 

[Pertinax]

She knows asante and her daughter ozala (being a bit obvious with that one I know ) I don't see any reason to be concerned.

Its interesting that this will be the first time Biddy has been reunited with Ozala since she was removed aged 7 to join the other group, though they could probably see each other in the more recent housing set-up. I think they will still recognise each other though.

I'd actually expect Biddy to end up as 'senior' female now, given both her relationship with Ozala and her superior age and weight! And I fully expect to hear in due course that she is mating with Oumbie.

 

[Pertinax]

I did think the frequent moving back and forth was not helping her case much ... Was management of the gorillas this jittery?

Its the handraised 'Asante' who was taken out of the group and then reintroduced. Biddy has always been in the 'older' group- of which she is now the sole survivor! I think her transfer over will be beneficial to all 4 of them, hopefully including Asante, who may become less of a focus for Oumbie with the presence of the extra female, while the better male/female ratio may help provide a more stabilising influence/environment when Ozala has her next baby.

At last Twyross will finally have a single Gorilla group though if they hadn't taken Boulas on, they could have achieved that well before now.

 

[Pertinax]

Chimps.

Now the two Gorillas have(presumably) both left the smaller half of the exGorilla House that they were occupying, will the existing chimps living in the other side now get the access- or are there any more still to be moved from the Green Mile?

 

[Nisha]

Twycross is asking for people to share their memories of the zoo for a new book which will be published in 2013 as part of the zoo's 50th Anniversery celebrations
You can help Twycross Zoo celebrate 50 years of animal magic | This is Leicestershire

 

[TARZAN]

Twycross is asking for people to share their memories of the zoo for a new book which will be published in 2013 as part of the zoo's 50th Anniversery celebrations
You can help Twycross Zoo celebrate 50 years of animal magic | This is Leicestershire

50 years of "Animal Magic",well during the last nine years that must certainly be the case, where have all the old hands gone?, what happened to the large/healthy bank balance?, it would seam that they have disappeared!,Paul Daniels could not have done better, he's more than capable, as he once made an elephant disappear, her name was Maureen, not Karishma, he was assisted in this illusion by,not the glamorous Debbie, but by the "Animal Magic"man himself, Mr. Johnny Morris.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Anyone can check in on the weekend and see how far the re-re-introduction of Biddy into the Oumbie family troupe is going?
Also how is the much debated female Asante holding out?

Most importantly: what is now the longer term planning for the gorilla troupe? (e.g. another breeding female, focus on stabilising the family troupe alone and / or other plans)

 

[Shorts]

Twycross is asking for people to share their memories of the zoo for a new book which will be published in 2013 as part of the zoo's 50th Anniversery celebrations
You can help Twycross Zoo celebrate 50 years of animal magic | This is Leicestershire

I'd imagine the ex TZA council would be a great source of information given that (at least) some of them were "with the zoo" since Hints (pre Twycross) until fairly recently. Even those that weren't there for that long still worked with/for the zoo for decades.

 

[Pertinax]

Biddy the Gorilla

Does anyone have an update on whether Biddy has been integrated successfully with the other gorillas yet, in what is now a single group?

And are there any Chimps still living in the Green Mile cages?

 

[mazfc]

Does anyone have an update on whether Biddy has been integrated successfully with the other gorillas yet, in what is now a single group?

And are there any Chimps still living in the Green Mile cages?

Biddy is in with the others. All four fast asleep in the heat.

 

[Pertinax]

Must have been a very easy introduction! Finally Twycross have one single group.

 

[Jordan-Jaguar97]

Must have been a very easy introduction! Finally Twycross have one single group.

Very good news. I hope now Biddy and Boulas' old exhibit can now hold some Chimpanzees from the Green mile cages.

 

[mazfc]

News from today

Signage up advertising new exhibits:

1 - march of the penguins. Looks it will go from their pool along a wooden decked pathway to the sealions pool. All the area past the dome cafe to the sea lion pool was cordoned off and work was going on at the sea lion pool

2 - owl housing upgrade. All the owls are currently off show, and their cages have been flattened. Building is already underway on new enclosures. Looks very nice so far.

3 - coati exhibit. No idea where it will be but it looked nice on the mocked up picture.

4 - the back area of the green mile is now closed off to the public, new gate looked very permanent. You can no longer get through the arch by the cuscus or see into any of the green mile bedrooms, including Ricky Chimps indoor area.

5 - we think Louis and Choppers (elderly chimps) have been moved in with Ricky. First stage of green mile.

6 - Biddy settled in well back with the gorillas.

7 - Boulas's half of the gorilla house is still empty, no idea of the plans for it.

8 - the elephants were in their grass paddock again (I see them there about 50% of the time).

 

[kiang]

What is in the aviary in the Childrens area, that the train goes through, this fascinates me.

 

[zoogiraffe]

What is in the aviary in the Childrens area, that the train goes through, this fascinates me.

The last time I saw anything in this Aviary it was Black and Peached-faced Lovebirds,nice to see a responseable mix not!!!!

 

[max]

new map leaflet shows the coati enclosure close to the owls at rear, of long house aviary

 

[Nisha]

Don't think it's been posted - but the Ground Cuscus have produced another baby, their third by all accounts (previous offspring now shipped out to Bristol and Budapest)

 

[Malayan Tapir]

Notes from a quick visit today:

1, New signage has gone up all across the Zoo, with two different styles, a small square with basic information, and a much larger design with much more info for some other species. Also now the Yellow-throated Martens are finally labelled.

2, As Mazfc has previously said, work on the Penguins, Former Sealion exhibit and Owl Complex has started (See attached pics)

3, To add to previous posts, from the exhibit drawings (see attchments), the old Sealion pool will become the Coati Exhibit, mixed with Bush Dogs. Sealions are seemingly not in the zoo anymore.

4, The Penguin Pool is currently beeing revamped, with a walkway cut into the side wall, which seemingly will lead to a new "Beach" style exbhibit where the big Pyramid Kid player area thing stands.

The penguins are now temporerily in the Flamingo House/ hard standing area until work is completed.

5, Due to all the construction work, the only way to get to the Dome Cafe/penguin area is to go through the Longhouse, and as its the only way to get in, and out of that area, it was certainly an "experiance" on one of the busiest days of the year so far!

6, Not seen it mentioned anywhere else, but there is also a new 2012 Guide Book on sale, with 2 Bonobos on the cover.

 

[Maguari]

Shame to see the sea lions go but that enclosure really wasn't doing them any favours. Interesting to note that although the Coati/Bush Dog picture shows N. nasua, the text talks about White-nosed. Could be in the midst of something of a UK resurgence for this species.

 

[TARZAN]

Notes from a quick visit today:

1, New signage has gone up all across the Zoo, with two different styles, a small square with basic information, and a much larger design with much more info for some other species. Also now the Yellow-throated Martens are finally labelled.

2, As Mazfc has previously said, work on the Penguins, Former Sealion exhibit and Owl Complex has started (See attached pics)

3, To add to previous posts, from the exhibit drawings (see attchments), the old Sealion pool will become the Coati Exhibit, mixed with Bush Dogs. Sealions are seemingly not in the zoo anymore.

4, The Penguin Pool is currently beeing revamped, with a walkway cut into the side wall, which seemingly will lead to a new "Beach" style exbhibit where the big Pyramid Kid player area thing stands.

The penguins are now temporerily in the Flamingo House/ hard standing area until work is completed.

5, Due to all the construction work, the only way to get to the Dome Cafe/penguin area is to go through the Longhouse, and as its the only way to get in, and out of that area, it was certainly an "experiance" on one of the busiest days of the year so far!

6, Not seen it mentioned anywhere else, but there is also a new 2012 Guide Book on sale, with 2 Bonobos on the cover.

Does anyone know where the two sea lions went to?