Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2012 #3

Shorts said:
Having been there last week I can see how someone could come to that conclusion. Discussing the Zoo with a fellow traveller at the B & B* I stayed in, she said she'd took her nephews there and Blair Drummond and she thought the latter was better, "because it had all the big animals".

Personally, I disagree with the opinion (but I'm not the average zoo visitor) Edinburgh's a fantastic mix of interesting and obscure species pretty much all adequately housed (admitedly not in the prettiest enclosures sometimes) -my only grumble would be the lack of any significant number of Reptiles or Amphibians.

*Arden Country House, Linlithgow, guest house perfection, well worth the few extra pounds if you can afford them
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I have to agree that as a non-average zoo visitor i find it hard to find much wrong with Edinburgh, as ive said in other threads i rate it probably number 1, since there's so much there that i can't regularly see at my local 'big' zoos,
Whipsnade, colchester or london.
 
Bele said:
The 2011 Annual Report is available on the Zoo's web-site - do a search for Annual Report as it is not obviously there . The summary accounts show another loss and a further loan , though there have also been part loan repayments .

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Yes, this is interesting reading. The commentary in the financial report suggests a reasonably healthy surplus, but, unless I'm reading things very wrong, the balance sheet tells a very different story. Shorts, this is your area of expertise - what is the truth here? I must say, my instincts push me towards the less optimistic analysis...
 
sooty mangabey said:
Shorts, this is your area of expertise - what is the truth here? I must say, my instincts push me towards the less optimistic analysis...
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Thanks for yor trust in me (arrrgh! the responsibility).

Unfortunately all that's avaiable via the Twycross website is the Zoo's Annual Report which only summarises the figures (on two pages). Whilst it's interesting that the zoo seems to have repaid one loan but taken out a larger loan and HSBC seemed to have given them £200k I'll hold back my final summary and opinion until I'm able to see the full annual accounts and root around in the innards of the headline numbers. Whilst these full accounts have been filed with the Charities Commission I (or anybody else) can't look at them until the Annual Return is also filed (due by the end of October so shouldn't be long now).
 
Giraffes going is a blow. Could they not have turned the enclosure around 180 degrees and had a 'funnel' system through to the grass paddock on the other side of the classroom - much like the way the giraffe walk into the valley at Marwell?
I suppose if it is laid to lawn with an electric wire system it could make a nice mixed primate exhibit? I suppose the giraffe house could be split in two with monkeys living 'above' and small antelope below?
Look how Paignton converted their house into an office space and Tortoise accommodation!
Twycross desperately needs an open-top primate exhibit. If they are clever they will dedicate it to a species from the Indian sub-continent to link the elephants to the new Kuno exhibit.
* My real concern is that they will do the cheap and simple option of placing the Camel in there and moving a smaller species to the camel paddock!
 
TARZAN said:
Where can you find this annual report please?, I cannot find it, help appreciated:)
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Type "Annual Report" in the search box of the website and then select the one called "Annual Report" (rather than "Annual Report2010") of teh two options that appear.
 
leiclad20 and johnstoni I agree with your assessments of the future that twycross should move towards. I hope the finances hold up, as I'm excited about the potential of both the chimp and carnivore plans.

As to the giraffe house, I don't think it will be standing for long at all, all the other emptied enclosures in that area have already been demolished, so I don't think it will take long to get it down too.
 
TriGB said:
Twycross desperately needs an open-top primate exhibit. If they are clever they will dedicate it to a species from the Indian sub-continent to link the elephants to the new Kuno exhibit.
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That sounds great logic, but.....

TriGB said:
* My real concern is that they will do the cheap and simple option of placing the Camel in there and moving a smaller species to the camel paddock!
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That would be a cheaper and reasonably good "fix", and the Camel's could do with a bit more space, but remember Twycross don't have a history of being very predictable/logical so who knows?
 
Shorts said:
That sounds great logic, but.....



That would be a cheaper and reasonably good "fix", and the Camel's could do with a bit more space, but remember Twycross don't have a history of being very predictable/logical so who knows?
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The last thing that Twycross needs ... is a tiff of camel in that particular corner of the zoo. Cannot phantom what is going up or on. Let us just wait and see (hoping against ... that they will at last become bait sensible about the place).

I will check the financial / annual report meself and can discern any potential now to start up the Kuno project (which I myself would rather see first come up .. given the carnivore appeal for J.P.'s around the Midlands).
 
TriGB said:
Giraffes going is a blow. Could they not have turned the enclosure around 180 degrees and had a 'funnel' system through to the grass paddock on the other side of the classroom - much like the way the giraffe walk into the valley at Marwell?
I suppose if it is laid to lawn with an electric wire system it could make a nice mixed primate exhibit? I suppose the giraffe house could be split in two with monkeys living 'above' and small antelope below?
Look how Paignton converted their house into an office space and Tortoise accommodation!
Twycross desperately needs an open-top primate exhibit. If they are clever they will dedicate it to a species from the Indian sub-continent to link the elephants to the new Kuno exhibit.
* My real concern is that they will do the cheap and simple option of placing the Camel in there and moving a smaller species to the camel paddock!
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Paignton turned their former giraffe house into offices and a tortiose exhibit, that sounds interesting!
 
TARZAN said:
Paignton turned their former giraffe house into offices and a tortiose exhibit, that sounds interesting!
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And did a very good job of it as well,you can bet Twycross would not do as good as job if they converted the Giraffe House for Giant Tortoise!
 
zoogiraffe said:
And did a very good job of it as well,you can bet Twycross would not do as good as job if they converted the Giraffe House for Giant Tortoise!
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And who may I ask suggested they intend to house giant tortoises in the giraffe house, all I said was that Paignton's conversion of its former giraffe house into offices/tortoise accommodation was interesting!:):):):):)
 
TARZAN said:
And who may I ask suggested they intend to house giant tortoises in the giraffe house, all I said was that Paignton's conversion of its former giraffe house into offices/tortoise accommodation was interesting!:):):):):)
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Nobody did I was just pointing out that Paignton did a very good job,of doing the conversion and that IF Twycross did the same it would be a cock up!!
 
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