Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2012 #3

Upstairs, Downstairs? sound like a good name for a television series:)

I think the 'developments' at Twycross in recent years might make a very good T.V. series in their own right. Remember Molly Dineen's early 90's series on ZSL ?;)
 
Just to let people know the two giraffes left at Twycross Zoo (Harriett and Keisha) have left to go to Blair Drummond to join a new group today.

Anyone know where the third went (Justin).
 
Just to let people know the two giraffes left at Twycross Zoo have left to go to Blair Drummond to join a new group today.

Anyone know where the third went?

There wasn't a third: Justin, the male died in 2011
 
Coati for Twycross

From Twycross Facebook Page

Have you ever heard of a COATI?! Twycross Zoo has just welcomed four female coati to its collection - a brand new species to the Zoo! They can be seen in a temporary enclosure in our gibbon nursery, after which they will join a new enclosure in the very near future once construction work has finished! Coati are very active and inquisitive animals - keep your eyes on this page for a video showing Twycross Zoo's first enrichment session with the coatis!!
 
From Twycross Facebook Page

Have you ever heard of a COATI?! Twycross Zoo has just welcomed four female coati to its collection - a brand new species to the Zoo! They can be seen in a temporary enclosure in our gibbon nursery, after which they will join a new enclosure in the very near future once construction work has finished! Coati are very active and inquisitive animals - keep your eyes on this page for a video showing Twycross Zoo's first enrichment session with the coatis!!

Justin was the one i meant, did not know at the time.
I visited not long ago, they were building this where the seal lions where.
Right near the new owl housing. I have a few pictures i will add when i get a chance.
 
A visit this morning left me feeling rather depressed. The departure of the giraffes has made the hole in the middle of the zoo even bigger and cannot give a good impression to visitors: monkey house and ape nursery demolished; two empty chimp houses (and most of the "green mile" empty); empty pets corner building; empty giraffe paddock; coati/bush dog exhibit and (frankly pointless) penguin beach under construction.

Surely a bit of forward planning and a phased development programme would have been more appropriate.

... and what the hell are the crochet lions all about?

I did like the new owl aviaries though.
 
A visit this morning left me feeling rather depressed. The departure of the giraffes has made the hole in the middle of the zoo even bigger and cannot give a good impression to visitors: monkey house and ape nursery demolished; two empty chimp houses (and most of the "green mile" empty); empty pets corner building; empty giraffe paddock; coati/bush dog exhibit and (frankly pointless) penguin beach under construction.

Surely a bit of forward planning and a phased development programme would have been more appropriate.

... and what the hell are the crochet lions all about?

I did like the new owl aviaries though.

I visited last Sunday and have to fully concur with all of the above, except I was quite impressed by the crochet Lions. I'd also add the food was overpriced (compared with, say, a pub meal) and disappointing ("boneless chicken curry" which I got a piece of bone in and my wife's fruit portion was inedible and obviously a couple of days old). To end on a positive note, I like the new labelling (when it gives extra information beyond "name, rank and number") but it didn't seem very robust (lots of scratches & dints already) and I'm not sure it will last well.
 
I was quite impressed by the crochet Lions

They're undeniably impressive, just very, very odd.

the food was overpriced (compared with, say, a pub meal)

Chance would be a fine thing: over half of the seating area in Himalaya was taken up by a wedding fair today. Don't they a function room for this kind of thing?
 
Chance would be a fine thing: over half of the seating area in Himalaya was taken up by a wedding fair today. Don't they a function room for this kind of thing?

What and lose the revenue of a few people paying premium rates for a glorified roast dinner whilst looking at a couple of Crowned Cranes?:)
 
What and lose the revenue of a few people paying premium rates for a glorified roast dinner whilst looking at a couple of Crowned Cranes?:)

Can't you see them from the toilets for nothing though?!
 
It would appear that zoo chat is not the only place where concern and negative comments are being made about this zoo currently. I have been reading the comments made on their facebook page concerning the transfer of the giraffes to Blair Drummond and the current state of play regarding the collection , eg. members are stating that they are no longer going to renew, a parent with an inconsolable four year old who was taken to this zoo to see the giraffes on a regular basis,etc.,etc.,etc,. It would not be so bad perhaps if there was actually some sort of physical evidence on site of the proposed new exhibits for carnivore's, which would to a certain extent make up for the recent losses of popular exhibits, a comment has recently been made that London do not at the moment hold tigers, true, but if you look across the road there is a good reason why.I have also been considering admission prices, Twycross, Adult £14.00, child(over 3)£10.00, compared with Blackpool, which I would say was of similar size in acreage as Twycross, Adult, £15.00, child.£11.00, for a pound more I would say the run of the mill zoo visitor is going to be more satisfied with what is currently on offer at Blackpool than what is currently being displayed at Twycross,
 
There will always be visitors who are unhappy with collection changes, but they are free to visit elsewhere if they feel that strongly. Its the job of Twycross now to respond to such remarks on their Facebook page, to explain the rationale behind the move, rather than just ignore them. I think the move was justified but it would be a shame if it isn't being properly explained.

I do agree that a relatively inexpensive paddock could have been connected to the main yard at Twycross, and that perhaps the timing of changes to the collection could have been better planned, but I still think it won't make a lot of difference to a zoo with great apes and elephants.
 
but I still think it won't make a lot of difference to a zoo with great apes and elephants.

I think and hope you are probably right here, and as far as i can remember Twycross is probably the nearest zoo holding gorillas for a large proportion of the UK (Blackpool being the only other holder in the northern half of the country i can think of).
The timing, so soon after the loss of the sealions, is not ideal and may give the impression of a diminishing collection,but hopefully this can be offset by the returm of lions and tigers( if that ever happens!)
 
I would still say there is more than an outside chance of the Elephants,going from the collection!The Malayan Tapir may as well be gone from the collection as well given the location that it is housed in.

Last time I checked the only planning application that Twycross had submitted to their local council was for the new Gorilla exhibit,which I believe has now been scrapped as a plan,while the much jumped up and down about Asian Carnivoras exhibit,that is plastered all round the zoo as coming soon,still has to make an appearence with the local planning committee or even any where apart from an artists impression of what it will be like.

I would love to see anything positive happen at Twycross,but until the trustess sort out the one big problem at the zoo,I just feel all we will see is the very sad decline,of what was once a very well respected zoo within Europe!
 
I would still say there is more than an outside chance of the Elephants,going from the collection!The Malayan Tapir may as well be gone from the collection as well given the location that it is housed in.

Last time I checked the only planning application that Twycross had submitted to their local council was for the new Gorilla exhibit,which I believe has now been scrapped as a plan,while the much jumped up and down about Asian Carnivoras exhibit,that is plastered all round the zoo as coming soon,still has to make an appearence with the local planning committee or even any where apart from an artists impression of what it will be like.

I would love to see anything positive happen at Twycross,but until the trustess sort out the one big problem at the zoo,I just feel all we will see is the very sad decline,of what was once a very well respected zoo within Europe!
Thanks for the update re: the carnivore exhibits, though i like many, i'm sure, didnt want to hear this! It makes depressing reading and the potential loss of elephants would be near disastrous! That could only be for financial reasons, the enclosure isn't that bad! Certainly compared to the sealions or giraffes, which i didn't consider totally awful, though clearly sub-stamdard.
 
I would love to see anything positive happen at Twycross,but until the trustess sort out the one big problem at the zoo,I just feel all we will see is the very sad decline,of what was once a very well respected zoo within Europe!
Saddened to hear your comments. I loved Twycross though I haven't been able to get there for a few years. I even went for an interview there once. What's happening at Twycross? Why is the Zoo going downhill?
 
Saddened to hear your comments. I loved Twycross though I haven't been able to get there for a few years. I even went for an interview there once. What's happening at Twycross? Why is the Zoo going downhill?
I would love to be able to put what I know is and has gone on in,Twycross over the last 6 or 7 years,but it would get this site in to far too much trouble,if I did and as I value this site for the info its sometimes provides,and the friendships I have made by meeting some of the other posters on here,I will not say why,may be at somepoint in the future it may be possible for me to tell some of the story,but at the moment it certainly cannot be put into the public domain!
 
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