Ellis Bell
Member
It's actually 'Langur's Outside' in the statement, it's irritating enough on here but you'd think a person writing a publicity statement could get it right. Just so long as there isn't a Langur's inside on show.
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2012 #4
- Thread starter Gigit
- Start date
Fully agree (fingers crossed), it seems as if their focus is finally "on target" and grounded in reality.
Its not really doing that for me.
I'll try not to be too negative here but these three additions are pretty much of the same level as the last three- improvements, yes, but not really major ones. And the indications from this release are now that they cannot do major new builds at present. But for me their biggest recent achievement has been redistributing the chimps, though obviously that will mean little to visitors or increasing their footfall, which all the other recent and future changes are obviously aimed at. At least this does indicate plans to forge ahead at some level though.
'Langur's outside'- dreadful- someone needs to learn English- unless its an outside enclosure for one Langur!!
Sounds very possible. They certainly won't want this large building and enclosure sitting empty in the middle of the Zoo and it also follows the recent trend there of existing enclosures remodelled rather than new ones built. Grass/landscape the surface. Put in some tall dead trees, poles, ropes etc. Electrified fence a.la. Howletts/PL.? Ready made indoor House for 'Langurs Inside'.
Interested to know which species they will use for this- presumably Javan if they are the biggest group? Or the Francois(doubtful?)
Its not really doing that for me.
That's exactly why it reads well to me - for years, Twycross has been looking older and more tired every year precisely because they were loathe to do small projects - waiting for big ones to be possible. Little things like improved langur and lemur exhibits will make a huge difference to the feel of the place, not least because it will show Twycross has recognised that the zoo world has moved on a little since the 1970s.
They need to stop leaving increasingly run-down exhibits not even tidied up just because they're waiting for the next big pipedream (and, to be fair, this process started some months ago with owl aviary improvements - exactly the kind of shabby corner that needed looking at).
And an open-topped monkey exhibit (as the langur exhibit is implied to be) would be a major change of approach for Twycross, which is just what it needs. I'm very sorry to see the giraffes leave, but if they were to put this on that site it could be a great exhibit.
This is quite exciting really (for twycross' standards anyway)!
I suspect the old giraffe enclosure will be the site of one of these - from google maps it looks approx 3-4 tmes the size of the orang enclosure so they may be able to squeeze in a couple of exhibits there. They have dusky leaf, javan and francois langurs so 3 large open top enclosures would be amazing.
Is anyone sure where the lemur forest walkway will be?
There is a big lawn west of the current leopard enclosure which would be a good site for a large open top leopard enclosure.
I suspect we will have to wait for plans, but they will all be open by easter this coming year so don't expect anything too extravagant. Probably more along the lines of the penguin thing.
I suspect the old giraffe enclosure will be the site of one of these - from google maps it looks approx 3-4 tmes the size of the orang enclosure so they may be able to squeeze in a couple of exhibits there. They have dusky leaf, javan and francois langurs so 3 large open top enclosures would be amazing.
Is anyone sure where the lemur forest walkway will be?
There is a big lawn west of the current leopard enclosure which would be a good site for a large open top leopard enclosure.
I suspect we will have to wait for plans, but they will all be open by easter this coming year so don't expect anything too extravagant. Probably more along the lines of the penguin thing.
Again not wishing to be negative, but this will be just one open-topped enclosure for Primates- apart from the Apes which largely could do with roofs!
If it is the Giraffe house it would be an effective 'cosmetic' revamp of this area, but I don't think it would herald a real change of approach in the way they keep Primates overall. I wouldn't expect to see any other changes follow suit. It will be like Howletts/PL where despite the very good newer open enclosures, lots of Primates, the majority in fact, still live in the old-style caging. But it is a start....
That would be nice but I am not sure it might involve such a complex design. Might it be for just the most numerous group- the Javans? The Duskies are a small group, so are the Francois (so far) We will have to wait for the plans I guess.
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
The best news I've heard about Twycross in a while. I think it's great how they are building a second Leopard enclosure, if cubs are born it would be great to show a family unit in two separate exhibits.
mazfc
Well-Known Member
Would it be a second enclosure, or an extension of the current one? There's plenty of room in this area for expansion
It is just one, (or two, if the lemur enclosure is) but there's now way they're ever going to be able to do them all in one go. They have to start somewhere and they have to break the cycle of huge vanity projects, most of which don't come off (only Himalaya has been built altogether in one go, and even then bits of it were unfinished for ages after).
Are you sure you're not just miffed it's not an ape project?
I would think an extension adjacent to existing one- to allow male & female to be mixed /seperated easily.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
If you call a group of 5 numerous for the Javans,as thats all I could see on my last visit last month,that said it was the largest group of Languars that I saw that day.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Twycross' Giraffe House must have looked old-fashioned even when it was opened; even the early 1960s revamp of the Decimus Burton house at London gave the animals a barless enclosure and a paddock with a natural substrate. Practically anything that's done here would be an improvement.
And the thought does occur that there might be scope for non-primate species to create a mixed exhibit - maybe Brow-antlered Deer with Short-clawed Otters?
The lemur walkthrough, like meerkats is a now near compulsory feature of any UK zoo, so it's unsurprising that this concept has washed up in rural Leicestershire. As Shorts has pointed out, Twycross as a site is very short of trees, which will badly constrain this particular plan's potential.
Perhaps turn the Bornean longhouse into something Malagasy - there was precious little in the aviary that was from South East Asia!!
The thought occurs that if Lord Fisher had been interested in zoos a decade earlier the Twycross concept might have been better done at Kilverstone. I don't know what anyone else thinks of this, admittedly pointless, idea?
And the thought does occur that there might be scope for non-primate species to create a mixed exhibit - maybe Brow-antlered Deer with Short-clawed Otters?
The lemur walkthrough, like meerkats is a now near compulsory feature of any UK zoo, so it's unsurprising that this concept has washed up in rural Leicestershire. As Shorts has pointed out, Twycross as a site is very short of trees, which will badly constrain this particular plan's potential.
Perhaps turn the Bornean longhouse into something Malagasy - there was precious little in the aviary that was from South East Asia!!
The thought occurs that if Lord Fisher had been interested in zoos a decade earlier the Twycross concept might have been better done at Kilverstone. I don't know what anyone else thinks of this, admittedly pointless, idea?
Yes I think you have nailed it there, improving various parts of the zoo in a small way, in my opinion, when all added together will equal a major expensive new exhibit which has no chance at all of materialising at present. I would also like to ask how much this zoo has spent on expensive drawings etc. for these pie and in the sky schemes when there has been no evidence whatsoever of them materialising. The new small improvements which are proposed for this zoo, combined together are good Twycross Zoo news, something positive after an awful time of so much negativity and doom and gloom, I sincerely hope that these proposals are a small light at the end of the tunnel and we can look forward to this zoo's 50th anniversary in a more happier mood than what we have experienced in recent times, and all rumours and suggestions that this zoo could close down are forgotten about.
Remember folks, Twycross has not always been in the state it has found itself in recently, in 2003, when it celebrated its 40th anniversary, it was in good order, and of sound finances, staffed by a content and happy workforce, hopefully, one day this situation will be the case again at this zoo.
Are you sure you're not just miffed it's not an ape project?
No, no.
I accept they don't have the funds to do anything much for them at present, though the Giraffe House might equally have lent itself to conversion for the Orangutans. I'll stop being negative and say 'Outdoor Langurs'(or whatever its called) will be a step in the right direction, wherever it is sited. They are doing the obvious really with these less expensive options which are also designed at creating 'new attractions' within the zoo for limited cost. Sensible thinking for the situation they are in, no doubt.I think they sent some to the I.O.W. sanctuary so may have had more previously. Also they are free breeders so the potential for a bigger group is probably still there?
The Duskies number only 4-5 and don't seem to breed frequently anymore.
The Francois have potential but how many are there at present?
Purple-faced are sadly a thing of the past there- another species they failed with.
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zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
If memory serves me right the other 2 types of Langur both numbered just 3 animals!
That means the Duskies may have shrunk further since I was last there.
I hope they do not now lose them altogether, Twycross have had them from their very earliest days- the first unusual Primate species they kept really. I think they had five(?) Francois at one stage but some of them moved on, leaving a trio perhaps. Haven't they bred one as well?I do miss the public access to ISIS (Find Animals).