Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2014 #1

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pipaluk said:
I must live in the wrong place! £1.60 for what would be a large portion in my local chip shop(& 50p more) didn't seem too bad, especially compared to some other zoos' prices for poorer quality. I take your point though.
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Apologies, I misunderstood, you're right -the chips are reasonably priced, about par for the region, it's the fish that are well over-priced.

Anyway, back to zoos, it's nice to get perspectives on Twycross from those that aren't (too) close to it-I look forward to your further observations.
 
pipaluk said:
Having visited for the first time in nearly 2 years today, i left with mixed feelings, as there were positives as well as some negatives and the zoo does take a real bashing on here!
It was my 1st visit without Malayan Tapir, Sealions, Giraffe, but for me a few positives were:
Yellow-throated Martens visible.
Baby elephant again.
Amur Leopard enclosure- excellent use of a tired area and cheap way of giving them double or more space than before.
Good sized open air areas for lemurs & DeBrazzas monkeys.
Chips very edible & cheap in the new fish bar!
Negatives to follow, but have to ask why if they are building such a large zebra area couldn't they have done the same & kept the giraffe?
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So on with a few negatives:
It didn't bother me, but the place resembles a building sitr and noisy whilst zebra enclosure being built- only temporary i know, but may put some visitors off. I already made a comment that i don't see why they got rid of the giraffe when all that space has been found now for zebra.

Damaged aviaries , not there fault but no sign of any real repairs going on at borneo longhouse or the 'toilet' aviary. The area where the ground hornbill were sits unused, hope something will go there.

Labelling- non-existent on some enclosures, wrong on others. In some cases only one large sign, so that a 1st time visitor may have to walk halfway around an enclosure before they knew what they were looking for e.g bush dog/coatis.

The lost species- since I began visiting 6 years ago, the lions, giraffe, malayan tapir, aardwolf, sealions have gone for varying reasons, some it now seems forever. I personally am quite happy to see a striped hyena rather than a lion, but i suspect many visitors aren't. Shame the Kuno development didn't happen, there were signs for it everywhere on my last visit.
I've been 5 times now & will keep going & hoping for more improvements .
* what i meant to add re:lost species, in defence of Twycross, at least they have added a few new species, even if not perhaps as exciting to some. This is in contrast to some other zoos which just 'lose' more & more species each year, without ever gaining any-Marwell being the worst offender for that!
 
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pipaluk said:
This is in contrast to some other zoos which just 'lose' more & more species each year, without ever gaining any-Marwell being the worst offender for that!
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Ah, this old chestnut :p in 2013, Marwell went into the following species:

Leiocephalus carinatus
Acrantophis dumerilli
Himantopus himantopus
Recurvirostra avosetta
Vanellus coronatus
Ducula bicolor
Columba guinea
Helogale parvula

Also, it is important to recall that two of their key species, the Arabian Oryx and Somali Wild Ass, both had significant levels of new blood being brought in and breeding, and one treasure long offshow - the Saddleback Tamarin - is once again visible. Not something to be sniffed at.

To use your own words, "at least they have added a few new species, even if not perhaps as exciting to some" :p
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Ah, this old chestnut :p in 2013, Marwell went into the following species:

Leiocephalus carinatus
Acrantophis dumerilli
Himantopus himantopus
Recurvirostra avosetta
Vanellus coronatus
Ducula bicolor
Columba guinea
Helogale parvula

Also, it is important to recall that two of their key species, the Arabian Oryx and Somali Wild Ass, both had significant levels of new blood being brought in and breeding, and one treasure long offshow - the Saddleback Tamarin - is once again visible. Not something to be sniffed at.

To use your own words, "at least they have added a few new species, even if not perhaps as exciting to some" :p
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Haha, very clever! I have no idea what most of those latin names are except at least one is a reptile & probably a few others. I should have specified mammal species, of which Marwell has a net loss of over 20 species in about 5 years. I wouldn't mind betting most other classes haven't shown a gain either.
 
pipaluk said:
Haha, very clever! I have no idea what most of those latin names are except at least one is a reptile & probably a few others. I should have specified mammal species, of which Marwell has a net loss of over 20 species in about 5 years. I wouldn't mind betting most other classes haven't shown a gain either.
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Northern Curly-tailed Lizard
Dumeril's Ground Boa
Pied Stilt
Pied Avocet
Crowned Lapwing
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Dwarf Mongoose
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard
Dumeril's Ground Boa
Pied Stilt
Pied Avocet
Crowned Lapwing
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Dwarf Mongoose
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Thanks, at least i know what those are! As i suspected just one mammal & that's one they had lost a year or so earlier! I suppose time to hand back to Twycross now, that seems to stir up far more emotions than Marwell(except for my own & a few other exceptions!).
 
Animal Friendly said:
I don't think the sex of the dead baby orang had been made public,
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Had a quick glance through and don't think this has been answered. Although I've never seen it confirmed officially one of the newspaper articles around the time of birth said it was a girl.
 
nipped in today wish i hadnt as i forgot it was too busy on mothers day

the large tents where the dinosaurs were is a walk through butterfly forest

the zebra enclosure looks done apart from sanding in the house (large pile of sand outside), heard many people say why not keep the girrafes with the larger enclosure, admitedly im no animal expert but i remember a sign asking visitors not to feed them leaves as some british plants may be poisones to them, the new enclosure encloses several trees so that may be a reason it may not have been possible before

one of the smaller ape houses had a window boarded over

chips in the new chippy nice and decent portions, didnt touch the fish as miles over priced

all the conifer trees around the hyenas have gone

the tropical house gone just metal fencing blocking it off (looking at the cleared area was it really that small? if you include the bird housing at back it must have been tiny)

saw 3 kangaroos so small group in now

lots of repainting

wallabies appear to have gone and a path has been put in through the goat enclosure so maybe a new walkthrough

roses seem to have been cut back which is a shame as got all of family photos minus youngest there

baby elephant seen, seems to hate the ammount of visitors that came in alot of trumpeting from the elder ones as well (maybe limit visitors to the house for a bit)

herb garden appears to have gone in

still alot of work on going

new play area gone in where some of dinosaurs were

think thats it
 
First zebras at Twycross for many a long year- several decades in fact.

A sensible option as replacement for the Giraffes, though its a pity they don't have both really. Perhaps one day they can build a new Giraffe barn and enclosure in one of the unused fields- if they still have any undeveloped land that is.
 
Maguari said:
Someone really needs to sort out the apostrophes in that article! Even in the headline there's one out of place...
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Not to mention (although I'm doing so) 'metres' and 'meters' in the same sentence. Proofreading is obviously a thing of the past.
 
I'm quite excited about the future of twycross. Although, I would have rather seen okapi than zebra, but there you go. And, the new 'butterfly forest' seems incredibly similar to the idea I made of a butterfly walkthrough in the twycross 'what would you do' thread. Coincidence? ;-) You may say I'm optimistic saying this, but I think twycross are on the road to finding their feet with the new director...
 
canaryboy said:
I'm quite excited about the future of twycross. Although, I would have rather seen okapi than zebra, but there you go. And, the new 'butterfly forest' seems incredibly similar to the idea I made of a butterfly walkthrough in the twycross 'what would you do' thread. Coincidence? ;-) You may say I'm optimistic saying this, but I think twycross are on the road to finding their feet with the new director...
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No new zoos will get okapis for a long time yet.
 
I like the style of it, however I was surprised to learn that Vicuna, Kangaroos and Emus live in trees. :rolleyes:
 
Went to zoo today for first time since Christmas. Lots of changes to not.

- saw the new baby elephant looks fit, healthy and very adventurous

- the zebra enclosure looks impressive and gives them a lot of room and is around twice as big now

- three large African huts have been placed around the zebra enclosure for shade

- tropical house has been knocked down and a new enclosure appears to being built in its place

- bonobo house still closed saw new indoor tortoise enclosure through the window it now stretches across whole length of room with a larger pool now

- lots of activity going on near the butterfly house for the opening tommorow saw inside the house and looks good but it looks a bit temporary from the outside. Does any one know if it is permanent or not

- a new tapir has arrived to accomany the youngster

- one of the kangaroos looks heavily pregnant

- eventually managed to see bat eared foxes

- one of the prarie dogs looked very ill and was being attacked by the others

- caracara have gone and been replaced by red crested sereima

- squirel monkeys have been replaced by slot he's with Geoffrey's marmosets

- no monkeys in trees has anyone actually seen them there

- mara have moved from howler monkey enclosure to tortoises

- making developments on elephant extension to outdoor area

- lots of trees have been cut down around large grassy area in front of hyenas making the zoo seem more open

- lots of Christmas trees have been placed in the different enclosures to add shade and hiding space

- finally could you always see the inside of the siamang enclosure next to the Amur leopards
 
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