I'm afraid I don't know anything about the kind of enrichment they provide at Twycross as it was my 1st ever visit there.
Yes, this area is larger than the photograph shows ...... at a very rough guess I'd say that it's perhaps 22 feet deep by 15 feet wide but please don't take that as gospel as that's from memory.
The biggest problem for the Twycross gorillas is their total lack of social groupings coupled with a complete lack of positive enrichment e.g. scatter or vegetable feeds at regular intervals, or being given large quantities of browse to feast on.
As you can see, the indoor enclosures are well furnished with equipment but despite that the current 'pairs' of middleaged and older females in each house just sit and do nothing mostly- very much like single Gorillas in barred cages in zoos fifty years ago. R &R (Regurgitation and Reingestion- 'eating their vomit') is very prevalent in these Gorillas too- despite what is sometimes said about it being 'natural' to explain it away, this is undoubtedly a sign of longterm boredom and the desire to be eating something when there is no food present.
R&R (Regurgitation and Reingestion- 'eating their vomit') is very prevalent in these Gorillas too- despite what is sometimes said about it being 'natural' to explain it away, this is undoubtedly a sign of longterm boredom and the desire to be eating something when there is no food present.
That is really sad, and actually unbelievable, when the remedy would be such an easy, quick and inexpensive fix.
What reason does Twycross have NOT to include regular scatter feeds ? WHY does it think the current feeding policy is better ? .......... you know, I am a complete amateur about these things (zoo policy), but any idiot with half a brain instinctively knows that mental stimulation of captive animals within a restricted space is vitally important, and that their feeds, should, whenever possible, mimick the way they feed naturally in the wild. Gorillas forage ....... so get them foraging !! Why would anyone prevent them from doing this ?
I am not saying there are never any scatter feeds at all- in fact I've seen them picking at sunflower seeds etc on the floor and once or twice in the past have seen them provided with small amounts of foliage BUT it seems very low key compared to somewhere like Howletts where the Gorillas are positively showered with fruit and vegetables at intervals during the day..
even the best kept and socially enriched Gorillas in captivity will exhibit R&R too but I've possibly noticed it more in the 'static' Twycross animals than just about anywhere else. It is all down to 'culture'- how a zoo historically manages or looks after their animals- and a VERY difficult thing to alter. A case of 'this is how we've always done it so that's how we'll continue to do it.'
