I'm wondering if this is the 'subgroup' which were living in one of the old-style cages at Port Lympne, rather than part of the larger group.
Good to see them at Twycross again after such a long interval, as this was the main Guenon species they've been missing- but I hope they can carry on breeding from them...
If I remember rightly the 'subgroup' was an unrelated pair plus two(?) offspring- living in one of the enclosures between Palace of the Apes and the Malay Tapir building. Maybe its them, maybe not. (There's another family, about 5 animals-2 parents + young at Howletts but evidently this isn't them)
By my reckoning, the last successful guenon birth at Twycross was a Crowned Guenon born in 1999 (another Crowned Guenon in 2000 and a L'Hoest's in 2005 failed to survive). During this period, Twycross have kept 12 guenon taxa (all, I believe, in potential breeding situations):
Today there was a small cage inside the De Brazzas' indoor exhibit containing a very small monkey that I couldn't see clearly as the cage was triple- or quadruple-meshed. But judging from its movement and what I could see of its appearance, it may well be a young De Brazza (presumably being hand-reared). It could be another species, but if so I don't see why it would be kept within the De Brazzas' exhibit. Have Twycross broken their guenon breeding curse? Time will tell.
It could be another species, but if so I don't see why it would be kept within the De Brazzas' exhibit. Have Twycross broken their guenon breeding curse? Time will tell.
If they have, its by using a newly-imported group(the De Brazzas) from another zoo, and not from any of their long established pairs/groups of Guenons. I don't think its so much a curse as unsuitable management- elderly animals/no privacy etc which are preventing many of these Monkeys from producing young anymore.
Its a pretty abysmal record when you consider the timespan and the number of species they keep. Not to mention the 'WPC' tag.
If they have, its by using a newly-imported group(the De Brazzas) from another zoo, and not from any of their long established pairs/groups of Guenons.
Its a pretty abysmal record when you consider the timespan and the number of species they keep. Not to mention the 'WPC' tag.
This is all very true - and given that the group brought in were parents and daughter it's presumably even a pre-existing breeding pair established at another zoo! But at least it would be something!
