These great ape enclosures at Twycross are an absolute joke. This zoo receives over 500,000 visitors a year and is one of the top 10 or even top 7 most popular zoos in all of the entire United Kingdom. The collection is impressive, but many of the enclosures are pure crap. If this is one of the more popular zoos, why is there not the funding for improving the lives of the apes?
These great ape enclosures at Twycross are an absolute joke. This zoo receives over 500,000 visitors a year and is one of the top 10 or even top 7 most popular zoos in all of the entire United Kingdom. The collection is impressive, but many of the enclosures are pure crap. If this is one of the more popular zoos, why is there not the funding for improving the lives of the apes?
I doubt you'll find anyone on here who supports the ape enclosures at Twycross. They recently raised a large sum of money for an Orang climbing frame, except that it is woefully poor.
These great ape enclosures at Twycross are an absolute joke. This zoo receives over 500,000 visitors a year and is one of the top 10 or even top 7 most popular zoos in all of the entire United Kingdom. The collection is impressive, but many of the enclosures are pure crap. If this is one of the more popular zoos, why is there not the funding for improving the lives of the apes?
We have been asking the same question for years. I hope to raise a few questions to them in the summer when I visit. Thing that gets me really annoyed is that the grass seems to be recently mowed??? Are they after a praise for the best kept lawn?
The lawns in each of the ape enclosures (except for the poor chimps who live in the concentration camp style block in pairs) are better than my own lawn in my back garden .........
What I don't understand is this ....... that the amur leopard enclosure has been thoughtfully planted to provide a jungle like atmosphere with resulting shade and cover, as well as interest for the leopards. Similarly, consideration has obviously been given to the environment for the animals in the tropical house, as well as for the birds in the very nicely landscaped pond area round the Bornean longhouse (though that in itself seems rather pointless IMO) ....... yet no-one has thought to at least try and create a more naturalistic area for the apes ...... who are undoubtedly far more intelligent (and therefore more likely to be adversely affected by rubbish surroundings) than most birds.
I have been quite critical of wasted opportunities, and lack of planting, in Colchester's recently opened Orangutan Forest, but by comparism to this, that is positively luxurious.
This photo shows the outdoor area of the original Gorilla House- now used for one small group of Chimpanzees(there are chimps in several enclosures)
the 'tree' set in a concrete base has always been there. the ugly platforms are a recent addition. Note the torn paper scattered around- Twycross only seem to give their apes artificial materials to play with. I too don't understand the contrast between the modern landscaped Leopard enclosure and all these '60's style' ape enclosures. The main/original block of chimpanzee cages are even worse and look like they are from a 3rd world zoo.
That is the $10000000000 question. It is apparently a very wealthy zoo but mysteriously funds are not ploughed back where they are needed most, a major upgrade of all the Ape enclosures.
When a large amount was raised recently by zoo benefactors specifically for the Orangutan's new climbing equipment, only a small fraction of it was actually spent on some rather basic structures. What happened to all the rest, we wonder. Did it go instead toward the new entrance area perhaps...?
Don't forget, this is the 'World Primate Centre'.....
Anyone fancy grouping our money and buying this zoo? I genuinly think that a lot of people on here would have more of an idea on how to fix this place up than the current director does. Wow, that's actually quite worrying. I assume the current director is more of a pen pusher and just does the business side of it without looking at what REALLY needs doing?
