After being part of Twycross Zoo for many years it sickens me to keep reading about The Green Mile or Death Row it was always known as old chimp house all the chimps that were there were in very good condition in Miss Badham and Miss Evans days this was how chimps were kept remember this was in the 1960's but I can assure you if they needed medical attention or anything they got it and they got the very best care so please stop calling it the green mile or death row I mean you would not call an old peoples home these name.
Twycross Zoo The So Called Green mile
- Thread starter Jane Doe
- Start date
I agree "Green Mile" and "death row" are not attractive names for zoo enclosures, however it is not just on here I have heard these enclosures being described as such, I also heard this description from Twycross staff themselves. I have no doubt whatsoever that the chimps living there received the best of everything when the zoo was under the direction of Miss Badham and Miss Evans, but as you state yourself they date back to the sixties and until very recently chimps were living in these enclosures, we have stated on here many times that the rehousing of these animals should have been the first thing the new direction did when taking over, instead of fancy entrances and walkways, a time when the zoo was in a very sound financial state, but no, this was not the case, indeed it was stated by the official zoo inspectorate several years ago that euthanasia of the animals living on this exhibit would be preferable to allowing them to continue living there, Fortunately no chimps live there anymore and it has been converted, quite attractively and inexpensively for leopards. The old chimp row served its purpose but was long passed its sell by date.
Hi I would love to know where you got your information from because it is all a load of rubbish that row of houses were never condemed it was the main cafateria that was condemed and as for puting the chimps in those houses to sleep that was the biggist load of elephant poo I have ever heard who ever you get your information from tells very big tails I have been a part of the zoo for 30+ years it was Miss Badhams dream of puting the chimps together in groups and she would have done it if she was still there trust me I should know and as for how things were done I also would have used the finances differently first of all I would have delt with the animal enclosures and then set up a hospital room for the vets yes I think the wetlands is good but not to the extent of what it is now the zoo it all about the enviroment so recycling is good instead of knocking things down and building new saving all ways round.
Basically who ever has feed you the information has told you something you would put in the bin and by the way the old chimp complex has not got a shelf life.
Basically who ever has feed you the information has told you something you would put in the bin and by the way the old chimp complex has not got a shelf life.
I can assure you that the information I have posted is 100% correct from someone with a great deal of knowledge concerning this zoo, I am not prepared to state who it was on here, but if you are connected with Twycross you would definitely know who this person is. If you care to read anything on here I have posted regarding Twycross some of my comments were not in the least favourable regarding the direction of this zoo since Miss Badham and Miss Evans retired, however, you will also see that I have always spoken very highly of Miss Badham, a person who I had a great deal of respect for, if you think in this day in age it was acceptable to allow those chimps to languish in that zoological museum piece, particularly a zoo that labels itself as a "world primate center", then I suggest you should take the time and trouble to visit the chimp facility at Edinburgh Zoo, this is how chimps in captivity deserve to live in the twenty first century, thank you.
But why wasn't it done when she was there? She had several decades of opportunity.
They got a small group together in the Colony building many years ago, but then went no further with this sort of social integration of the others. Even without building anymore expensive new housing, the partitions between those existing 'chimp row' cages could have been opened to allow what was, by sight and sound contact, probably effectively already a 'clan,' to all be together which would have been more interesting and stimulating both for them and for visitors too.The relative ease with which the recent moves and creation of the bigger groups has been carried out proves something similar could have been accomplished much earlier IMO.
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I think I know who you are ? I personally could never call them both Miss B and Miss thought me everything and they were part on my family. No disrespect but the elderly don't like change and there was no one that gave them any direction I mean if someone had brought up any ideas they would have listened but no I feel most people just saw them as two eccentric old women and yet when ever I said anything they would take that on board.
Yes, and I think I know who you are too!, did you by any chance recently post 50th anniversary photos on a certain facebook page?
.I could never call Miss Badham and Miss Evans neither, I had the greatest respect for both of them and what they achieved at Twycross from starting off with a pet shop, Twycross has never been the same since they left, and in my opinion it NEVER will be, but the sad fact is they could not go on for ever, it's just a great shame that the person who was chosen to continue the good work that they did for forty years was not a great success. I agree, when you get older you may resent change, and from what I remember of Miss Badham she was a very forthright person with very strong views, but primarily above all a great animal lover, and it was a great pleasure to have known her, as it was with several of her long serving keepers who worked there under her direction.You said earlier it was her dream to get those chimps altogether, but you haven't answered my question about why they didn't do it except you hint at 'fear of change'. I guess they never heard of places like Arnhem Zoo in Holland who in the 1970's were establishing a big and very sucessfull Chimp colony by integrating several small existing groups of ex Zoo chimps. Perhaps they should have sought advice from somewhere like that?
ostrich
Well-Known Member
That is a terrible name! Who calls it death row? That’s sad. Zoos have come a long way since the 1960s. That goes for the care of all animals, not just Chimpanzees. Care will only continue to get better as time goes on. Just look at where zoos have come in 100 years or so. They use to be like death camps. Now, MOST provide wonderful lives for animals and help with conservation. I personally believe that Chimpanzees should be kept together, if at all possible, since they are very social creatures.