Twycross Zoo Twycross Update 13/09/09

[GillP]

The old Chimpanzee enclosures are really awful- a real blight on the Zoo. The same pairs and trios of chimps still permanently seperated. The most they have together is in the 'colony' and that is only 5 or 6. I believe there are plans to do something about all this but nothing specific (I would like to see ALL the Twycross chimpanzees in a single large group) I would have rated a replacement for the oldest cages as higher priority than the new visitor centre/snow leopard complex.

Totally agree. I know we all have a moan on here about the ape enclosures with the nice 'lawns' but they are so much better than these cages which look like a prison. I don't understand why there hasn't been an attempt to integrate these animals into 2 or 3 groups (if 1 wasn't possible). Many of those kept in pairs and trios are related to each other ...... for example, I'm pretty sure that Kundu, the brown chimp in the 1st enclosure (with her mate whose name I can't remember - Benji perhaps ? - and her daughter Tulli) is the daughter and granddaughter of 2 other female chimps kept further along this line.

What gets me about Twycross is that compared to many zoos, they have quite an expanse of space between enclosures which would surely allow for improvements such as this. I know it's hard not to attribute human feelings to animals, but to my mind, the chimps in this section, in particular, always look miserable.

 

[Pertinax]

I don't understand why there hasn't been an attempt to integrate these animals into 2 or 3 groups (if 1 wasn't possible). Many of those kept in pairs and trios are related to each other .......

You need to read the recent posts about this on the other(3/4th October visit) Twycross thread... it does seem there are some longterm plans to raise this eyesore and make a single large Chimpanzee exhibit.

I cannot understand why in the interim, the chimps in these old cages aren't all allowed in together and never have been.. Although they are in pairs and trios they can all see and hear each other so must be very familiar and regard themselves as one single clan.

Even living in those grotty surroundings, a bigger number together always looks as if they are enjoying a more natural existence. They have three different 'subgroups' living in 3 different parts of the zoo at present.

 

[GillP]

I cannot understand why in the interim, the chimps in these old cages aren't all allowed in together and never have been.. Although they are in pairs and trios they can all see and hear each other so must be very familiar and regard themselves as one single clan.

I agree ...... I was actually there yesterday and though I didn't stop to read all the individual bios on the cages, I'm pretty sure one of them described a particular chimp as the dominant male of the group. As he was stuck in with just 2 others, would he be able to achieve this status nonetheless - presumably vocally (only) - over the entire group ??

What I did notice though was that the oldest chimp, a female whose name I can't remember, appeared to be on her own ........ and indeed only her bio was attached at the end of her run. Yet there was an open trap door between her enclosure and the one next door ....... which is a slight improvement to the surroundings I suppose ....... albeit that at the time I was there, she was on her own, and her neighbours stayed put where they were too.

It's amazing to see such a wide collection of primates but for the life of me I will never understand why a Little Tikes kiddies' car (and the rest ) is considered suitable enrichment for a gibbon.

 

[Pertinax]

I agree ...... the individual bios on the cages, I'm pretty sure one of them described a particular chimp as the dominant male of the group. As he was stuck in with just 2 others, would he be able to achieve this status nonetheless - presumably vocally (only) - over the entire group ??

It's amazing to see such a wide collection of primates but for the life of me I will never understand why a Little Tikes kiddies' car (and the rest ) is considered suitable enrichment for a gibbon.

I saw that too- I think they are referring to just his own two females. You can see them all interacting with each other despite the barriers and I'm sure they know exactly who is who(by voice in the further ones) in the other cages. If this lot were introduced to a strange group, I bet they would all club together to protect each other.

I have sometimes wondered if the reason they are kept like this more a management one- that in the existing building they all have to be separated into small numbers in the night cages- might be a headache to split them up at night if they liked being together. In a specially designed 'chimphouse' that wouldn't be necessary.

Regarding the Gibbon toys- still leftovers from the culture of the Molly Badham 'pet' era probably