I always assumed they all had free access to water at all times, particularly a lactating female.
Do you know which houses have had water drinkers the longest?
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2013 #1
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
I always assumed they all had free access to water at all times, particularly a lactating female.
Do you know which houses have had water drinkers the longest?
I was unaware drinking from plastic bottles was the only source of liquids for a lot of their Apes. I always presumed they were for supplementary drinks and then left for 'enrichment' though they made the enclosures very scruffy-looking too.
Only in the last 6 months drinkers were installed, Okandas problems were exacerbated by lack of freely available water, the keepers did there best but zoological management failed. However now this is being addressed, Bonobo next I think. Currently bonobo has a running outside tap but as only one group can access outside at a time it's useless.
I sometimes wonder about our Zoos...
Twycross have been keeping Apes for nigh on fifty years or more.It is a little strange that Ozala reared her first offspring(Matadi) perfectly well in the Bonobo House quarters,(without free access to water?) but then failed with her next two babies-'N'Doki' & 'Okanda'- in the current enclosure. In both cases malnutrition/failing milk supply seemed to play a role. There were other possibly stressful factors for the mother too- in N'doki's case, the father Sekondi had died recently leaving Ozala with no protective male, while in Okanda's case she was with a relatively new male but with no female company/support. Hopefully with these factors(and the fluid intake?) rectified she will be successful again this time.
ornithom
Member
Visited Twycross yesterday to see the new Himalaya and Dinosaur additions. Was impressed by the Dinosaurs it has to be said, but Himalaya is a bit of a white elephant!
The most distressing part of the day was walking into the Borneo Longhouse to find the roof ripped away from the walkway and no animals in there?!!? Does anyone have any info on this? Was this a planned dereliction?
I can't find any threads about this on Zoochat...
Regards
The most distressing part of the day was walking into the Borneo Longhouse to find the roof ripped away from the walkway and no animals in there?!!? Does anyone have any info on this? Was this a planned dereliction?
I can't find any threads about this on Zoochat...
Regards
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
The Bornean Longhouse Aviary roof collapsed in the heavy snow early in the year,so no it wasn't planned!Have to say I'm not sure how long it will take them to replace it as,at the moment they are have to do any re-developments on peanuts,I think we will have to hope that the dinosaurs do as well for Twycross as they did for Chester and may be just may be they will have a slight surplus in the bank,for the first time in a number of years!
I just dont understand what everyone seems to have against himalaya, it's one of their better exhibits & mostly subsidised, yet people like the dinosaurs?!
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Probably because it was for a new species,when it could have been a much needed new primate exhibit!That and the fact that there has been an increase in shop lifting in the shop and cafe due to the superb design of the building,so as a result it has cost the zoo a far greater loss of profits from those outlets,that said they have put in new security cameras to stop that,but only within the last 9 months!!!
Maybe the open plan shop wasn't the best idea, but the snow leopard exhibit is good and would a new primate exhibit have been so well subsidised? A new species is still a bonus, especially given the number thar they've lost since.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
If they had worded it right they could have built a new Elephant enclosure,so I don't think a primate exhibit would have been a problem to fund!As for the open plan design its a case of yet another great idea by the previous Director!!
That's fair enough then, i know the previous leadership has plenty to answer for.
I still maintain that the exhibit itself doesn't warrant the criticism it gets- as an exhibit it's good, regardless of what may or may not have been built instead. I criticised London over tiger territory's cost, but have to concede it is an excellent exhibit.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Well having seen all the exhibit,including the off-show area.I still say its not a good exhibit far to small and not enough area for the cats to get away from the visitors if they want!
Last edited:
Fair enough then, since your argument is obviously more well founded than some of the others i've seen. All i would say is that probably the snow leopards are better equipped to spend the winter outside than some of the monkeys & gibbons who must have to spend most of it confined to their indoor boxes.
On the dinosaurs, i'll have to concede they are a necessary evil, but at least i will be able to avoid them.
I'm in two minds about it too be honest.
I agree there's not enough places for the cats to escape the public gaze (though they never seem particularly troubled by this) but size-wise I think it's reasonable and one of the bigger (and better) enclosures for the species in the UK.
Regarding the off-show facilities I'll accept your opinion that they're poor but that's a claim that can be leveled at a lot of collections' enclosures -I think decent off-show facilities is a fairly recent development at most places. That said, given the money spent at Twycross and it's recentness the off-show areas should have been modern and spacious.
As an exhibit, like a lot of carnivore exhibits, it's great when the animals are viewable and even better when they're active but seems a waste of resources when they're not. I suspect the Snow Leopards are a little like Red Pandas in some respects -when they're seen (active) a lot of visitors feel they're having a special experience and the zoo sells a lot of cuddly toys as a result of children's pestering power.
That said about the Snow Leopard enclosure (basically I'm neutral & accepting at this point) my overall opinion of Himalaya is still largely a negative one (mainly re the wasted large aviary and "elite dining area") but that's the last regime's folly/legacy and the new regime's changes have impressed so far (must really get there to check them out properly soon).
It would indeed be rather ironic if a static display of model dinosaurs proved to be Twycross' salvation. Maybe they should just go out of live animals entirely and have a field of Dinosaurs instead?
What are the facts regarding shoplifting since Himalaya opened then?
Granted it's a big open plan shop but they appear to have engaged with a great number of experts when putting Himalaya together, including, I gather, retail consultants, who you would anticipate would have shoplifting at the forefront of their minds. Best practice seems to be to have nicely spaced out, low profile, fixtures and fittings and they certainly seem to have stuck to that one. The old shops were basically scrums during the busy periods, it must have been heaven for shoplifting then, none of the staff could have possibly had a clue what was going on.
Interested to know to what extra extent they are suffering now compared to the past.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Indeed and if it is then it will be one of the few things done by under the previous Director that actually worked out as a good idea!!That said I'm struggling to think of much else apart from the Bush Dog/Coati exhibit,I would have said the re-done Owl Aviarys but even they have a major fault,in the fact that the mesh isn't attached to the roof supports apart from round the outer edges,so if anything heavy falls on it,yet another aviary with a roof collapse!It would indeed be rather ironic if a static display of model dinosaurs proved to be Twycross' salvation. Maybe they should just go out of live animals entirely and have a field of Dinosaurs instead?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Well as somebody who knew the old shop manger,before he was forced out by the old Director,I can say that in the old shop they never had one of the Large Cuddly Big Cats walk out of the shop without it being paid for!!!That and the fact that after only about 6 weeks of Himalaya the zoo had to get a website removed telling people how they could get free food,and anything they wanted out of the shop without being spotted!!
Okay, you obviously have good sources and it certainly doesn't sound good from that. Let's hope they can sort it out going forward.
I notice the TZA are back on the scene, nice to see the new regime trying to inject a little of the old spirit and passion back in to the place.