Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo news 2016 #1

I'm going next Monday so to those who were curious about the langurs I will find out how many there are.
 
rubymurray said:
Looks like the original plan for the Ape complex is dead in the water. There is a new planning application for the Chimp development and it is nothing like the previous one. Perhaps it was too costly when they started going in to detail.

http://publicdocuments.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/AnitePublicDocs/00265094.pdf

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Hmm interesting to see that there is two "tunnels" leading to the old chimp enclosure. How many family groups would this allow them to hold and keep swapping around?
 
rubymurray said:
Looks like the original plan for the Ape complex is dead in the water. There is a new planning application for the Chimp development and it is nothing like the previous one. Perhaps it was too costly when they started going in to detail.

http://publicdocuments.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/AnitePublicDocs/00265094.pdf

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Interesting that there are four retrospective planning applications dated Wed 02 Mar 2016!

Extension of orangutan house,
Erection of butterfly house,
Erection of plant room to serve wet & wild play area
and Erection of wet & wild catering/refreshment lodge!
 
That's somewhat disappointing, especially after all the media fanfare around this last year and the promising start with the Giraffes and Gibbon Forest. Logistically though, the ape complex did look like a nightmare, taking up a huge amount of space, meaning several exhibits would need to removed or relocated so maybe this will be better in the long run.

From the new design/layout, I can see the outdoor section being duplicated on the opposite side once the old complex is no longer needed.
 
wayne4swfc said:
Hmm interesting to see that there is two "tunnels" leading to the old chimp enclosure. How many family groups would this allow them to hold and keep swapping around?
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The old house contains two inside areas + about three/four small shut-off/dens on each side+ one large and one smaller outside areas. If the large group in here were moved to the new complex, and the small 'group'(still two units I believe) from the other Chimp House(an older building) moved into their place, they could be probably gradually integrated that way, or failing that,continue to live seperately in here.

To answer your question, three, or more realistically perhaps, two.
 
haydn said:
Logistically though, the ape complex did look like a nightmare, taking up a huge amount of space, meaning several exhibits would need to removed or relocated so maybe this will be better in the long run.
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I think these scaled down plans are no real shock though last year's fanfare might seem a bit premature now. The Chimpanzees are still the most important as far as their Apes go, in need of better housing there. This design would allow for the use of the existing enclosure to house the smaller 'subgroup' in the event they couldn't all be united.

The Orangs have recently had an extended house which will no doubt have to last them a long while now.

The Gorillas' accomodation is perfectly servicable for some years to come anyway.

If the large Ape complex has now been scotched or put back even further, that just leaves the Bonobos without any better housing in view.
 
Pertinax said:
I think these scaled down plans are no real shock though last year's fanfare might seem a bit premature now. The Chimpanzees are still the most important as far as their Apes go, in need of better housing there. This design would allow for the use of the existing enclosure to house the smaller 'subgroup' in the event they couldn't all be united.

The Orangs have recently had an extended house which will no doubt have to last them a long while now.

The Gorillas' accomodation is perfectly servicable for some years to come anyway.

If the large Ape complex has now been scotched or put back even further, that just leaves the Bonobos without any better housing in view.
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One of the new plans shows the waterways streaming off into another set of ponds/moat - which suggests they've planned the area adjacent to this. Let's hope that is another new Ape home replacement and we'll still get kingdom of the apes, just in a less connected and grand way.
 
The more I think about it the more I think the new plan is far more sensible than the Ape complex. If they'd developed the Chimp section of that as a first phase then they would have needed to develop all four sections to really make it work. Realistically, that could've taken them 15 years +, during which time a lot can happen, not to mention that they would've need to move the Lemur Walk-through, amongst other things. By developing individual facilities they are afforded far more flexibility. It also seems like a sensible idea to develop a very nice facility for one group but utilise the old run to accommodate two groups, in the short term. It looks like they'll just rotate those groups between the new paddock and the old runs. I also like that they are using the boundary wall along the back of the paddock rather than a moat all the way around. It makes more space available to the Chimps.
 
rubymurray said:
in the short term. It looks like they'll just rotate those groups between the new paddock and the old runs. I also like that they are using the boundary wall along the back of the paddock rather than a moat all the way around. It makes more space available to the Chimps.
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I would imagine the large group of 15( or so) will use the new enclosure almost entirely. The smaller number from the 'colony' building(just five or is it six now?) will no doubt spend most of their time in the older housing if they aren't integrated into the main group, but this whole plan would also allow them to be moved back and forth if they wish.

Point two is an important one- that any space not used by a watermoat is valuable extra animal space.
 
haydn said:
which suggests they've planned the area adjacent to this. Let's hope that is another new Ape home replacement and we'll still get kingdom of the apes, just in a less connected and grand way.
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Perhaps they will build new accomodation for each of the four species as time and funds allow, but in four phases over many years, instead of one single grandoise complex. For a 'middle-sized' zoo like Twycross this does sound more realistic.
 
Pertinax said:
Perhaps they will build new accomodation for each of the four species as time and funds allow, but in four phases over many years, instead of one single grandoise complex. For a 'middle-sized' zoo like Twycross this does sound more realistic.
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I hate the idea of a great ape house. Much better to build accommodation suited to each species, gorillas, chimps and bonobos have similar requirements. But orangutans need much more height and it would look odd in the same building. Better to build purpose built for each species and for how they are managed.
 
Completely agree. Whilst the £55m redevelopment plan is exciting, you do have to question where all the money was suddenly coming from.
 
Pertinax said:
I would imagine the large group of 15( or so) will use the new enclosure almost entirely. The smaller number from the 'colony' building(just five or is it six now?) will no doubt spend most of their time in the older housing if they aren't integrated into the main group, but this whole plan would also allow them to be moved back and forth if they wish.
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Larger group is 15 (5.10) = Jambo Flynn Jomar Mongo Kibali, Coco Choppers Noddy Rosie Tojo Lottie Josie Victoria Genet Tuli

Smaller group is 6 (4.2) = William Peter Tommy Danny, Samantha Holly

Last time I was there the smaller group were divided into two; Danny, Tommy and Holly, and Peter, William and Samantha
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Last time I was there the smaller group were divided into two; Danny, Tommy and Holly, and Peter, William and Samantha
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I used to see about five together in there but that was before the changes and the two younger males were added. I doubt these two trios have ever been together. But as they live within constant close contact I would guess they could fairly easily be made into one group. I also think they could then probably unite them with all the others too- after all they have already done that with a number of the others, and all these chimps can hear each other all the time- which means they already share a certain familiarity.
 
I believe Tommy and Danny, as well as Peter and Samantha are the problem animals. Danny and Tommy are young and full of energy, and Samantha backs her son Peter for the alpha position, which doesn't sit well with Danny I think. William and Holly are both relatively low ranking I would assume (Holly frequently showed her teeth when the boys came in, and William has no genitals meaning he isn't a threat for Peter).
 
I'm glad to see this being scrapped. To be frank, no average zoo visiter wants to see 4 species of Ape in one massive exhibit. I think, by having individual enclosures around the zoo for each ape species it will increase the attention span and interest of the visitor. Also, now Twycross have dropped trying to be the 'World Primate Centre' let the orangutans go to another zoo. Again, it will be of huge cost to rehouse them in the zoo, and they are in truth not the most interesting species to an average visitor too. A vacant orang house could open up the chance of a different species which are more interesting for both zoo nerd and general visitor.
 
canaryboy2 said:
I'm glad to see this being scrapped. To be frank, no average zoo visiter wants to see 4 species of Ape in one massive exhibit. I think, by having individual enclosures around the zoo for each ape species it will increase the attention span and interest of the visitor. Also, now Twycross have dropped trying to be the 'World Primate Centre' let the orangutans go to another zoo. Again, it will be of huge cost to rehouse them in the zoo, and they are in truth not the most interesting species to an average visitor too. A vacant orang house could open up the chance of a different species which are more interesting for both zoo nerd and general visitor.
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One of Twycross' main ways of generating interest is "the only collection in the UK to house all 4 types of great ape".

Personally I think just get rid of the indoor picnic area, and extend round that bend for the orangutans. Or even extend partways onto the big green in the middle of the zoo. I don't think it's necessary for them to leave.
 
ShonenJake13 said:
I believe Tommy and Danny, as well as Peter and Samantha are the problem animals.
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If they can't mix these two smaller groups, eventually moving them and then offering a completely new dynamic in the form of integration in the bigger group would probably cancel out whatever social issues they have. They'd either unite together as a clan against their perceived 'rivals', or quite possibly forge entirely new/seperate relationships with other chimps.'
 
It will be interesting to see how they handle it. The new enclosure looks nearly twice the size of the two existing ones combined, so there's plenty of space for them all - but the fact they're building tunnels to one of the existing houses, suggests no immediate plans to completely merge them, but the design of the new house, with it's animal doors on both sides (4 in total, with only two being used for tunnels), suggests there is a mid to long term desire to add an external exhibit on that side too.
 
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