Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2018

A quick Google shows that BIAZA have an Elephant Welfare Group, which Twycross appears to be part of.

This document is called Management Guidelines for the Welfare of Zoo Animals: Elephants, a document compiled by Olivia Walter, IZVG, for BIAZA. It says "This document sets out current best practice and principles that should be followed by responsible zoos." It makes for very interesting reading and has kept me occupied for a while!

Here are some useful points:
"Some of the management guidelines are mandatory and some guidance. Those that are mandatory are high-lighted in boxes and include the word ‘must’."

"Facilities which have compatibility issues, such that individual cows are kept separated for prolonged periods of time, MUST ensure that these situations are resolved expediently. In these circumstances, the removal of individual elephants may be justified."

"zoos MUST strive to keep a minimum group size of four compatible cows older than two years."

"If a reduction in herd size does become necessary then compatible female pairs (or preferably trios or more) should be moved together to other facilities in accordance with EEP recommendation." (Note the lack of the word 'must' in this comment, compared to the previous one).
 
BeakerUK said:
"Facilities which have compatibility issues, such that individual cows are kept separated for prolonged periods of time, MUST ensure that these situations are resolved expediently. In these circumstances, the removal of individual elephants may be justified."
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This may have been relevant to Karishma's case, though it was difficulties with handling rather than incompatability that necessitated her move.
 
So outside viewing will presumably be over the wall at the wider end where there is a dry moat in the enclosure.

They are still teasing with the 'opening soon' statement but when people ask for an exact date they just say 'very soon...'
 
It’s considerably bigger than I anticipated, impressive!

But can’t help but think those concrete walls could look a little better somehow? I suspect there will be landscaping visitor side so you won’t notice it, but even if they were just painted a forest green on the inside or something it would look nicer.
 
Pertinax said:
So outside viewing will presumably be over the wall at the wider end where there is a dry moat in the enclosure.
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Looking back at the plans, there are two windows overlooking the outdoor enclosure from the public area inside the building. There will also be two windows in the outside wall, one near the entrance to the building and one on the south side looking towards the building. I assume that the apertures will be cut into the wall to allow the armoured glass to be mounted securely, which is why they cannot be seen in the video. I think that you may be correct in suggesting that there will also be a viewing point over the wall, more or less where the digger is in the video, although it is not shown in the plans.
I guess that the inside (and perhaps the outside) of the wall will be painted.
 
The plans show a viewing terrace adjacent to the Gorilla outdoor area and, on my last visit, they were busy putting that up. You can see the outline of it and some workers beavering away on it, in the video. The only outdoor viewing window is very feint but visible in the video. It is over the far side, just off the main path. Sadly, I don't think they will paint the outside walls but I hope I'm wrong.
 
Twycross have not been too successful with glass viewing windows in the past. They have suffered from reflections, poor coverage and the problem every zoo has with sticky/dirty hands (on both sides of the glass).

I am encouraged that the plans show a viewing terrace although its going to be high up if it allows a view over that enormous wall.
 
cliffxdavis said:
I am encouraged that the plans show a viewing terrace although its going to be high up if it allows a view over that enormous wall.
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The path, it appears, will wend it's way gently uphill to the viewing terrace, which will sit adjacent to the lowest part of the wall. On the other side of the lowest part of the wall is a dry ditch, so the wall is still substantially high from the inside. It should offer very good views, I think.
 
They may as well erect a sniper watch-tower and add barbed wire!! In its current state, it resembles a prison. I hope it is painted & planted.
 
The plans do show extensive landscaping and planting around the outside of the enclosure. Which can easily be achieved quickly - even in the limited time since those photos and aerial vid was taken.

But the plans don’t show what will happen with the walls reference painting them or not.
 
Apart from having an ugly wall in my photos, I was initially concerned about how much shadow will fall across the enclosure. Regardless, it's much better than what they have at present.
 
littleRedPanda said:
Apart from having an ugly wall in my photos, I was initially concerned about how much shadow will fall across the enclosure. Regardless, it's much better than what they have at present.
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The building faces directly south overlooking the outdoor enclosure, so shadows will be minimised.
 
The surrounding wall is certainly on a much larger scale than anything else at Twycross, but then these are Chimpanzees. It does look a bit like Alcatraz from a distance but possibly not so much from ground level. Even if not painted a more natural colour, it will weather over time. Its certainly a much bigger area compared to the area of the red-brick square at the top-centre of the photo, which until now housed the main/larger group.
 
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