True. Hopefully not too much longer now...
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2021
True. Hopefully not too much longer now...
Actually they should have known better than to actually risk it.
True. Probably best to put breeding on hold, until the accommodation situation is sorted. Same with that hideous ex chimp row, now amur leopard area. I say this, but I don't want to take away the huge progress TZ has made for the better. Exciting times ahead!
I've just got back from a visit to Twycross zoo. My first visit to the zoo since I got a
camera so I was hoping to get some good photos. The zoo was fairly busy with large crowds around the more popular species. I must say that the zoo is not great at all for photography, especially someone as new to it as me. Almost all of the viewing areas for most of the species are glass so reflections are a bit of a problem. The zoo is really starting to show its age and I hear more and more comments from other visitors each visit. The gorillas, orangutans, penguins and amur leopards are enclosures that seem to have the biggest negative reaction from visitors. The tiger enclosure is starting to look fantastic now the plants have really grown in but every time I visit I only ever see the female and she's always pacing in the back of the indoor area which isn't pleasant at all. Gibbon forest is also looking fantastic and the zoo have added a small area indoors with a handful of reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians including a Chinese crocodile lizard. I'd love to see the zoo get more reptiles in future. The work going on in the old chimp enclosure doesn't seem too drastic at the moment but it appears like it would be used to house primates from what I could see but I'm really not sure. I could only see a bit of the old explorers zone from a raised walkway in gibbon forest. It didn't seem too impressive yet but I saw lots of signs saying that something new was coming in Easter 2022 so maybe that's when we'll find out. The worst moment of my visit was at the orangutan enclosure. There was a huge crowd of visitors teasing, screaming and shouting at one of the youngsters and it was really upsetting to see in all honesty. This crowd in particular were very rude and refused to let me and my family anywhere near the viewing window for quite a while. In the end I gave up and left.
Overall it wasn't my best visit to Twycross but it's good to see the zoo progressing and improving. The excessive amount of barriers all over the zoo are getting ridiculous now. It makes no difference to the one way route and if anything creates more crowds. I'd also like to have seen the zoo start work on one of the older enclosures instead of changing up the explorer zone which was a fairly new area and each species had decent enclosures. The same can't be said for a number of others. I look forward to see what the future holds for Twycross but personally, despite it being 20 minutes away I think I'd prefer the longer journey to Dudley zoo which has a more diverse collection and nowhere near as busy as Twycross.
camera so I was hoping to get some good photos. The zoo was fairly busy with large crowds around the more popular species. I must say that the zoo is not great at all for photography, especially someone as new to it as me. Almost all of the viewing areas for most of the species are glass so reflections are a bit of a problem. The zoo is really starting to show its age and I hear more and more comments from other visitors each visit. The gorillas, orangutans, penguins and amur leopards are enclosures that seem to have the biggest negative reaction from visitors. The tiger enclosure is starting to look fantastic now the plants have really grown in but every time I visit I only ever see the female and she's always pacing in the back of the indoor area which isn't pleasant at all. Gibbon forest is also looking fantastic and the zoo have added a small area indoors with a handful of reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians including a Chinese crocodile lizard. I'd love to see the zoo get more reptiles in future. The work going on in the old chimp enclosure doesn't seem too drastic at the moment but it appears like it would be used to house primates from what I could see but I'm really not sure. I could only see a bit of the old explorers zone from a raised walkway in gibbon forest. It didn't seem too impressive yet but I saw lots of signs saying that something new was coming in Easter 2022 so maybe that's when we'll find out. The worst moment of my visit was at the orangutan enclosure. There was a huge crowd of visitors teasing, screaming and shouting at one of the youngsters and it was really upsetting to see in all honesty. This crowd in particular were very rude and refused to let me and my family anywhere near the viewing window for quite a while. In the end I gave up and left.
Overall it wasn't my best visit to Twycross but it's good to see the zoo progressing and improving. The excessive amount of barriers all over the zoo are getting ridiculous now. It makes no difference to the one way route and if anything creates more crowds. I'd also like to have seen the zoo start work on one of the older enclosures instead of changing up the explorer zone which was a fairly new area and each species had decent enclosures. The same can't be said for a number of others. I look forward to see what the future holds for Twycross but personally, despite it being 20 minutes away I think I'd prefer the longer journey to Dudley zoo which has a more diverse collection and nowhere near as busy as Twycross.
During visits 16-20 August Male Orangutan BATU did spend a little time outdoors, although I don't think the weather impressed him. I also watched a long play session with youngster BASUKI that BATU initiated when indoors. Female MALIKU was keeping as much distance between herself and BATU as was possible. KIBRIAH and KAYAN were in a separate area only just visible from the main viewing window, although I only saw KAYAN.
On the snow leopards, I was told KHUMBU was expected to arrive the week commencing 23 August and would be off-show while 'introductions' took place. There is an option for potential breeding between IRMA and KHUMBU, but given that she is 13 and he is 2 its regarded as unlikely (but not impossible).
Good to see that chimpanzee JAMBO hasn't lost any more body parts since my last visit in September 2019. That was when the Tiger enclosure opened and there were concerns that male Sumatran tiger SIALANG would take some time to adjust to his new environment - looks like he still hasn't.
On the snow leopards, I was told KHUMBU was expected to arrive the week commencing 23 August and would be off-show while 'introductions' took place. There is an option for potential breeding between IRMA and KHUMBU, but given that she is 13 and he is 2 its regarded as unlikely (but not impossible).
Good to see that chimpanzee JAMBO hasn't lost any more body parts since my last visit in September 2019. That was when the Tiger enclosure opened and there were concerns that male Sumatran tiger SIALANG would take some time to adjust to his new environment - looks like he still hasn't.
They’re both really shy. I know sumatrans have a tendency to be shy anyway but I’ve never heard of Sialang actually venturing outside. I think Jahly gets confused as a result of her eyesight. When I saw her I was alone and she came out of the back area indoors and took a few seconds to spot me, she was very apprehensive when she did and slowly walked towards me, bearing her teeth a few times, once she’d sussed me out she just stalked me at the window until I went away as it attracted a massive crowd.
Actually Batu is only normally seperate from Kibriah and her baby, not Maliku and her's. WanderingDragon's recent post(just above) indicates that's still the situation now.
Visited today and got a few bits of info from asking keepers / talk people. On the new snow leopard was told he was on quarantine but not weather that was before he arrived or here at Twycross before he goes on show, but that they where not happy about the big cat sanctuary had announced his pending arrival on social media. The chimps are introducing Samatha to the larger group with the intention of breeding this was on a poster telling us about it on entrance to chimp Eden. And the old chimp enclosed is being converted to house the second group of bonobos which they are looking to move in on Tuesday this week. The enclosure has had a paint job on the outside similar to the gibbon forests and look a lot bigger I don’t know if the paint job does this or they took down the dividing walls of the outside enclosures
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No idea and to be honest I didn’t ask as far as I know it’s a bit of an unofficial secret that she is there so didn’t want to push my look and as about her
I did push my luck and ask: Amur Leopard Samara, previously in the Snow Leopard enclosure moved to Monde Sauvage Zoo, Belgium in July.
Good to know that both groups of Bonobos will have access to an outdoor area (I hope), which should help ease tensions that arise in whichever group had to stay indoors. I also noticed that some Bonobo individuals (Lina, Lucuma and Diatou in particular) spend a lot of time watching visitors. Previously, only Lina seemed interested in the strange creatures on the other side of the glass!
Good to know that both groups of Bonobos will have access to an outdoor area (I hope), which should help ease tensions that arise in whichever group had to stay indoors. I also noticed that some Bonobo individuals (Lina, Lucuma and Diatou in particular) spend a lot of time watching visitors. Previously, only Lina seemed interested in the strange creatures on the other side of the glass!
I'm unclear whether Samantha is now known to be a western chimp or something else. But it appears they're going to try to get a baby from her anyway. Also indicates the males in the small group could stay seperated longerterm now.
Good news about the Bonobos and ends speculation on the new inhabitants of that house. I wonder if the indoor area will be open for visitors though, I believe the chimps damaged it quite a lot.
I’d have thought that if they’d taken the time to renovate the outdoor area they’d probably do indoors aswell.
The only thing I would say, given the work they are putting into the new accommodation for the group of bonobos I can’t see them move if on to new digs sone unless the ultimate plan is for this exhibit to be used for another species once they have a new exhibit
So, Twycross Zoo have filed their returns for 2020 and the real impact of the pandemic is now out in the open.
- Visitor numbers declined 36% to 415,000 (648,000 in 2019).
- Income declined to £9.9m (£11.8m in 2019) including £400k in government grants.
- The zoo still generated a surplus of £289,000 (£515,000 in 2019).
- Cash and bank reserves increased significantly to £6.7m, up from £2.7m – largely due to a new £3m coronavirus business loan.
- The zoo still invested £600k in improvements and maintenance (down from £2.3 million in 2019 though).
- The master plan will ‘resume as soon as possible’ – which now appears to have happened with work starting on Explorer Zone a few months ago.
- The report confirms the improvements to the old chimp house are for a breeding group of bonobos.
"It is with great sadness to let you know that one of our female Bornean orangutans, Kibriah, passed away today.
Over the last few weeks, Kibriah’s keepers and veterinary team noticed that she was showing signs of being unwell. Kibriah had been under specialist veterinary care but given her advanced age and recent health issues the difficult decision to euthanase her was made.
Kibriah was born at Twycross Zoo in 1977 and lived to a great age of 44 – in the wild, Bornean orangutans live for around 35-40 years. She was a very important part of the European breeding programme to save the species and has four surviving offspring – Theodora (born in 1988 now at Paris JP), Maliku (born in 1994, living here at Twycross Zoo), Tiga (born in 2001 now at Colchester Zoo) and Kayan (born in 2017, living here at Twycross Zoo). She leaves her daughters, 27 year old Maliku and 4 year old Kayan, here at Twycross Zoo with males, 32 year old Batu and 4 year old Basuki.
In 2015 an extension to the orangutan habitat was built, however, sadly Kibriah won’t be able to enjoy the new home planned as part of our 2030 Vision.
We will miss you Kibs"
Twycross Zoo
Over the last few weeks, Kibriah’s keepers and veterinary team noticed that she was showing signs of being unwell. Kibriah had been under specialist veterinary care but given her advanced age and recent health issues the difficult decision to euthanase her was made.
Kibriah was born at Twycross Zoo in 1977 and lived to a great age of 44 – in the wild, Bornean orangutans live for around 35-40 years. She was a very important part of the European breeding programme to save the species and has four surviving offspring – Theodora (born in 1988 now at Paris JP), Maliku (born in 1994, living here at Twycross Zoo), Tiga (born in 2001 now at Colchester Zoo) and Kayan (born in 2017, living here at Twycross Zoo). She leaves her daughters, 27 year old Maliku and 4 year old Kayan, here at Twycross Zoo with males, 32 year old Batu and 4 year old Basuki.
In 2015 an extension to the orangutan habitat was built, however, sadly Kibriah won’t be able to enjoy the new home planned as part of our 2030 Vision.
We will miss you Kibs"
Twycross Zoo
Gigit
Well-Known Member
How sad. Poor little Kayan
Very sad to hear the news on Kibriah. She must have been one of the oldest Bornean Orang-utans in the UK.