The entrance /exit signs are up so I assume the house will be open soon but it wasn't last week
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2021
littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
I got the impression that they want to keep the "two groups" in the same building so they can continue to swap individuals around in a 'natural' way.
This maybe a very slight improvement but it is NOT a ‘dream home’! It makes me so angry how the marketing dept. does these announcements. A ‘dream home’ for bonobo would have living trees, huge acreage to explore and an indoor area similar or better than Budongo or Chimp Eden.
Moving both groups is a surprise, as it does throw into question some of the propose layout and timeline for the new ape enclosures.
The orang-utan were next inline for a completely new (and actually new!) home. Bonobos were a few years off, and the recent improvements to the tortoise area had suggested they’d stay put for a while longer. But now who knows!
The orang-utan were next inline for a completely new (and actually new!) home. Bonobos were a few years off, and the recent improvements to the tortoise area had suggested they’d stay put for a while longer. But now who knows!
Is this ‘like’ a tiled picture game where one has to ‘move’ one piece two squares over to move another one into the correct position i.e. the Orangs will move, temporarily, into the ex bonobo facility whilst the Orang house is (hopefully) flattened or redeveloped into a monkey enclosure?
Based on the timeline and visuals they shared in the 2030 vision brochure, kinda! That suggested...
- Orang-Utan first in a space largely empty, though Walking with Lemurs may have been in the way a little.
- Bonobo Haven - but where the existing (now old) Bonobo House and Monkeys are.
- Gorilla's - but where the Gorilla's are now and where the Bonobo have moved too.
I can’t see the bonobo moving again soon given the amount of work they put into the enclosure and now advertising it as a new home, they even painted the walls, something the chimps missed out on. Nor can I see it being demolished sone for the same reason, As stated they have also invested in the tortoise enclosure at there former house also so I can’t see that going sone either. I’m getting the feeling the gorillas might be moving into the former bonobo house, as a temporary move whilst there now house is built, as spoke about on here before they would need an empty ape house for there new enclosure to be built. It would make sense though we all know the orangutans are over due a new enclosure perhaps the thinking would be to build both at the same time or at least for the gorillas, the house and the out door section not affected by the new bonobos enclosure. If they where to build the new orangutans enclosure as the plan suggests then the gorillas you would end up with a building site for a considerable time between the two new enclosure. I would think with cost and visitor satisfaction it would be better to close that corner of the zoo and get it done in one rather than a few years of building and given Covid has obviously delayed the projects perhaps doing two at once isn’t that far fetched as they still look to be following there plan with the new explorer area being built. The lemurs I can see moving to the new area also, if it’s suposed to be interactive, a walk through would make sense along with the meerkats and probably the tortoise, snake and dik dik in that area to clear this part of the zoos older enclosures for the next rhino phase. Also the fish bar could move over to the new area as this also is not on the new plans, if there are spending five million on the area there must be quite a bit of stock moving in there and a good opportunity to clear a lot of old enclosure in one.
Yeah I agree, I could see the Lemurs fitting into the new Explorer Zone too, but then there wasn't any primate suitable houses in the new plans.
Orang-Utan is definately the easiest to do next based on logistics and the planned location. My prediction would Orang-Utan 2023, Bonobo 2025, Gorilla 2027. This would mean the Bonobo would have 3-4 years in their 'new' home making the investment worth while. The money they've spent on that will be spare change in comparrison to the cost of a entirely new house/enclosure. And then old Bonobo House could accomodate something still for a few more years making the smaller investments there still worth while. Then the 'smaller' non-ape changes happening in the even years in between, like new penguins exhibit and the Monkey Forest.
Whilst i see what your saying I wood swap the gorillas for the bonobos in the order as we know they would require an ape house temporarily whilst there’s is being built and I don’t think the orangutans current house would be as suitable as the old bonobos house and why would they move both groups if they didn’t want it empty
I think your timeline is accurate as far as the order is concerned, though the dates are less predictable perhaps. Its generally recognised the Orangs there are the ones most in need of the new accomodation. And despite their new 'dream home', probably the Bonobos next. The current Gorilla house is the newest of those old Ape houses, the least unsuitable and therefore the most likely to be last on the list for replacement. Its also quite possible they will need to establish a 2nd/ bachelor male gorilla group in years to come( shown on the plan I believe) - probably before the new accomodation is built, so young males could well end up occupying one of those vacant ape buildings at some stage.
Last edited:
Hopefully but given the old chimp enclosure had bush dogs and Mara they could stick anything in there just to fill it for a while
Had a good visit today most animals came out on show inc both rhino out side one in the bottom paddock, first time I’ve seen one in there grazing plenty of work going on seams they’ve started on there winter upkeep work few things of note the toilet block near the penguins looks to be getting a refit, it’s was closed with the sinks piled up outside. Also the grazing post was all fenced of. The goats have gone with all the signage and look now to be another empty enclosure for the time being of more of a concern the orangutans indoor veiw was fenced of don’t know if this was for but was sheeted of though the out side doors where open
And with Halloween being on most of the residents got pumpkins in there enclosure inc the leopards with this one
And with Halloween being on most of the residents got pumpkins in there enclosure inc the leopards with this one Attachments
I would assume that the Orangs are being moved. Then that awful cell block and pathetic patio garden they’ve had to live in can be demolished - hopefully speeding up the construction of their new enclosures. If so, good luck to the team involved, it’s never an easy task.
The planned location for their new enclosure isn’t near their current one, so moving them neither aids or hinders that progress. If they do move them to the Bonobo House on an interim basis, these recent moves suggest the zoo may be lining up the developments planned for the central area of the zoo next instead ahead of schedule, so possibly the Monkey Forest. This would probably be a lower cost than one of the new Ape exhibits allowing them to buy a little more time against their financial recovery.
Otherwise what real incentive is there to move them now? The Bonobo House is really no bigger/better and moving them a few times in a few years wouldn’t be ideal.
I don’t think they all get outdoor access at the same time at the moment. Also Kayan is probably a lot more vulnerable so it’d make sense to keep Batu well away for the moment. So for me it’d make sense to move the females and young away from Batu or vice versa.