Should we expect a zoo that gets well over half a million visitors per year (and apart from lockdown years has done so for quite a few years) to be using garden sheds as animal housing in a new exhibit?
Twycross Zoo Twycross Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter pendraig_milnerae
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One of my favourite zoo exhibits was Berlin Tierpark's Rodent House. This seemed to be 2 sheds joined together and had an interesting collection of small mammals
Twycross not only kept proboscis monkeys but bred them too.
Well at least they have retained them. I was half expecting that after hearing their old enclosure had become offshow that the next step would be to hear they had left the zoo. Encouraging that they have stayed, particularly as they are often not very visible and so probably go unnoticed by most visitors.Should we expect a zoo that gets well over half a million visitors per year (and apart from lockdown years has done so for quite a few years) to be using garden sheds as animal housing in a new exhibit?
I don't mind the shed, at least it looks new...?
Is it incorrect husbandry? Why not use a readily-available product instead of paying premiums for contractors to custom-build?Should we expect a zoo that gets well over half a million visitors per year (and apart from lockdown years has done so for quite a few years) to be using garden sheds as animal housing in a new exhibit?
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
It’s not the best your right and Twycross could have done better but they needed to be moved quickly as they can’t start work until they were moved out of the space where the NSCC will be. Twycross still aim to have the NSCC done for October 2025 and work won’t officially start until the end of the school holidays giving them 14 months to complete it.Should we expect a zoo that gets well over half a million visitors per year (and apart from lockdown years has done so for quite a few years) to be using garden sheds as animal housing in a new exhibit?
You could argue and say the zoo had months to prepare a new exhibit for them of better quality which is fair but it does the job for a small deer species.
A lot of Twycross’ funds are going towards the NSCC and refurbishing not only animal exhibits but also staff areas too. If anyone has been recently you’d see all of these carnival games and inflatable slides around the zoo. It’s not the best (I’m not a fan myself) but it brings in more money for the zoo which helps in the long run of building the NSCC and other projects as well as keeping the zoo a float.
I cannot help that the new tufted deer exclosure was built swiftly and haphazardly without much project work going into design or BPG criteria for new exclosures within the European/EEP framework of the ex situ conservation breeding programs.
Generally speaking, if for a major project other species should move out or relocate within the zoo (and not outside to other collections in-country or overseas/out-of-country) that the species designated as remain would be part and parcel of the entire building project as a side project / side projects with a sufficient budget for both design and operation.
It may seem that this has not happened in this case....
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Should we expect a zoo that gets well over half a million visitors per year (and apart from lockdown years has done so for quite a few years) to be using garden sheds as animal housing in a new exhibit?
Yes, it is very obviously a domestic garden shed, the sort stocked by any d-i-y store, with go gutters or drains. The sign is likely to have cost more than the shelter...
They had similar type sheds in the old exhibit but perhaps lower.
This was my first thought. I don't think they've as much actively chosen these sheds, as just matched what was (presumably) working for them in the old enclosure.
I thought the NSCC was being funded by an outside grant? Though I presume any ancillary buildings/exhibits around it wouldn't be so they need money for them. I can understand the 'playpark' emphasis during the summer months, this is what families with young children seem to want. I read an article by someone who visited recently- their idea of a good day out at Twycross was very different to e.g. a Zoochatter's. They spent AN HOUR (!) in the soft play area/cafe area before actually entering the zoo. Then Gruffaloland featured big too, as later on did the waterslide area on the lawn. There were various animals too, but they seemed a little bit like side-attractions !
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Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
‘Earl’ the Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon has passed away. This leaves his partner ‘Kampuchea’ and their son ‘Hanoi’. He passed away during a routine health check. He first arrived in 1997 and went on to have 5 children. His son ‘Hanoi’ may leave the collection soon but I was told plans have been put on hold.
Where have you read this, I can’t find it anywhere?
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
It’s not been announced by the zoo but it was confirmed to me by keepers. They don’t seem to announce the death of animals anymore e.g Coco and Holly the chimpanzees who passed late last year.
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
Log in to Facebook official announcement from the zoo on the Tufted Deer. It also confirms a baby was born in January this year.
Would be nice if more zoos in the UK would take in tufted deer!
(there is an EEP for the species and there are some temperate climate zoos that seem well adapter to this species - next to say southern pudu, which is better represented in the UK -.
Do they have four now?
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
Just the 3 I’m pretty sure. Mom and daughter in the first paddock and the dad lives by himself in the paddock behind. I’ll try and ask a colleague to get a confirmation.
Pandaboi
Well-Known Member
The Francois Langurs have moved into the former Bonobo exhibit. This is due to the group needing more room due to the expansion of the group which currently consists of 9 individuals (3.4.2) The two youngsters born in March / April time are still unsexed. They’ve been kept inside during the settling in process but will be allowed outside soon.
I don't know any other zoo that moves their animals around like Twycross but its because they have several primate buildings that are equally suitable for different species. The Langurs will benefit from the large indoors which will give them far more space than those little indoor areas in the old closed Monkey house. There will be less climbing/leaping possibilities outside though, unless they have added some more.
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