Twycross Zoo or West Midlands?
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
First question has to be - do you favour primates or ungulates?
West Mids has only a single primate species (bizarrely, the Aye-Aye) but a very good ungulate collection including Sambar, Barasingha, Philippine Spotted Deer, Addax, Brindled Gnu, Nilgai, Cape Buffalo and Banteng, as well as a large group of hippos. It also has a better reptile collection than Twycross - King Cobra is a particular highlight - and more large carnivores - generic and 'white' krugeri lions, normal and white 'Bengal' Tigers, Cheetah, Amur Leopards, wolves and African Wild Dogs.
Twycross has an excellent primate collection (including Phayre's Langur, Red-bellied, Crowned, Lowe's and Lesser Spot-nosed Guenons, among others, Woolly Monkeys, 3 species of spider monkey and four species of great ape, including the UK's only Bonobos and some very odd 'chocolate' chimps. There are some interesting small carnivores, including Aardwolf, Dhole and Bat-eared Fox, and a breeding group of Michie's Tufted Deer.
Both have lions, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles (though they're quite a bit bigger at WM), camels and Amur Leopards. ALthough neither are really bird collections, Twycross does have some little gems tucked away, including Purple Heron and Little Pied Cormorant.
On balance, if you've done neither before, there's probably more new stuff (and more species overall) to see at Twycross.
West Mids has only a single primate species (bizarrely, the Aye-Aye) but a very good ungulate collection including Sambar, Barasingha, Philippine Spotted Deer, Addax, Brindled Gnu, Nilgai, Cape Buffalo and Banteng, as well as a large group of hippos. It also has a better reptile collection than Twycross - King Cobra is a particular highlight - and more large carnivores - generic and 'white' krugeri lions, normal and white 'Bengal' Tigers, Cheetah, Amur Leopards, wolves and African Wild Dogs.
Twycross has an excellent primate collection (including Phayre's Langur, Red-bellied, Crowned, Lowe's and Lesser Spot-nosed Guenons, among others, Woolly Monkeys, 3 species of spider monkey and four species of great ape, including the UK's only Bonobos and some very odd 'chocolate' chimps. There are some interesting small carnivores, including Aardwolf, Dhole and Bat-eared Fox, and a breeding group of Michie's Tufted Deer.
Both have lions, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles (though they're quite a bit bigger at WM), camels and Amur Leopards. ALthough neither are really bird collections, Twycross does have some little gems tucked away, including Purple Heron and Little Pied Cormorant.
On balance, if you've done neither before, there's probably more new stuff (and more species overall) to see at Twycross.
It totally depends in what you are into. I would say the charimstaic zoo 'stars' like lions, tigers, rhinos, hippos etc asre exhibited better at the safari park whereas twycross has got a few more unique species (such as phayres langur) and obviously the amazing primate collection. West mids do have a few highlights including the aye-aye and extremely good reptile collection (including king cobra, snapping turtle and aligator).
You mustn't forget the great apes at twycross (including the only Uk group of Bonobos) who aren't in great enclosures but are there none the less.
You mustn't forget the great apes at twycross (including the only Uk group of Bonobos) who aren't in great enclosures but are there none the less.
karenZOO
Well-Known Member
I am doing both at the beginning of October (also Bristol & Dudley for 1st time)
Also depends who you are going with, West midlands is great if got young children (apart from the rides) or a car full but not so good if more than one car. Also great if your not so active as the 'walking' part of it is all very compact. Although saying that Twycross is not a huge zoo.
I also find drive thro's really exciting lol the thought of the animals being so close and they do at west midlands especially if scavaging for food!!
Personally I like my primates but my partner is a big cat man so thats why we do both if we visit the area
Also depends who you are going with, West midlands is great if got young children (apart from the rides) or a car full but not so good if more than one car. Also great if your not so active as the 'walking' part of it is all very compact. Although saying that Twycross is not a huge zoo.
I also find drive thro's really exciting lol the thought of the animals being so close and they do at west midlands especially if scavaging for food!!
Personally I like my primates but my partner is a big cat man so thats why we do both if we visit the area
I am personally not too keen on these pro/con choice for particular zoos.
However, - given the comparison at hand - I would favour Twycross over West Midlands any day. I do value that Twycross on its policy to become a primate specialist collection with some rare species from the various other mammalian orders as well as the recent addition of several generalist and bird exhibits.
West Midlands for all its worth ... remains a traditional safari park set up with rather limited - if full of unusual species - ungulate focus only. The only safari park style zoos that I personally like are generalist collections with representative collections of wild animals (in other words: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish ... if they can help it). What I am referring to here is either the Beekse Bergen Safari in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands approach or the Zoo Dvur Kralove with safari section cum zoo set up.
For sure one can disagree with us (and everyone is welcome to their opinions here) ... it remains my view period.
However, - given the comparison at hand - I would favour Twycross over West Midlands any day. I do value that Twycross on its policy to become a primate specialist collection with some rare species from the various other mammalian orders as well as the recent addition of several generalist and bird exhibits.
West Midlands for all its worth ... remains a traditional safari park set up with rather limited - if full of unusual species - ungulate focus only. The only safari park style zoos that I personally like are generalist collections with representative collections of wild animals (in other words: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish ... if they can help it). What I am referring to here is either the Beekse Bergen Safari in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands approach or the Zoo Dvur Kralove with safari section cum zoo set up.
For sure one can disagree with us (and everyone is welcome to their opinions here) ... it remains my view period.
Several things I didn't like about West Midlands;
1. The tawdry backdrops to the carnivore enclosures which look a bit like a concentration camp area.
2. The dirty looking houses and yards that form the night quarters for the Giraffe, Buffalo etc.
3. Th filthy Lake and dismal land area and housing for the large Hippo group.
4. The fact that feeding of Antelope etc is allowed so some species(Eland, Nilgai etc) approach and put their heads into cars- this removes the 'wildness' factor, and I wonder if it is also potentially dangerous or a health risk(from saliva etc) to visitors.
5. I appreciate WMSP is a mass market attraction but feel their standards are very low. Despite my critisisms of Twycross it still ranks far superior as an animal collection in my estimation.
camel leopard
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with you,how do they get away with letting people feed the animals these are wild animals and surely it is not allowed for people to come into come into contact with them.
I feel the whole park has a cramped feel to it for a safari park especially when compared to knowsley, i also dislike the leopard enclosure which is small and gives the leopards little chance to escape from view
While I agree entirely on the leopard enclosure, it has to be pointed out that in relative terms it's not that West Mids is cramped but that Knowsley is huge - the reserves are far bigger than any of the other UK safari parks, West Mids included.
They 'get away' with the animal feeding because there's no reason they shouldn't! Might not be to your taste but they're not breaking any rules with that as far as I'm aware.
I've always found West Mids to be a good day out. There are a few problem areas but no more so than Twycross, I'd have said.
Some years ago it was discovered a nnumber of Antelope herds of various species in the UK tested positive for BSE(or a derivative of it) after contracting it from being fed pelleted foodstuffs. Now I am not suggesting any of these are present at WMSP, but if they were or carried any other disease, they could easily transmit it via their saliva while being fed by people in cars. It only takes a drop of animal's saliva to be ingested e.g. by a child sucking its fingers soon after feeding the animals, for transmision to (potentially) take place. usually in zoos where there is contact or feeding of animals, handwashing facilities are provided with notices asking visitors to make use of them but this doesn't apply to the car passengers in a safari park situation.
Similarly, an accidental swipe from an Antelope's horns or Pere David stag's antlers through an open car window, could seriously injure somebody inside. People would be very wary about letting a domestic bull so close to a car, yet some of these wild species could be just as dangerous.
So if they aren't breaking any rules here, perhaps they should be..
I suppose it comes back to the old debate about how much risk is too much risk. I can't help but feel that the modern world seems determined to expunge every last trace of risk from the world, leaving it a poorer place. Both children and animals need exposure to infection in order to develop immunity. Neither are helped by being cotton-wool wrapped too heavily. It's a trade off between enriching visitors' experience (and, with one's cold economic hat on, getting them to come back again) and keeping both animals and visitors safe. I do agree that the feeding is not necessarily a positive thing from the animals' point of view, but casting it as darkly as you have seems a little harsh.
And again, how many injuries or incidents of car damage actually result from safari park animals on an annual basis? Very few, I'd wager, for the simple reason that if it was an actual problem they would be closed down.
And again, how many injuries or incidents of car damage actually result from safari park animals on an annual basis? Very few, I'd wager, for the simple reason that if it was an actual problem they would be closed down.