Current News
Any new information about the zoo will be
posted here – just check it out regularly for up-to-date
information:
July 29th 2010
Asian elephant walkway "Uda Walawe" Now Open
The High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, His Excellency Justice Nihal Jayasinghe will join us to officially open the new £1 million
Asian elephant habitat and walkway “Uda Walawe” with a distinctly Sri Lankan theme on Wednesday 28th July at 2.00 pm.
His Excellency Justice Nihal Jayasinghe will open the walkway by unveiling a commemorative plaque, lighting a ceremonial oil lamp,
cutting the ribbon and leading the guests along the new walkway to be greeted by a troupe of Kandyan dancers who will perform the
island nation’s ancient dances to the beating of Kandyan drums at the end of the trail. The opening will mark the launch of a
unique zoological and cultural attraction in the United Kingdom.
Most Zoo’s have themed elephant habitats which reflect Thailand, Burma, Vietnam or India. Twycross Zoo will be the first in the
world to theme a Sri Lankan elephant habitat. Sri Lanka is a country which has produced the world’s first and the largest elephant
orphanage at Pinnawela and made the conservation of the largest mammal on land and planet earth a priority, creating many protected
areas for animals. We have drawn on the knowledge and skills of our zoological consultant Vasantha Nugegoda, from Design for Life
to help design this exhibit.
The entrance to Uda Walawe is a typical authentic farmer’s tree hut. Inside the hut are information panels on the distribution of
elephants in Sri Lanka and Asia. Beyond this is a meandering forest trail which guides people to a Sri Lankan village school. The
school has a range of religious, cultural and elephant artefacts. Colourful information boards are prominent that highlight Sri Lankan
wildlife and tourism. Large screen film footage will be playing showing elephants on festival parade from Sri Lanka. This festival
is called Esala Perehera and takes place in Kandy and is a Buddhist summer festival unique to Sri Lanka. In the corner is a life size
ceremonial elephant dressed in full parade robes.
When you leave the village school the forest trail then continues to a wooden bridge over a water lily pool, which allows close quarter
views of the five elephants, four female adults and a male infant. The inner habitat is identical to Uda Walawe National Park, with a
large lake, trees, rocks and sandy areas. At this point you will feel immersed in the exhibit. Following the trail visitors will reach
a divide in the path. The lower trail has been designed for less able visitors, whereas the other route meanders past a higher viewing
area leading up a high mountain to a ruined temple housing a statue of the Hindu god “Lord Ganesh”. This is a rare opportunity for
visitors to gain a bird’s eye view of the habitat. Detailed information about Ganesh is displayed at this point. The lower route gives
an opportunity for visitors to experience a smaller temple of Ganesh. Descending from the temple you will rejoin the trail and will find
a typical Sri Lankan authentic brass bell under a wooden tower; this is replicating a front porch of a Buddhist and Hindu temple. Worshippers
would enter the temple and ring the bell. It is thought to evoke the Gods and tell the deity inside that they have arrived.
The trail will then lead you over a small wooden bridge and gentle stream. You will now enter a dry grass land habitat which is unique to
Uda Walawe National Park. At this point there is a path choice, aimed at children. Adventurers can explore a small area where there is
interactive information about elephants. The main trail leads to a typical Sri Lankan village hut. The hut allows visitors to see how
Sri Lankan villagers live close to the wild elephants. The trail continues past the village crop of corn and sunflowers and will eventually
lead through a wetland to the entrance of the Mary Brancker Waterways.
Uda Walawe will promote the conservation of the Asian elephants and act as a shop window for crucial wildlife conservation programmes in
Sri Lanka. Uda Walawe is the name of one of Sri Lanka’s national parks, in part set up to provide a sanctuary for many wild animals. Approximately
three hundred elephants are believed to permanently reside there. The sanctuary is also home to water buffalo, water monitor lizards,
sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard. It is an important site for unique bird species. Sensitive and well managed eco-tourism
is an important source of income for local people in Sri Lanka and provides an incentive to continue to protect the wildlife. The National
Park is also the first in Sri Lanka to run a reintroduction programme for orphan elephants back to the wild, so far they have successfully
reintroduced over 15 elephants.
One of Twycross Zoo’s latest amazing births, with the help of Artificial Insemination (A.I.) and after a twenty two month gestation period,
is a calf elephant aptly named Ganesh – Vijay, Ganesh being a Hindu god and Vijay meaning victory. Ganesh will be 1 year old on 6th August;
a competition will run to see who can correctly guess the weight of Ganesh on the morning of his 1st birthday.
Entry forms will be available
from 21st July until 5th August for any visitor to the Zoo. The prize will be a family Gold Pass to Twycross Zoo (unlimited visits to Twycross
Zoo and entry into 10 other Zoos), a feeding session with the elephants and lunch in Himalaya for the family.
Suzanne Boardman, Director of Twycross Zoo said, “We are delighted that our visitors will be able to experience a taste of Sri Lanka, as well
as learning about the cultural and historical aspects of this wonderful country, including the important role that the domesticated elephant has
had on the country. Our aim is for this exhibit to forge strong links between the UK and Sri Lanka, particularly with regard to tourism. The
opening of this new exhibit will help
promote the need to conserve this important species globally and highlight the importance of elephants in Sri Lanka. It is our ambition to
encourage visits to the wildlife areas of Sri Lanka and to share with our visitors the magical aura of Sri Lanka. It is our desire to create
a little piece of Sri Lanka in the UK and an opportunity for visitors to learn about and also visit Sri Lanka to see how beautiful this country is.”
Uda Walawe will be open for all Zoo visitors from Thursday 29th July 2010.
July 19th 2010
Can you guess the weight of a baby elephant?
 One of Twycross Zoo’s amazing births, with the help of Artificial Insemination (A.I.) is a calf elephant named Ganesh – Vijay,
Ganesh being a Hindu god and Vijay meaning victory. Ganesh will be 1 year old on Friday 6th August 2010; a competition will be
held to see who can correctly guess the weight of Ganesh on the morning of his 1st birthday.
Noorjahan the mother of Ganesh gave birth on Thursday 6th August 2009 after a 22 month gestation period. Ganesh was born with a
fluffy layer of grey hair all over his body and stood just over a metre tall; he weighed at birth just over 100 kg (nearly 16 stone).
Do you think you can guess his weight on his birthday, visit the Zoo and pick up an entry form from the Information Centre and enter
the competition?
Entry forms will be available from 21st July until 5th August for any visitor to the Zoo. The prize will be a family Gold Pass
to Twycross Zoo (which allows entry to 10 other Zoos around the country), a feeding session with the elephants and lunch in Himalaya
for the family.
You may use the picture of the baby elephant, please credit Christopher Stanley
June 26th 2010
Bouncing baby bonobo at Twycross Zoo
 A beautiful bouncing and extremely important male baby Bonobo is now on show in the Bonobo House at Twycross Zoo. The baby weighs
approximately one kilogram and was born on 26th June 2010 after an eight and a half month pregnancy. He is the second baby for
twenty one -year-old Cheka who came from Frankfurt Zoo. Cheka is an excellent natural mother and aunty to the other youngster in
the group. During her pregnancy she spent quiet times on her own, she also enjoyed sunbathing. You will see her caring for her son
and giving him lots of cuddles and hugs. Father, possibly Keke, is 16 years old and was born at Twycross Zoo.
With the addition of our new arrival, Twycross Zoo now houses Twelve Bonobos; five males and seven females. We have the only
breeding group of Bonobos (25 years ago they were commonly known as Pygmy Chimpanzees) in the UK. They differ from ordinary
chimpanzees in being more of a slender build, black faced (with a pink upper lip) and they have a white tail tuft that commonly
remains into adulthood. Bonobos have 99.6 similar DNA to humans making them our closest living relatives.
Bonobos are restricted to humid forest and live south of the Zaire River in central Africa. They are more arboreal (live in the
trees) than the common chimpanzees; their build allows fast movement through the forest canopy.
Their diet consists predominantly of fruit but other foods eaten include young leaves, shoots, tree bark, insects and eggs. Bonobos
are an endangered ape and their habitat is dwindling fast due to habitat destruction and the bush meat trade. It is estimated that
there are fewer than twenty thousand currently existing in the wild.
August 2nd 2010
Twycross Zoo comes to Castle Street, Hinckley
 Come and meet some small and friendly animals from Twycross Zoo in a special animal encounter on Monday August 2nd at Hinckley
Business Centre. You can find out some fascinating facts about different animals from around the world and, if you want, you
can even stroke some of them!
Also hear about the not so friendly animals they had to leave at the zoo and what they are trying to do to save them from extinction.
The team from Twycross will also be bringing some real animal artifacts that have been confiscated by H.M.Customs so that you can
find out more about the plight of endangered species and what you can do to help.
This is your chance to bring your children (for no charge) to listen to a 15-20 minute educational talk on animals and insects and,
if you or they wish to, to touch or hold a chinchilla or other animal and insect (Sorry, due to legal requirements the minimum age
for this event is 4 years).
On offer on the day will be some discounted Zoo Visit tickets, together with Zoo newsletters, brochures, animal adoption leaflets, etc.
There will also be a special competition for a ‘Win a Giraffe Feed’ worth £50.
To promote the event, members of the Concordia Theatre will be dressed in various realistic animal costumes and will be seen around
the town.
To reserve your place(s) (numbers are strictly limited), please contact Steve on
01455 698494 and leave your name and phone number, together with which session you would like to attend – namely 11.00am,
12 midday, 1.00pm, 2.00pm or 3.00pm
28th June 2010
Book Launch
Learn to Sign about Nature with Olli, written by Garry Slack
In celebration of Deaf Awareness Week which begins on Monday 28th June, we are proud to be able to launch a new children’s Sign
Language book, written by the author Garry Slack
Olli is a monkey, and through him and his family, he teaches children how to use basic British Sign Language, improve their
communication skills and stimulates an interest in wildlife and the natural world. The obvious location to launch the book
is at Twycross Zoo, as this is the primate centre of the country, and Olli should feel at home there!
Garry said “Whether they have access to the countryside, a garden, or live in a more urban environment, children will be able
to learn more about sign language and their environment through a series of fun packed, practical projects.”
Nick Baker, the television naturalist has endorsed this new book and says
“I have been into wildlife and watching it since I was very little and I have learnt the hard way, especially when dealing with
the more sensitive creatures, that their ears are much more important to them than perhaps ours are to us. One jangling sip or
rustling or a rucksack is enough to send even the most lion hearted rabbit running!
Olli has certainly inspired me to work on my signing skills, just imagine being able to have a full conversation without making
a noise!”
Phillippa Forrester, television presenter and broadcaster said
“I dearly hope that we can all foster in the new generations a sense of wonder and respect for the other plants and animals that
share our world and I am sure that this wonderful book will only help.”
Garry and a life size Olli will be performing and reading from the new book at a launch organised by Action Deafness Books, at
Twycross Zoo on Monday 28th June at 11.30am.
16th June 2010
Twycross Zoo wins best commercial project for Himalaya
 Twycross Zoo is delighted
to announce that they have won the LABC East Midlands Region Building Excellence Awards 2010, for the best large commercial project and were commended
in the category for best sustainable project. The award ceremony was held on Friday 4th June 2010 at the Pedigree Suite of Pride Park Stadium Derby.
The ceremony was hosted by regional television presenter Lucy Kite, and LABC Regional Chairman Mick Henman.
The LABC Building Excellence Awards recognise and reward the best quality construction in the East Midlands. The quality stems from good design and an efficient
design team, translated into quality building by effective construction teams.
Throughout this process Local Authority Building Control monitors the quality of design and construction. To win one of these awards - even to be identified as a
Finalist will generate enormous prestige and pride for the organisations that take part.
Twycross Zoo’s new Visitor Centre “Himalaya” was given the award because it incorporates a number of sustainable technologies and eco-friendly features, many of
which are not yet widely used. Two boreholes were dug to facilitate the use of ground source heating/cooling, and an intelligent building management system monitors
energy consumption and allows for efficiency to be maximised. A series of reed beds has been created to purify the Zoo’s waste water, and the next phase is to
recycle the water back to Himalaya. As well as offering extensive recycling capabilities, this area provides an aesthetically pleasing environment for our visitors,
and a key habitat for native species. Himalaya has been designed to be environmentally green and sustainable. The project team has achieved a BREEAM (Building
Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of ‘Excellent’ for the build. Early feedback from the visitors is that they are fascinated by the
snow leopard enclosure and the overall atmosphere of the Himalaya which is an important landmark development both for Twycross Zoo and the East Midlands.
Twycross Zoo Director Suzanne Boardman said, “We are extremely delighted and very proud to accept this award. We always strive to give our visitors a memorable
and enjoyable experience, whilst still being an affordable day out in the East Midlands.
14th June 2010
It's official, Twycross Zoo is a Quality Attraction
 Twycross Zoo has been
awarded accreditation as part of Visit England’s Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS). This is a consumer focused quality assessment
service for visitor attractions. It helps to identify the strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas, based on industry examples.
All areas that impact on the quality of the visitor experience are included in the assessment, ranging from the enquiry through to the departure.
The service does not attempt to grade attractions but assesses each on its own merits using objective quality benchmarks, provided by the industry.
The VAQAS assessment is an annual visit at any time when the attraction is open to the public.
1st June 2010
Two Striped Hyaenas at Twycross Zoo
 Twycross Zoo’s first ever striped hyaenas are now in residence. The two sisters, Lexi and Luca are sixteen months
old. They came from The Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates last month,
as part of the European breeding programme.
Lexi and Luca are on show to the public in the enclosure next to the camels. They are roughly the size of a Labrador dog,
they have a very strong jaw and big eyes and ears. Their coat is grey/brown and dark stripes run the length of their body.
Their life span is approximately twenty four years and their natural habitat ranges from open woodlands and mountainous
areas to stony desert regions in the Middle East, Central Asia, India subcontinents and parts of Africa.
Striped hyaenas do not emit whooping calls, instead they have greeting rituals and far-distance communications which are
done via scent-marking. More often than not, they are nocturnal, either foraging alone or with a single companion. They
are scavengers and spend a lot of time looking for carcasses of dead animals.
After a gestation of approximately ninety days they will generally produce a litter of three cubs and the newborns are born
blind. The parents will forage and bring food to the "nesting dens" to feed the young.
The hyaena could be called a "master scavenger" because they are capable of digesting things other animals would not dare
"touch". They will eat bones, and regurgitated indigestible matters such as horns.
They are rare and this is due to two main reasons: habitat destruction and hunting. The Striped hyaena is listed as “Near
Threatened” and will be close to qualifying for the “Threatened” category on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in the
near future if loss of habitat and hunting is not addressed.
26th May 2010
Himalaya at Twycross Zoo is shortlisted for best commercial and sustainable project
 Twycross Zoo is delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted by the LABC East Midlands Region Building
Excellence Awards 2010, for the best large commercial development and best sustainable project. The awards will
be held on the evening of Friday 4th June 2010 at the Pedigree Suite of Pride Park Stadium Derby. The ceremony is
hosted by regional television presenter Lucy Kite, and LABC Regional Chairman Mick Henman.
The LABC Building Excellence Awards recognise and reward the best quality construction in the East Midlands. The quality stems
from good design and an efficient design team, translated into quality building by effective construction teams.
Throughout this process Local Authority Building Control monitors the quality of design and construction. To win one of these
awards - even to be identified as a Finalist will generate enormous prestige and pride for the organisations that take part.
Director of Twycross Zoo, Suzanne Boardman said, “Himalaya our new Visitor Centre incorporates a number of sustainable technologies
and eco-friendly features, many of which are not yet widely used. Two boreholes were dug to facilitate the use of ground source
heating/cooling, and an intelligent building management system monitors energy consumption and allows for efficiency to be maximised.
A series of reed beds has been created to purify the Zoo’s waste water, and the next phase is to recycle the water back to Himalaya.
As well as offering extensive recycling capabilities, this area provides an aesthetically pleasing environment for our visitors, and
a key habitat for native species. Himalaya has been designed to be environmentally green and sustainable. The project team has
achieved a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of ‘Excellent’ for the build. Our early
feedback from the visitors is that they are fascinated by the snow leopard enclosure and the overall atmosphere of the Himalaya which
is an important landmark development both for Twycross Zoo and the East Midlands.”
Thursday 20th May 2010
Magnificent Himalaya is now open
 BBC diplomatic correspondent, Bridget Kendall MBE and Chief Executive of east midland development
agency (emda) Jeff Moore, will be joining us to officially open “Himalaya” our new Visitor Centre at
Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, on Thursday 20th May 2010 at 2.00 pm.
Bridget Kendall MBE, has been a BBC diplomatic correspondent since 1998, she was the foreign correspondent
in Moscow (1989-94) and Washington (1994-98). Bridget was the first woman to win the James Cameron Award
for distinguished Journalism in 1992. Today Bridget hosts the programme “The Form”, a show which brings
together three innovative thinkers from different cultures and perspectives to put forward new ideas.
Bridget will be joined today by Chief Executive of emda Jeff Moore who has encouraged, supported and
partly funded the build of Himalaya.
Himalaya is a ‘world-class’ building of great interest locally. It will have a positive impact on the
local economy by generating new employment opportunities and is a landmark for the East Midlands Region.
Himalaya is a visitor attraction in itself one that will put Twycross Zoo up in the top tier of British
Zoos. The building has been designed to be an attractive central feature within the zoo, it is a single
storey, grass-roofed building which blends in sympathetically with the natural local surroundings.
Himalaya is free to enter 364 days a year, it is an ideal venue for visitors who wish to enjoy lunch
with the snow leopards but do not have time to visit the Zoo.
The new entrance will speed up access to the zoo for visitors and the Tourist Information Centre within
the building is a gateway to the National Forest and will highlight the various attractions within
Leicestershire and the surrounding counties.
Incorporated within the building is a spacious 300 seat all-day restaurant with views overlooking onto
a Himalayan landscape themed Snow Leopard enclosure. Visitors can enjoy their delicious meal whilst
mesmerised by these fascinating big cats.
Also in the building there will also be a new corporate event and private function room available for hire,
this is named “Windows on the Wild”. The conference area will encompass a “New England” themed naturalistic
wetland wader bird enclosure which has exclusive viewing only for delegates hiring this facility.
For great shopping there is the Bazaar and Gallery, a 4,000 sq ft state of the art themed zoo shopping
experience. This includes fair trade items which have been ethically sourced and are also ecologically
sustainable products.
Some of the plants in the Snow Leopard enclosure originate from the Himalayas, in particular from the
Lachung Valley in Sikkim. The following plants will be noticeable in the exhibit: Acer campbellii var
serratifolium, Rhododendron barbatum, Rubus splendidissimus and Rosa macrophylla which have been grown
from seeds collected in the Lachung Valley, Sikkim.
In September 2008 Twycross Zoo’s Conservation Welfare Fund granted £2840 to the Snow Leopard Trust towards
their ‘monitoring snow leopards to evaluate and refine conservation actions’ project.
The snow leopard is one of the most endangered big cats in the world with as few as 3,500 remaining in
the wild. They are under threat from illegal trade of their pelts and bones and revenge killings from
annoyed farmers who have lost livestock. The Snow Leopard Trust have being trying to conserve this
magnificent cat since 1981 and have pioneered community based conservation measures to help mitigate
the leopard-human conflict. These programs, which have been tailored to address the unique needs and
concerns of individual communities, have been highly successful at improving the livelihoods of poor
herding families in snow leopard habitat and at changing attitudes towards these leopards. However,
as these cats are extremely elusive work needed to be carried to establish the population size and trends
of the cats. As part of a larger snow leopard ecology study based in South Gobi, Mongolia, this project
aimed to set up a robust monitoring program using a number of state of the art methods including camera
trapping and genetic testing, to improve conservation efforts and help secure the future of the snow leopard.
The funds from Twycross Zoo purchased 5 digital trap cameras and the necessary batteries and helped towards
the faecal sample analysis work costs.
10th May 2010
Twycross Zoo is home to one of the best PAs
 It’s official, Leicestershire is home to the one of the UK’s best PAs. Leicestershire local, Joanne Quimby, has been shortlisted
for the Hays and The Times PA of the Year 2010 due to her ability to show a high level of initiative and a strong understanding of
the way in which a business works. The winner will be chosen from the shortlist by a panel of judges, one of which is Karren Brady,
one of the UK’s leading business women. The winner will be announced in May at an awards ceremony in London.
Joanne Quimby PA to Twycross Zoo Director said: “I am very proud to have been named as one of the UK’s best PAs; I really enjoy my
job and it is nice to know my hard work is appreciated.” If Joanne is named the 2010 PA of the Year she will win a dream holiday for
two at the five star Aldrovandi Palace Hotel in Rome.
Karren Brady said: “It is important that we recognise those who are doing an excellent job and make some noise about it. Many people
don’t quite realise how demanding a PAs job is, and it is great that Hays PA & Secretarial is throwing the limelight their way. My
congratulations go out to Joanna and I look forward to the awards ceremony in May.”
Karren will sit alongside other judges Susie Barron-Stubley, Managing Director of Castalia Coaching & Training, leading provider of
training to PAs, Anuszka Elland, last year's winner and Geoff Sims, Managing Director of Hays PA & Secretarial.
Susie Barron-Stubley comments: “There are a number of key skills that I’ll be looking for in this year’s winner of the PA of the Year;
at the top of my list is the capacity to pro-actively manage the working partnership between manager and PA in a structured and business
focused way. I’m searching for a PA that is an inspiration to their peers by demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm.”
Geoff Sims comments: “As directors continue to battle with a challenging economy, it is the hard work PAs do behind the scenes that
allows them to get on with their jobs. Joanne was shortlisted due to her hardworking, pro-active attitude and I wish her, and all of
the shortlisted winners, the best of luck.”
5th May 2010
Twycross Zoo only UK Zoo to Breed rare Tufted Deer
 Twycross Zoo is the only collection in the UK to exhibit and breed the rare Tufted Deer. Our latest arrival, a tiny male, was
born on 3rd April 2010. Mother “Michelle” and father “Mitch” have taken to parenthood extremely well, older brother named
Ying Xiong (pronounced Ying Yong) was born last year on 16th June 09.
The fawn is suckling from Michelle on demand and butts the teat in the same way a lamb does to stimulate the milk flow. The
fawn will suckle until he is two months old and will then be weaned on to carrots, apple, cabbage, Swede, parsnips and a concentrate
mix and begin to eat the same as his parents. At present he has two white stripes down his spine, eventually they will fade away
when he becomes an adult, these are to help with camouflage in the wild.
The tufted deer is a crepuscular animal, most active at dawn and dusk. Tufted deer are territorial, and rarely leave their home
range, which is criss-crossed by a network of trails. Both sexes bark when alarmed, but due to their colouration (typically dark
brown, but white on the belly) they are very difficult to spot. Barking is also used in the breeding season for locating and
communicating with partners. The deer has small antlers and like the related species the munkjack the males have short tusks.
The most prominent feature is a tuft of black hair over the forehead. The tufted deer has a white tail and they will use it to signal.
13th April 2010
Three is Company
 A fluttering of eyelashes was to be seen for the handsome, dark haired, male western lowland silverback gorilla that arrived on
13th April 2010. Boulas recently came from Belfast Zoological Gardens to keep Twycross Zoo’s elderly female gorillas Biddy and
Bongo company.
Boulas took the overnight ferry and was then driven from Liverpool to his new home and female friends. Twenty three year old Boulas
who weighs thirty stone has never had any offspring; this might be because he has a grumpy old man character. His favourite food is
nuts, raisins, bread and cheddar cheese.
The male gorilla’s role is to protect the females and Boulas now has two females to care for and play the macho part.
The girls are quite intrigued with the new handsome male in the group and it is hoped that they will all get on extremely well and he
will add a little spark to their daily life.
Gorillas are the largest of the Great Apes and as with all apes they differ from monkeys by having no tails. Gorillas spend most of
their time on the ground, hidden in the jungles of Africa. When they walk they use their hands as extra legs, supporting the massive
weight of the front of their body on the knuckles of their large fleshy hands
Despite their size, gorillas are peaceful animals and rarely show aggression. In the Zoo they can often be seen beating their chest
(King Kong style) or charging the glass barriers of their enclosures. These actions are generally all for display and may help wild
gorillas ward off intruders, keep in touch with other group members or to generally let off steam. Chest beating is also used in play
situations between members of the family group.
Western lowland gorillas are endangered and are part of an internationally co-ordinated conservation breeding programme. They are
ground-dwelling apes and predominantly herbivores these apes inhabit the forests of central Africa.
6th April 2010
Secretive Snow Leopards now at Twycross Zoo
 Not one, but two amazing snow leopards arrived on 3rd March 2010, one from Tama Zoo, Tokyo and the other from Norden’s Ark in Sweden.
Both will be in quarantine for a time and will eventually move to their fantastic new Himalayan themed enclosure in the new Visitor
Welcome Centre where visitors can watch them whilst enjoying their meal.
Irma the female pronounced IR – ma, meaning complete or universal, was born on 24th May 2008, at Kolmardens Zoo in Sweden. Unfortunately
her mother rejected the tiny cub so she was moved to Norden Ark to be reared with another female who already had two cubs of her own.
Suou the male was born on 9th April 2008 at Tama Zoological Park in Japan. Both snow leopards have come to Twycross Zoo as part of the
International Breeding Programme
The leopards will be introduced to each other soon, once they have settled in from their long journey. In the meantime they will become
accustomed to each other by scenting, sniffing and walking around the enclosure. It is hoped that the pair will soon mate and we will hear
the pitter patter of tiny paws.
The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a moderately large cat and native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. They live between
3,000 and 5,500 metres (9,800 and 18,000 ft) above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central Asia. However, their secretive
nature means that their exact numbers are not known, although it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild.
Their body length ranges from 75 to 130 cm with a tail of nearly the same length. They have long thick fur; the base colour varies
from smoky grey to a yellowish tan with white under parts. They have dark grey to black open rosettes on their body with small spots
of the same colour on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears
are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their feet are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow,
they have fur on their undersides to increase their traction on steep and unstable surfaces, as well as to assist with minimizing heat loss.
Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance. The tails are also very thickly covered with fur which,
apart from minimizing heat loss, allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep.
The snow leopard is also known in its native lands as shan (Ladakhi), irbis (Mongolian) and barfani chita - "snow cheetah" (Urdu).
Snow leopards tend to be most active at night as well as in the twilight hours of dusk and dawn. They range across nearly a million square
miles in 12 nations including Himalaya and Karakoram, the Plateau of Tibet and adjoining Kunlun.
Snow leopards cannot roar they meow, hiss, growl, wail and purr like domestic cats. They are carnivores and actively hunt their prey. However,
like all cats, they are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever meat they can find including domestic livestock. They are capable of killing
animals three times their size but will readily take much smaller prey such as hares and birds.
25th March 2010
Gibbon Calls
 Clutching on to its mother, in the gibbon enclosure, is a tiny newborn, black Siamang gibbon. This is the second baby for
mother Tango and father Daniel which was born safely on 2nd February 2010.
The pair have bonded very well and are making excellent parents, Tango is checking and caring for the new baby and Daniel
proudly watches over his little family.
The Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is a tailless, arboreal, black furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia,
Thailand and Sumatra. It can grow to twice the size of other gibbons, reaching one metre in height, and up to fourteen
kilos in weight.
It is distinctive for two reasons the first is that two fingers on each hand are fused together — hence the name "syndactylus"
which comes from the Ancient Greek word united/fused. The second is the large "gular sac" (found in both male and female of
the species), which is a throat pouch that can be inflated to the size of its head and allows these animals to make loud
resonating calls or songs. You can hear the loud calls or singing at Twycross Zoo in the early morning normally around
9.00 am – 11.00 am. Most of the Siamang's calls are directed to their neighbours, they will also call to respond to disturbances
and to defend their territory.
They normally live up to around thirty years of age in captivity and will live in family groups of up to six individuals. At
Twycross Zoo they eat a variety of fruits and leaves.
A major threat to the Siamang is habitat loss due to plantation, forest fires, illegal logging, encroachment, and human
development. The palm oil plantations have also removed large areas of the Siamang's habitat in the last four decades.
Since 2002 over 100,000 square kilometres of palm oil have been planted which has replaced much of the rainforest in Indonesia
and Malaysia, where the Siamang originally used to live.
25th March 2010
Eggstra special things to do this Easter at Twycross Zoo
 It’s eggciting this Easter for all ages at Twycross Zoo. Have fun completing the Easter trail and then find the
Easter Bunny to collect your chocolate egg. Visit Pets at Twycross to learn some eggstra special facts when you
hear the short informative talks about some of the domestic animals. Don’t forget to watch the sea lion and penguin
feeding sessions at 12.00 and 3.00pm and the elephant training session at 2.30pm daily. Remember to bring your
camera to take pictures of the cute baby elephant Ganesh!
When you arrive call in to the Information Centre to collect a timed ticket for the South American Tropical Rainforest.
This is an emersion exhibit where you will enjoy a walk and talk by a knowledgeable keeper through the exhibit. Join
in the fun by colouring in a tree for the Going Ape exhibition in the Zoo Centre to help raise funds for ape projects
around the world.
Take a look or even buy some of the wildlife and wilderness paintings by Paul Dyson, who will be in the exhibition space
of Himalaya our new visitor welcome centre from 2nd – 6th April. Whilst in Himalaya discover all the unique and unusual
fair trade gifts in the new Bazaar and Gallery retail experience or take advantage of some of the delightful menus on
offer in Cafe Tibet – they are so mouth watering you will go back for more.
Ollie the signing monkey will be teaching everyone how to sign language on 7th April and join in the fun with BBC Radio
Leicester’s breakfast show live from the Zoo on 16th April.
8th March 2010
Pond Pals and Wetland Wanderers
Are you interested in horticulture or the native species that we have in our wetlands at the zoo? Would you like to
spend a few fun hours a week or month learning about what we do at Twycross Zoo by assisting our Head Gardener and
Horticultural Supervisor?
You can help contribute to our development by becoming a volunteer; some of the experiences available are listed below.
You do not need to be an expert as you will be shown what is required and how we approach each task in a sustainable way.
This is ideally suited to people who are sixteen years and over who can help regularly; you can help on a particular
area or garden and become familiar with it.
You can play a part in our vital work by helping out John Thompson our Head Gardener. A mature member of staff, who
has over 30 years experience and has an extensive knowledge of traditional grounds keeping within the Zoo. Alternatively
you can lend a hand to Tom Proctor, Horticulture Supervisor age 23 who is interested in the native species we have at the Zoo.
At Twycross Zoo we have nine acres of wetlands and nineteen ponds. We intend to look at the natural habitat, record, monitor
and encourage more native species to the area. This will include birds, insects, plants and small mammals. You may wish to
take part on the horticultural section that will be tree and bulb planting, mowing and establishing a children’s vegetable
garden.
March 2010
The pleasures of piñatas
 In January 2010 a special piñatas competition was run by Twycross Zoo for children at Twycross House School.
The aim was to show the children how keepers use some enrichment to keep the animals motivated and occupied
during the day.
To make this possible three companies donated various items to enable the children to be shown how keepers
produce enrichment for the animals. The end of the newspaper roll was donated by Derby Telegraph, the balloons
were supplied by Signature Balloons and the flour and food colouring was given by 3663.
The children spent time in class having lots of fun blowing up the balloons, wetting the paper in water and
flour and pasting it on the balloons. The papier mâche covered balloons were then left to dry and the children
then designed decorated them with the food colouring.
One of the Education team was given the arduous task of picking several winners who each received a free entry
ticket to the Zoo. The winning group were invited to meet the keepers on 16th February where they could watch
the animals having fun with their creations. The balloons were burst and taken out and then fruits, seed,
mealworms and crickets were placed inside. The winners then threw the piñatas into the monkey and meerkat enclosures.
The animals were delighted and enjoyed their surprises, they pushed pulled and ripped open the piñatas to get
to the prize inside. It was a rewarding and new experience for the children and a most well received treat for
the animals.
Freya Milne, Ashley Blackford and Emily Negus from Twycross House School said, “Our piñata was a great success.
I hope the animals like it. We worked so hard and we all worked together”.
If your school or group would like to help us keep our animals entertained by making some piñata please contact
the Education Department at Twycross Zoo on 01827 880250. We can provide everything you need as our kind
suppliers have given us plenty of flour, paper and balloons.
21st February 2010
Roar with Pride
 On 9th February 2010 Twycross Zoo’s Vet, Nic Masters and Animal Health & Research Manager, Bridget Fry
embarked on a journey to a depressingly outdated, ramshackle Romanian Zoo. They were part of a team of
experts who assisted with veterinary care that was required to bring fourteen lions to their new home,
a seven acre reserve and new lion house at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster.
The neglected, dilapidated Oradea Zoo that has been their home all of their lives has been condemned as
unfit for animals by the European Union. Its director has no money to build proper enclosures to replace
the tiny 15ft by 12ft cages into which up to FOUR lions at a time are crammed.
Daiana Ghender who was recently put in charge of the state-run Zoo, built 37 years ago under the communist
regime of Nicolae Ceausescu said, "We cannot afford to do any more for them. I feel terrible when I look at
them. They are sick and do not have the space for their bodies. Caesar, head of the pride, is barely able
to walk. His once mighty muscles have withered from lack of exercise. He shares his cage with females Annetta
and Alis, both seven and their two cubs. All the lions at the zoo sleep on a concrete floor, live in their
dirt and are covered in sores. Sickeningly, some visitors to the zoo laugh at the lions' plight. There is
no money and little food for them. Any money we make goes straight to the government. It upsets me so much
to see them like this. Soon the zoo will have no choice but to put the animals down.”
Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster was alerted to the lions' plight through a charity in Romania called
SOS Zoo. John Minion, Animals Director of Yorkshire Wildlife Park said, "I went to Romania to see the lions
and was extremely shocked. The Zoo is in a very poor state of repair and has inexperienced staff to maintain
animal husbandry levels. The facilities are also poorly constructed and they are falling down in parts.
There is lack of money for basic food and repairs.” John was moved by the plight of the lions and he knew
he had to do all that he could to get the lions out of there.
Animal Health & Research Manager, Bridget Fry said, “These Lions have been transferred from Romania to ensure
they have a better life with the correct diet and welfare. Twycross Zoo has collaborated in this rescue by
sending staff and relevant equipment to assist the veterinary surgeon with the anaesthetics and veterinary
procedures that were needed to carry out the transfer of these Lions to the UK. I personally have developed
an interest and passion in the conservation of lions over the years; I was delighted to be a part of the team
who helped to ensure these big cats are transferred to a better life at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”
This is the biggest ever cat rescue from one location to another. Yorkshire Wildlife Park have been fund
raising for 3 months to reach the target of £150,000 to make this project viable, generous donations have
been received from many sources including a ongoing News of the World appeal and the Wild Heritage Foundation,
a Kent based conservation and welfare charity..
Backed by the News of the World, Yorkshire Wildlife Park and team will bring all the lions to Britain. The
£120,000 raised to date will pay for the lions to be shipped to the UK and create an appropriate enclosure
for them to live in comfort. Hopefully in the near future we will hear these magnificent animals roar with
pride again.
9th February 2010
Top class treatments for Twycross
 A day of indulging and blissful treatments was on the menu for the staff at Twycross
Zoo on Monday 8th February 2010. Trainee therapists from Stephenson College of Further
Education, Coalville provided shoulder and neck massage, hand and arm massage and manicures
for the majority of the staff.
Students were asked as part of their course if they would like to practice the skills they
had learned on staff members at Twycross Zoo. The various departments that took part in the
pamper day were from catering, retail, front of house, education, administration and of course
our animal keeping staff.
Stephenson College has recently been accredited with the prestigious Training Quality Standard
(TQS) in recognition of the services they provide to employers. The Prime Minister recently
visited Stephenson College and stated that the College is leading the way in providing vital
skills for our young people and the country. The courses and apprenticeships on offer ensure a
bright future for the students.
Twycross Zoo Director, Suzanne Boardman said, “We are extremely grateful to the therapists who
came along and provided treatments to our staff. It was a very relaxing day and these de-stressing
treats were well received by everyone at the Zoo. Our staff have all been working extremely hard,
particularly over the last twelve months, on the new Visitor Welcome Centre “Himalaya” ensuring
that this latest project will be open to members of the public for Easter.”
Stephenson College Complementary Therapies Course Tutor, Miss Manjit Gill said, “It was a pleasure
to be asked to perform massages on members of staff from the zoo. As part of Stephenson College
values we enthusiastically encourage our learners to take part in enrichment activities and work
with the local community, and we hope to continue to do so as it is so productive and enjoyable
for everyone involved.”
3rd February 2010
New babies for February Half Term
 There are two cute arrivals for visitors to see this February half term at Twycross Zoo,
a red necked wallaby sitting pretty in his mothers pouch and a tiny buff coloured White
Cheeked gibbon.
It has been twenty years since Twycross Zoo last held wallabies at the Zoo. The breeding
pair that we have today came from Exmoor Wildlife Park on 27th July 2009. Mother Pebbles,
aged 12 years and father Bambam, aged 6 years have settled extremely well into their new home
at Pets at Twycross. The little joey is playing peek a boo with his keepers popping his
head out of the pouch now and again to see what is happening.
The Red-necked Wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus, is also known as Bennett's Wallaby and is a
marsupial which lives mostly in Australia. It is often confused with its close relative the
kangaroo. They do look similar, but wallabies are smaller. The size of the wallabies feet
are often 10 inches or less, where as a kangaroo's are much larger. The Red-necked Wallaby
is the largest of the wallaby species and they can grow to be on average, 2 ½ to 3 feet tall
and weigh 25 to 60 pounds. They reach their full size when they are five years old and on
average their lifespan is approximately 15 years. When you visit Pets at Twycross notice the
greyish brown fur and the red markings on their neck and shoulders, you will also see that
their paws and nose are black.
In the gibbon enclosure you will see Kampuchea, a very protective mother, holding her baby
whilst Earl is keeping a vigilant eye on his family. There are only in the region of 50
White-cheeked gibbons in captivity in Europe so the arrival of the youngster was an important
addition to the European breeding population.
At the moment the baby is a buff orange colour. By the time the baby is 2 – 3 years old, if
it is a boy, the colour will begin to change to jet black and will follow his father with
the characteristic white cheeks that give the species their name.
White-cheeked gibbons come from the rain forests of South East Asia, Thailand and China and
feed on a large variety of fruits, leaves and flowers. They are an endangered species which
have suffered from habitat destruction as a direct result of the logging industry as well as
poaching for the illegal animal trade.
3rd February 2010
EAST MIDLANDS TOURISM GETS ‘BACK TO THE FLOOR’
 As part of National Apprenticeship Week’s, Back to the Floor initiative, the team at
East Midlands Tourism (EMT), East Midlands Development Agency’s (emda’s) tourism arm,
have spent Back to the Floor Day away from their desks to experience the tourism industry
from the perspective of tourism apprentices across the region.
National Apprenticeship Week runs from Monday 1 February to Friday 5 February 2010. The
week, which is organised and co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, celebrates
the talents and skills of apprentices across the UK.
On Tuesday 2 February, several of the EMT team rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand in
some of the region’s most challenging tourism positions with placements at Twycross Zoo,
Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest and the Nottingham City Tourist Information Centre.
At Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, emda’s Tourism Director, Ruth Hyde donned wellington
boots and waterproofs to spend the day under the supervision of a student keeper. The day’s
duties included preparing breakfast for giraffes, serving lunch to chimps and penguins,
sweeping out and hosing down animal enclosures and putting the alpacas to bed.
Ruth commented:
“It was fascinating to get behind the scenes at one of our region’s leading attractions. I
had a thrilling but exhausting day and gained a fantastic insight into what an apprentice
keeper does on a daily basis. It is very hard work, definitely messy, but extremely rewarding.
I have learnt so much from the day’s experience.’
‘Tourism is a growing industry in the East Midlands and supports almost 100,000 jobs as such
we are keen to encourage young people to consider a career in tourism and believe our apprentices
have an important role to play in the future and growth of the tourism industry’. By combining
theory and practise an Apprenticeship is a great way to fast track a career within the tourism industry.”
Claire Lambert, Investment Manager spent the day in the kitchens at Center Parcs, Sherwood
Forest, with apprentice chefs trained by West Nottinghamshire College. Her job included
learning to prepare a range of dishes and how to present food for service as well as finding
out more about how a busy kitchen operates.
Una Mullan, Head of Tourism Marketing went Back to the Floor on the frontline of the region’s
tourism industry at Nottingham City Tourist Information Centre, which deals with around 290,000
visitors a year and 16,000 telephone enquiries, providing a host of information and services
to visitors. Here role included answering questions from overseas visitors from Spain, America,
Italy and Greece about Nottinghamshire’s tourism offer.
Karen Woodward, National Apprenticeship Service, Regional Director commented:
“It’s great to have the support of East Midlands Tourism as the leisure, travel and tourism
industries offer such a vast range opportunities for apprentices in the East Midlands including
customer service assistants, hotel and accommodation managers, leisure and theme park attendants
and travel consultants.
A tourism Apprenticeship is great for anyone with an interest in travel and working directly
with customers, and presents very rewarding, interesting and varied work.”
25th January 2010
Half a million children taught at Twycross Zoo
 Walton Primary School, Walton on Trent year six visited Twycross Zoo for an educational talk on Friday
22nd January. To their surprise they were met by photographers and handed goody bags and a certificate.
This was to commemorate that one of their pupils was the half a millionth child to be taught by Twycross
Zoo’s Education Department.
In 1979 thirty years ago the education staff were teaching 8,500 students per year, numbers today have
increased in excess of 32,000 per year.
A variety of subjects that have been taught over the past thirty years ranging from animal habitat, conservation
and animal care. Today, there is an increase in popularity of GCSE and A level subjects such as applied
science and animal behaviour have been introduced.
The Education team teaches a broad range of ages, from children in reception through to adults. In addition
to on site lectures and talks they also offer outreach sessions for schools, colleges and other groups such
as W I’s and afternoon clubs, which are very well received.
The Education staff have won numerous British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums awards (BIAZA) the
most recent being the Eco Rangers After School Club.
If you are interested in education talks or outreach session please see our website for more details.
7th January 2010
January’s mammoth stock take
 Zoo keepers at Twycross Zoo and all around Britain and Ireland are starting the biggest
job of the zoo calendar - counting each and every animal in their collection for the New Year stock take.
The task is done every January as part of compliance with zoo legislation which requires zoos and aquariums
to keep precise records of every animal birth, death, arrival and departure.
Of course, keepers are fully aware of how many animals they have in their care – especially large mammals
such as elephants, giraffes or sea lions - but this annual ‘stock take’ provides a valuable record. Some of
the smaller creatures – like snails, frogs and bats – take some patience and plenty of double-checking!
The data is submitted to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the national
professional body offering advice and guidance on all aspects of zoo management and animal welfare. The
records are also available for scrutiny by local authorities who issue and renew the licenses for zoos and aquariums.
Many zoos' inventories will also be submitted to an international database called the International Species
Information System (ISIS), which gathers information about animals held in zoological institutions around the world.
Twycross Zoo’s Director, Suzanne Boardman, said: “The annual January stock take is a busy time of year for
zoos across the UK. It is vital that we ensure figures are correct so we can best manage conservation and
try to prevent species from the threat of becoming extinct.”
Archive News
2009
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