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Have you ever thought what it would be like to visit Twycross Zoo after closing time?  Well here is your chance, for the first time in 45 years; Twycross Zoo will open a section of the Zoo to the public on the evening of Saturday 30th August 2008, from 6.30 pm until 10.00 pm.

This is a unique opportunity to experience the tranquility of the Zoo and to watch the animals, whilst enjoying drinks on the lawn. Imagine a leisurely stroll through the Borneo Longhouse in a relaxed atmosphere.

Listen to the evening calls of the birds or the blues rhythm of the live band, “The High Sierras” with special guest Vicky Clayton, (vocalist with Fairport Convention). During the evening, relaxed, short, informative talks will take place by the sea lions, penguins, bat eared fox and the Monkey House.

For further information and to book tickets please contact reception on 01827 880 250 or see our website www.twycrosszoo.org.

Twycross Zoo

 Twycross Zoo East Midland Zoological Society is a registered charity
(No 501841) and aims to “care for our world’s animals and environments through conservation, communication and integrity”

Twycross Zoo is the world’s most comprehensive collection of primate species. Twycross is a popular visitor attraction for families and school children welcoming over 500,000 visitors annually. Opening times for visitors are summer 10.00 am – 5.30 pm and winter 10.00 am - 4.00 pm; the Zoo is open 364 days a year only closing Christmas Day.

Twycross has informal and formal education programmes for all sectors of society about wildlife conservation. We incorporate our animals wherever possible into regional and global breeding programmes to aid species conservation. We have developed environmental enrichment programmes to give our animals a fulfilled life, both physically and mentally.

Twycross Zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and Wildlife Information Network (WIN) organisations which represent their member collections and promote the values of good zoos and aquariums. 
 

£3467.49 was raised on Friday 11th July 2008 when Twycross Zoo held their annual fundraising evening to support the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Amphibian Ark campaign. The focus of this year’s campaign is to raise public awareness and understanding of the amphibian extinction crisis and to generate funding for amphibian conservation.  Numerous guests supported this event including The High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Mr David Wyrko and The Worshipful The Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Councillor Geoffrey Banister.

The Amphibian Ark is the seventh major conservation campaign organised by EAZA.  The campaign has been set up to involve European Zoos and their visiting public in conservation projects relating to amphibians.  The main targets of the campaign are to raise public awareness of a deadly disease called Amphibian Chytrid fungus that is fatal for many frogs and toads, to collect funds for this conservation project and provide Arks, making it possible for the long-term survival of the species.  All funds raised by donated gifts on the night will help support this worthy cause. 

Executive Director, Suzanne Boardman said, “We are delighted to support this year’s EAZA Campaign.  Frogs, toads, newts and other amphibia are severely affected by habitat loss, climate change, pollution and now they are threatened with a parasitic fungus.  This disease is deadly to hundreds of amphibians and we need to act now to help save many amphibian species before they become extinct”.
 

“Terror” at Twycross Zoo has arrived in the form of a flesh eating plant.  We dare you to enter the cordoned off hazardous zone in the Bonobo House and solve the cryptic clues as to which murderous Nepenthes truncata plant committed the crime.

Ten different species of this carnivorous plant are on show in the new “Terror” exhibit.  The plants produce incredible traps up to 18 inches in length with a bright red flaring mouth.   The nectar is spiked with narcotic, so visitors - flies, cockroaches or mice soon feel giddy, lose their balance or footing and plunge into a vat of watery digestive juices where they drown.   It is gruesome but brilliant!

Truncatas are hauntingly beautiful; they are normally found on the island of Borneo and usually grow as a climbing or hanging scrambling vine. Nepenthes are known to have devoured a whole rat and even a baby monkey! 

PHOTO: From left to right in the picture Mrs Beryl Wyrko, frog, High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Mr David Wyrko, Director of Twycross Zoo Suzanne Boardman, Mayoress of Hinckley and Bosworth Mrs Tricia Bannister and the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Councillor Geoffrey Banister.
 

Twycross Zoo’s Director Suzanne Boardman and Conservation Officer Claire Pipe have just returned from a war-torn country in central Africa. This landmark visit enabled the Zoo to establish a relationship with Lola Ya Bonobo, the only bonobo sanctuary in the world, to care for orphaned bonobos and to find out how Twycross Zoo could make a difference to bonobo conservation in the wild.

Now only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the bonobo shares 99.6% similar DNA to humans and is under threat every day from hunters and habitat destruction; it is extremely endangered.  The bonobos at Twycross are the only ones in the UK and are part of an international breeding program.  Bonobos live in a female dominated society and prefer to "make love" with their group rather than seek "war" with outsiders, a strategy favoured by chimpanzees. 

The plight of the bonobo struck Suzanne Boardman and Claire Pipe to such an extent that they have pledged to help to secure the future of the bonobo in the wild by 2020.  The Zoo already supports bonobo conservation by housing this family group of 11 apes who contribute to the global breeding programme but more is needed.  They are also supporting bonobos by contributing to the work of Lola Ya Bonobo, assisting projects in the wild and raising as much public awareness as possible – all through a new programme “BONOBO”.

“BONOBO” will be launched at the House of Lords in November 2008, where nearly 100 guests will join them to celebrate this largely unknown species.

Zoo Director, Suzanne Boardman said, “We are excited about the event, as we wish to promote a wider understanding of this unique species and awareness of the threats it faces.  If we do not act now we are at risk of losing our closest living relative”.

To find out how you can help bonobos, please contact Conservation Officer Claire Pipe on 01827 880 988 or email conservation@twycrosszoo.org.
 

The last ten years has seen a huge increase in the popularity of exotic pets. Among the weird and wonderful animals being kept in our homes are monkeys, tarantulas, iguanas, salamanders, snakes even hedgehogs.

And as animal collections and reserves around the world develop their conservation and captive breeding programmes there is an insatiable demand for expertise in the husbandry of exotic animals. 

To help develop that expertise and broaden the horizons of students aiming to work in the veterinary profession - The University of Nottingham has joined forces with Twycross Zoo.

After five years in Asia studying the phenomenon of musth in Asian bull elephants, veterinarian and reproductive physiologist Dr Lisa Yon, a lecturer in zoo and wildlife medicine, now spends half her working week at the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science and the other half at Twycross Zoo - just half an hour down the road in Leicestershire.

Lisa Yon’s unique ‘dual’ role will ensure that students graduate with the proper training in exotic animals and opens up new avenues for research which will benefit exotic animals in the wild as well as in collections across the world.

Dr Yon, who qualified as a vet at Cornell University and went on to study reproductive physiology in elephants at UC Davis, University of California, said: “I was keen to work with wildlife from the very start but there was no proper guidance and I had to make my own way. I don’t want that to happen to our students. I want to ensure that students have opportunities to explore any interests they may have in zoo and wildlife work, and to encourage that interest as best I’m able.”

Plundering the expertise based at the vet school Lisa is in the process of establishing a number of new research projects at the Zoo. The aim is to teach students the principles of research and developing hypothesis. When the first cohort of year three students return in the autumn they will be involved in exploring the spread of wild rodent diseases and the possible effect these have on captive animals, the DNA bar coding of various zoo species, a review of medical pathology records at Twycross to establish patterns and trends, nutrition and husbandry in the Red Fronted Macaw, and pathogen screening in captive primates.

In year five, their final year, all students will spend two weeks at Twycross as part of their clinical training.

Dr Yon, is currently working with the zoo’s resident vet, Nic Masters from the International Zoo Veterinary Group, to develop animal health protocols in preventative medicine and is assisting with the European expansion of a U.S.-based study into the severe heart problems that affect about a third of captive male Gorillas. She is working to develop links with colleagues across the UK and beyond to explore collaborative work on areas of mutual interest in zoo and wildlife health.

In 1972 Twycross Zoo became a charitable trust concentrating on conservation and education. About three quarters of the animals housed at Twycross are officially classed as endangered species and the zoo now takes part in many captive breeding programmes for endangered animals. It is a global centre of excellence in primate conservation and breeding.

The Twycross Zoo link is spearhead by its Director Suzanne Boardman who, as an experienced Zoo and wildlife veterinarian with a passion for education, said “I am delighted with this formal link with the University of Nottingham which will enable us to contribute to the education of veterinary students amongst whom will be the zoo and wildlife vets of the future”

Among the students who have already taken advantage of the links with Twycross is 1 st year student, Rebecca Amos, who is hoping to spend the summer working in Thailand at an animal rescue centre.