Twycross Zoo Keepers Each Receive £2,000 To Spend On Their Animals

By Kim Tiley

Twycross, UK -Twycross Zoo is investing £100,000.00 in animal welfare, in a new initiative of projects instigated by the keepers.

Each keeper has been allocated £2000.00 to put to a project that will focus on environmental enrichment or will improve our already high standard of husbandry and animal welfare.  Keepers will have two buddies who will assist with ideas on how the money can be spent, help to source high quality materials and prepare budgets for the various projects. In addition to the buddies a member of the Senior Management Team will also act a mentor to advise and steer the project.

All projects will comply with Twycross Zoo’s mission Statement which is “To care for our earth’s animals and environment through conservation, communication and integrity”.

One of the recent projects that have been completed is in the Chimp Complex. Keepers used their funds to build raised nesting platforms which enable the chimps to build nests as they would in the tree tops in the wild. Chris Hern, Deputy Section Head of African Apes said, “I think it is fantastic to give the keepers the opportunity to have a set budget to spend on our animals, as we work closely with them, we know what their needs are. The raised nest beds will encourage the chimps to fulfil one of their natural behaviours in a captive environment”.

A second project that has been completed is a specially constructed door in the Orang-utan House. This will enable the keepers to carry out occupational enrichment and will encourage the promotion of taught behaviours that will assist with veterinary care. Tanya Clayton, Deputy Section Head of Asian Apes said, “This is an excellent idea, the project has enabled me to have access to the orangs twenty four seven if necessary. I am now able to interact and teach operant conditioning and offer enrichment to the orang-utans at various times throughout day”.

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.