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News Archive
Below are the news reports for Twycross Zoo - The World Primate Centre, covering significant events concerning the animal collection, such as births, arrivals, departures, and deaths.
Twycross Zoo - The World Primate Centre Details
Depart: 9 July 2012
Boulas, a silverback Western Lowland Gorilla has moved to Longleat Safari Park, as part of the breeding programme for this Critically Endangered species.
Birth: May 2012
Recent and previously unannounced births include 4 Humboldt Penguin chicks (possibly more to come), 3 African Pygmy Goat kids, 2 Black-Eared Marmosets, Rheas, Demoiselle Cranes, Capybaras, Mara and Chilean Lapwing.
Birth: May 2012
A baby Black and Gold Howler Monkey has been born, to parents Lottie (her 7th) and Raphael.
Arrival: 31 March 2012
Two male Kirk's Dik-Diks (the world's smallest species of Antelope) called Peanuts and Cyril have arrived, from zoos in Antwerp, Belguim and Duisberg, Germany.
Death: 25 March 2012
Tara the Asian Elephant has sadly given birth to a stillborn female calf. Until this point the pregnancy (Tara's first) had appeared to be going well, as did the birth itself. A post-mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Birth: 27 February 2012
A baby Red Titi Monkey has been born.
Birth: 18 February 2012
A baby Francois Langur has been born, to parents Pak Choi and Al. The baby is believed to be male (although this is as yet unconfirmed), and joins 10-month old brother Yinx and another 11-month old youngster in the successful breeding group for this Endangered species.
Update (April): the baby has now been named Kai.
Depart: 25 January 2012
Diesel, the male Amur Leopard, has moved to Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas as part of the international breeding programme. He was born in May 2002 and came to Twycross in 2003, where he has since sired a litter of two males in 2006. Twycross are now looking for a mate for their remaining male, Davidoff, who is one of Diesel's sons.
Birth: 6 January 2012
A baby female Bonobo has been born, to mum Maringa. She is being hand-reared by keepers until old enough to be returned to auntie Diatou, who has been trained to act as foster mum; Maringa has had difficulty raising young in the past.
Update (March): the baby has now been named Lopori.
Birth: 7 December 2011
A baby Variegated Spider Monkey has been born, the first for mum Magdalena and also the first at the zoo for 10 years. The baby's sex is unknown as the keepers do not want to disturb mother and baby.
Birth: 15 June 2011
Two Snow Leopard cubs have been born, to parents Irma and Suou. They are Irma's first litter, and also the first for the zoo.
Update (July): the cubs are now known to be male and female.
Arrival: 7 June 2011
Harriet, a 5-year-old Giraffe, has arrived from Africa Alive in Suffolk, to join residents Keisha and Justin.
Birth: 13 May 2011
A baby Western Lowland Gorilla called Okanda has been born, to parents Ozala and Oumbie.
Death: 13 April 2011
Ganesh Vijay, the young Asian Elephant born just 18 months ago, has sadly died from a heart condition, despite the efforts of keepers and vets to save his life.
Birth: 24 January 2011
A baby Orangutan has been born, the first at the zoo since 2004, to mum Maliku and dad Batu. The sex of the baby is as yet unknown, as keepers have not been able to get close enough.
Death: 15 October 2010
Jilloch, one of the longest residents of the zoo's Chimpanzee group, has sadly died of heart failure. She was 34 years old and was born at the zoo.
Birth: 26 June 2010
A baby male Bonobo has been born, the second for mum Cheka. This brings the group, the only breeding one in the UK, to 12 (5 males and 7 females).
Arrival: May 2010
Two female Striped Hyenas have arrived from The Breeding Centre for Endangered Wildlife in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, as part of the European breeding programme for this Near Threatened species. The sisters are 16 months old and are called Lexi and Luca.
Arrival: 13 April 2010
Boulas, a 23-year-old male silverback Western Lowland Gorilla , has arrived from Belfast Zoo, to join the two elderly resident females, Biddy and Bongo.
Birth: 3 April 2010
A baby male Tufted Deer has been born, to parents Michelle and Mitch.
Arrival: 3 March 2010
A pair of Snow Leopards called Irma (female) and Suou (male) have arrived, from Norden's ark, Sweden and Tama Zoo, Tokyo, respectively. They will initially be held in quarantine before taking up residence in their enclosure adjacent to the new Himalaya visitor centre. It is hoped they will become a new breeding pair and contribute to the International Breeding Programme for this endangered species.
Birth: 2 February 2010
A baby Black Siamang Gibbon has been born, the second for parents Tango and Daniel.
Birth: February 2010
A baby Red-Necked (or Bennett's) Wallaby has been born, to parents Pebbles and Bambam, who only arrived at the zoo in July 2009..
Birth: February 2010
A baby White-Cheeked Gibbon has been born, to parents Kampuchea and Earl.
Depart: December 2009
The two female Asiatic Lions have moved to Dudley Zoo, where they will join a young male as part of the European Breeding Programme.
Arrival: September 2009
Oumbie a male Western Lowland Gorilla has arrived from Port Lympne Zoological Gardens, to join the existing two females Asante and Ozala, and young male Matadi.
Birth: 6 August 2009
A baby male Asian Elephant has been born, the first at the zoo to be born by artificial insemination. He has been named Ganesh Vijay.
Birth: 23 June 2009
A baby Titi Monkey has been born, to parents Richard and Anya.
Birth: 16 June 2009
A male Tufted Deer fawn has been born, the first for parents Michelle and Mitch. The baby has been named Ying Xiong. Twycross is the only UK zoo to exhibit and now breed this rare species.
Birth: 10 June 2009
A male baby Woolly Monkey has been born, to experienced parents Djoi and Miguel. Good news for this endangered species.
Birth: May 2009
Four Humboldt Penguin chicks have been born, to two sets of parents. One chick from each nest has been hand-reared as an insurance measure owing to the inexperience of the parent birds.
Birth: March 2009
Recent births include:
2 baby Pygmy Marmosets, Incaboo and Mazungo, to mum Peritass;
3 baby Meerkats to mum Tallula;
A baby Pileated Gibbon called Violet, to mum Valentina.
Depart: 20 January 2009
Bili the baby Bonobo has moved to Frankfurt Zoo. Bili required extensive nursing and medical care during his first few weeks, and Frankfurt Zoo have trained a female Bonobo to assist with hand rearing babies.
Birth: 8 October 2008
A baby male Bonobo called Bili (after a river in the Congo) has been born, to mum Maringa.
Arrival: 26 September 2008
An 18-month old female Bactrian Camel called Georgia has arrived from Whipsnade Zoo to join Jarrett the zoo's existing adult male. Edina his long-term mate sadly died a few months ago.
Death: 21 September 2008
Joe the Western Lowland Gorilla has sadly passed away after a short illness. At 45 years old he was one of the founders of the Twycross Zoo collection, the first of many Gorillas to live here. He arrived in 1965 aged 18 months.
Birth: 27 April 2008
Two baby Meerkats have been born, to parents Tallula and Timmy.
Arrival: 5 May 2007
A pair of Red Titi monkeys arrived in February and have now settled into their enclosure: a 3-year old male called Richard from Sweden, and a 4-year old female called Anya from France. The species is native to the rainforests of Brazil and Peru.
Birth: 3 May 2007
A female baby Western Lowland Gorilla called Ndoki has been born, the second for mother Ozala. Eighteen-year old father Ti unfortunately died of a stroke about three months ago.
Birth: 26 March 2007
Twin Amur Leopard cubs are now on show to visitors, the first that have been bred at the zoo. Unfortunately they were orphaned at just 8 weeks old when their mother, Izzy, died of an infection.
Arrival: 14 March 2007
Three Vicunas have arrived to join the paddock section of the zoo and are part of an international breeding programme. Vicunas are the smallest of the Camelid family, which includes Camels, Llamas, etc. They come from the Central Andes in South America, and are classed as an endangered species, having been nearly hunted to extinction in the 1970's, for their valuable fleece.
Birth: 6 March 2007
A baby male Bactrian Camel, called Genghis, has been born, the second for mother Edina.
Birth: 24 January 2007
Baby male Pileated Gibbon born recently, the first for mum Valentina.
Death: 20 September 2006
Mamfe the gorilla, one of the zoo's oldest residents, has sadly died. He was the founder member of the zoo's first breeding group of gorillas, and sired three babies. Born in 1973 at Jersey Zoo (now Durrell Wildlife), he was the son of the famous Jambo who saved the little boy who fell into the enclosure.
Notes:
Where possible, the dates given are for the event itself, but some zoos do not make this information available, when the date of announcement is used instead.
Seasons: Winter = Jan - Mar, Spring = Apr - Jun, Summer = Jul - Sept, Autumn = Oct - Dec.
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