Martin B Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hello everybody, This is a bit of a long shot but hey ho'. My girlfriend is doing a geography project mainly focused on tourism but other aspects such as location, environmental well being etc. The title for her project is: Endangered Species? Is the UK love affair with the British city zoo on the verge of extinction? Her main focus is on comparing Bristol (City) Zoo and Twycross (Countryside) Zoo. If anybody has any stories or pictures then they would be greatly appreciated as it is essential for her to be able to look at the history of both places and the animals they keep/kept plus new exhibits and attractions as time goes on. If anybody has any old guidebooks for Bristol or Twycross Zoo (pre 2009 as she has these) that they no longer want or need then I would love to have them. Of course she would expect to pay postage. Will include this in Wanted section. Any photos or stories appreciated. Hints and tips also.. Thanks in advance for your help. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 The Polar Bear who went mad because of his captivity was at Bristol. He developed a little circuit which involved walking around and stopping to swing one of his front legs forward. It was really tragic to watch. I went to the Zoo in the 1980s, but I have been back in the last few years and it is a much better place now. Don't know if that helps at all, but I think he was quite well known. Of course, British Zoos have reinvented themselves and now run projects to save animals from extinction. Przewalski's Horse is a good recent example. A new herd was released into the wild (in France I think) in the last 2-3 years. Visitors to zoos are really now a necessary method of funding research and care programmes for the animals. The animals are no longer there purely for the public's entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I've met a "manager" and head vet of Twycross and know a few people who have done work experience there (I'm going to apply). Only been a few times (I'll try and find some pictures) and they seem to really care for the animals and change enclosures for them, not the public. Nothing to do with me, but there are some good pictures here an dhere. Good luck with the coursework, I studied a river Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks Ginette for your account. A good case that she could refer to on why city zoos are not adapted to keeping larger animals. Thanks. Thanks for the pictures lewescott, most of them are amazing. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I found a website called http://www.goodzoos.com It had a little bit about the polar bears. "Probably the one feature at the zoo that has attracted more than its fair share of adverse publicity, was the polar bear pit. Bears have bred here, but the pit itself was just that; a pit. The last two polar bears at Bristol, Misha and Nina, were put down in January 1992. The zoo has no plans to replace them. Two further pits have now been filled in, and the new sandy enclosure that results holds endangered Arabian gazelles." And on this site http://animal-lib.org.au/subjects/animals-for-entertainment/54-zoos.html "In Bristol Zoo in the UK, two polar bears called Nina and Misha have been confined in a tiny concrete enclosure for 28 years. They are described as being in a psychotic state. ÒZoocheckÓ an organisation founded by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna (Born Free) discovered that more than 60% of polar bears in British zoos are mentally deranged and cubs born in zoos are twice as likely to die as those in the wild." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I used to go to Bristol Zoo quite a lot when I was little and to be honest, thinking about it now I don't like it at all, a lot of the enclosures are quite small, when you consider how big a place they'd live in in the wild. I much prefer Paignton and Chester as they're redeveloping huge areas so the animals can have more space. Has your girlfriend visited both of these zoos? Would it also be an idea for her to look at stimulation that these particular zoos provide in order to keep the animals active and how conditions vary across the board? Just a few ideas anyway, sounds like a really interesting project, what subject is it for and what does she want to do after A levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 We've both been to a lot of zoos and animal places since I've started driving! We've been to both Twycross and Bristol as well as West Midlands Safari Park and we are going to Welsh Mountain Zoo and Chester Zoo next week, which will be fun. The stimulation of the animals is not a big part of the project because it is Geography after all, but the case of the polar bears is really interesting because it kind of proves why City Zoo's no longer keep these species after all, look at London aswell, they've got rid of Elepahants, Polar Bears and Pandas as they can not provide for them. The cost of building the enclosures is an interesting thing though and with the work at Chester Zoo, they spent a lot on catering for the naturalistic environments. Bristol Zoo is one of the best zoos I have been to in a long time, it is very pretty and the enclosures are absolutely fantastic, the keeping of big animals has gone and smaller animals but still interesting ones have come in. For example Girraffes have been moved on and replaced by Okapi's and the same exhibit is much more suitable for the later. Thanks again for your inputs, it is much appreciated. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hi Martin When I was a child we were taken to many zoos - school trips, Sunday School trips etc as well as with family - Dudley Zoo and Twycross were the nearest to us. Drayton Manor used to have a little zoo too when it wasn't a theme park as such. I think something that has changed is that this was the only way we could really 'see' the animals that were kept in zoos - ie before the age of the internet, world tourism, and even the fantastic tv documentaries etc that we now have. We were certainly less aware of the issues and concerns about keeping anumals in captivity. I have to say that as a parent I now have a dilemma as I want my child to see real animals but am conscious that this is not necessarily good for the animals. We have been to Woburn and the wildlife place at Kessingland (Out of Africa?) and L has been to Twycross with grandparents oh and also Linton Zoo, but I kind of regret it - even though I know the animals are well cared-for, its not their natural habitat. So basically I guess as a family we do see zoos as a form of entertainment/are happy to be tourists at them - but with some reservations. However none of our zoos keep animals the way we saw in a city park in Istanbul (10 years ago), for which I am thankful. I remember seeing a documentary about Twycross and the chimps. Those ladies clearly treat the chimps as children and encourage to keepers to do the same. I am sure the chimps are happy but was it right to take them out of their environment in the first place? Gosh - I only meant to post a quick reply. I could go on all night. Better not though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 When I was a child we were taken to many zoos - school trips, Sunday School trips etc as well as with family - Dudley Zoo and Twycross were the nearest to us. Drayton Manor used to have a little zoo too when it wasn't a theme park as such. I remember seeing a documentary about Twycross and the chimps. Those ladies clearly treat the chimps as children and encourage to keepers to do the same. I am sure the chimps are happy but was it right to take them out of their environment in the first place? Ooh, yes. Forgot about Drayton Manor, they still have the zoo and theres a bit of a farm in it too. Another thing about the Twycross Chimps, I aggree there is an issue about wether it is right to take them out of their habitat, I think some of them were treated as babies by people, then grew too big and were taken on by the zoo. The vet was telling a story about a chimp with some sort of on-going issue (something like diabetes) which needed regular injections. They used to dart it with a blow pipe, if they ever missed, the chimp would throw the dart back at them, so they started having to use protection screens The once, they blew the dart, missed the chimp, and he/she picked it up. They expected it to throw it back at them, but no, it stabbed it into its own leg! They really are intelligent creatures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I know some of the work Bristol are doing with endangered animals - I know someone who volunteered for a year between a Cambridge degree and PhD observing the pigmy hippos for a project by the zoo. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Hi Story current this week re conserving penguins http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8057434.stm http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-1473-Twycross_Zoos_Humboldt_Penguin_Chicks_Debut_Friday_22nd_May H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Maybe you could also look at links between zoos, as I know London Zoo doesn't have that many large animals, but that's because they work in partnership with Whipsnade I think and so they live there instead. I'm interested in your opinion on Bristol Zoo Martin as you thought it was quite good, whereas when I first went there there really wasn't that much space for each of the animals, but I know recently that they've downsized quite a lot and acquired more land so it is getting better for them. Paignton Zoo's really good though in my opinion, bit too far for you to get to though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleleicesterfox Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I grew up near Twycross Zoo and now live near Bristol so I am lucky enough to have had quite a bit of experience of both although I am pulling stuff out of the memory banks for Twycross! Twycross has always been a very conservation-focused zoo, especially in regards to primates whereas Bristol struck me as one of those very Victorian-era old fashioned zoos that were about displaying animals and were not especially concerned about quality of life. However, having visited over the last couple of years I have to say that a lot of work has been done to rememdy this situation and the zoo is now apparently a lot more conservation focused and the enclosures were far more appropriate for the animals that they contained. THey seemd to understand their limitations on space and so tended towards smaller animals, such as meerkats and prarie dogs. I can't recall seeing anything that looked terribly small for the animals and it was quite a nice place to visit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Bristol Zoo is like a Tardis, only 12 acres of it. The keeping of things such as the pygmy hippo instead of the common hippopotamous and the Asiatic Lions apposed to African Lions are all showing the 'bigger' animals just in a scaled down way. The exhibits are fantastic, especially the flamingo aviary! Thanks for sharing, any more info, pictures etc are greatly appreciated. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Some of the pictures I have recieved so far from various people on various sites... Asian Lion 1998 White tiger 1983 Polar Bears 1983 African Elephant 1983 Asian Elephant 1983 Pygmy Hippo 1983 Penguins 1983 Girrafes '83 Lions '84 White Tiger '84 Camel Enclosure Orangutan '78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Pygmy Hippo 2000 Wendy the elephant Sascha the seal '98 Orang Utan '75 Oran Utans on public outing '76 Baby Oran Utan '71 Buttons the chimpanzee 1972 Penguins 1997 Gorilla Island 1998 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Last few.. White Storks '84 Orang Utan '72 Wendy and Christina Orang Utan '72 Feel free to post some of your own zoo pictures from by gone years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I remember Wendy the Elephant and Bristol Zoo used to keep Emperor penguins when I was a kid, I'm sure I've got a few photos somewhere, will try and find some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks Liz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
