Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire has officially opened one of the largest gibbon facilities in Europe in its most ambitious development to date, Gibbon Forest.
Covering about 4,000 square metres (nearly an acre), Gibbon Forest is ten times larger than the primates’ previous enclosure and is specially designed to replicate the natural forest environment of gibbons as well as provide an exciting new experience for visitors.
The innovative £2million development marks the latest phase in the zoo’s £55million capital investment programme, and consists of a central building, 7 metres in height (2 storeys), which will raise visitors up for a closer view of the gibbons, while outside, visitors will also be able to observe gibbon families calling and swinging across the four moated islands.
Twycross Zoo has the most diverse collection of gibbons in the UK, and Gibbon Forest will house the zoo’s four different species, all of which are endangered in the wild: agile, pileated, siamang and Northern white-cheeked. The Zoo is recognised internationally as a specialist in primate conservation: as well as having the widest collection of gibbons in Europe, it is also the only zoo in the UK, and one of four worldwide, to house all four types of great ape (gorillas, orang-utans, bonobos and chimpanzees). The ground-breaking design of this new habitat has been informed by the specialist knowledge and experience of the team of primate experts working at Twycross Zoo.
Special features adapted for the animals include a steel mesh ceiling from which keepers can feed the gibbons, encouraging their natural behaviour of finding food high in the tree tops. Each of the building’s four pods, one for each gibbon species at the zoo, has a special bio-floor made of composting mulch. Properly maintained, this mulched floor will act like a natural soil and as it biodegrades, it will generate high humidity levels which are beneficial for the gibbons.
Other exciting recent developments at Twycross Zoo include: Giraffe Savannah, heralding the return of giraffes to the zoo earlier last year; Elephant Creek; immersive walkthroughs with lemurs, lorikeets and butterflies; the largest children’s water-play area in Leicestershire; an extension to the orang-utan house; and a new café.
Photo Credit: Lucy Ray
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