twycross zoo annual report 2011
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Twycross Zoo Annual Report 2011TRANSCRIPT
Annual Report 2011
Inside Cover
The Gateway to the Wetlands will demonstrate to visitors the importance of preserving native biodiversity and explaining how they can be involved.
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Chairman’s Report 2
Director’s Report 3
Financial Report 5
Animal Report 8
Animal Collection 10
Veterinary Report 15
Conservation Welfare Report 17
Education Report 19
Marketing and PR Report 21
Visitor Services Report 22
Research Report 23
Sustainability Report 26
Human Resources and Work Experience 27
Staff Activities 28
External Representation and Presentation 30
Staff List 31
TZA Chairman’s Report 32
Wildlife Information Network (WIN) Report 33
Vision and Mission 35
Contacts 36
The paper used for this report is 100% recycled.Photographs kindly supplied by Twycross Zoo, Deborah Bardowicks, Erica Cartmill, Neil Dorman, Bex Hackney, Craig Lymm, Claire Pipe and Bhav Mistry.
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Contents
Chairman’s Report 2
CEO’s Report 3
Financial Report 5
Animal Report 8
Animal Collection 11
Veterinary Report 16
Conservation Welfare Fund Report 18
Research and Knowledge Hub Report 20
Education Report 23 Estates and Projects Report 24 Marketing and PR Report 25
Guest Services Report 26
Human Resources and Work Experience 27
Staff Activities 28
External Representation and Publications 30
Staff List 32
Wildlife Information Network (WIN) Report 33
The paper used for this report is 100% recycled.Photographs kindly supplied by Twycross Zoo, Kevin J Caley, Erica Cartmill, Zhao Chao, Sarah Chapman, Neil Dorman, Bex Hackney, Craig Lymm, Susan Muir and Claire Pipe. Cover Bonobo photo: Tim Flach.
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Chairman’s Report
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It might seem obvious, but it is also well worth remembering, that a Zoo has to function effectively every hour of every one of the 365 days of the year. Unlike many organisations, the lights are not switched off for the staff to go home at the end of the working day: at times their charges need 24-hour care. Since July 2011, when I took over as Chairman, I have been particularly struck by the obvious enthusiasm and commitment of all the staff I have met, be they keepers, caterers, vets, managers, groundsmen, admin or security personnel or volunteers. Having worked in a number of different businesses, I know how unusual this is and it is doubly impressive at this time of rapid change and development. I am keen to record my sincere appreciation of their dedication as my first comment in my first Chairman’s report and I very much look forward to meeting more of the team in the coming months.
Ensuring high standards of animal welfare is an important priority for all of us at Twycross and this was recognised when the Zoo hosted the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) conference in November 2011. Twycross Zoo won prestigious awards not only for “Best New Zoo Enclosure” but also “Significant Advances in Husbandry and Welfare”, both in relation to the snow leopard enclosure and the leopards’ welfare, enrichment, operant conditioning and diet modifications. Collaborations throughout the zoological world are important in improving zoo animal welfare globally and Wildpro, Twycross Zoo’s electronic encyclopaedia, is an invaluable information resource to assist this.
The Zoo’s role as an emerging centre of excellence in conservation, research and education has continued to flourish and receive recognition. By establishing the Conservation Welfare Fund (CWF), the Zoo has been able to support, to date, nearly 50 conservation projects worldwide, with a particular focus on endangered primates. “The Five Primate Vision: to help secure the future of five endangered primates in the wild by 2020” supports in situ conservation projects, often linked to care and management of species on site and participation in captive breeding programmes. A variety of research projects are carried out each year and a study of non-human primate infection received a 2011 BIAZA “Best Research Project” commendation. Twycross also won the 2011 BIAZA award for “Best Education Project: School & Educational Institutions” for the popular “So You Want to be a Vet!” days offered to young teenagers.
I am delighted to report that the Zoo is operating very well commercially, with a record number of visitors in 2011. This is testament to the continued high standards which the zoo strives to achieve in terms of operation, design and welfare. This was externally recognised as the Zoo won the Leicester and Leicestershire Excellence in Tourism award for “Best Large Visitor Attraction 2011”. Bookings for events at the Zoo are flourishing, including company conferences, weddings and parties and I can personally attest to the excellence of the new silver-service Sunday lunches.
2012 promises an exciting new exhibit. “The Gateway to the Wetlands” will open during the first half of the year, demonstrating to visitors the importance of preserving native biodiversity and explaining how they can be involved. Events to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and reflect the London Olympics are also planned. Development of two innovative new exhibits for the future will be progressed, which will offer excellent public viewing facilities as well as observational research opportunities: one will feature lions, tigers, hyena and dholes, and the other, chimpanzees. I am very pleased to be associated with such a dynamic organisation.
I thank my predecessor, David Conner, for his much valued chairmanship and retiring Trustees Victor Manton and Tony Flint for their significant contributions over a good number of years.
The support of my fellow Board Members is much appreciated and I know we all look forward to continuing the positive development of Twycross Zoo in 2012.
Dr Mary-Lorraine Hughes BSc PhD MBAChairman
Dr Mary-Lorraine Hughes with Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata)
Our Commercial team continues to deliver successful, creative projects, such as the “Stay, Play and Explore” initiative. This has proved very popular and played a significant role in the Zoo winning the Leicester and Leicestershire Excellence in Tourism award for “Best Large Visitor Attraction 2011”. The first Twycross Zoo Christmas pantomime held in Himalaya was a tremendous success and 2011 also saw the introduction of Twycross Zoo to the high street with the launch of the first off-site stand at the Leicester Highcross Shopping Centre. Over the festive Christmas period, this increased awareness of the Zoo, its invaluable work and the benefits of membership to the organisation. The Twycross Zoo website has been restructured and improved and now offers the visitors the ability to purchase Zoo admission tickets on-line. The Programme for Cultural Change, with particular reference to performance management systems, based on behavioural competencies and SMART objectives, has had a positive impact on the organisation. It began by assessing current staffing and morale levels and then extensive training and on-going staff communication systems were established across the organisation. The establishment of the Twycross Zoo “Knowledge Hub” in 2011 enables the proactive managing of the organisational knowledge and the defining of performance measures at an organisational level through the effective facilitation of project delivery, funding and research. The Conservation Welfare Fund is administered via the Knowledge Hub and other key applications of the Knowledge Hub include the concept planning for new developments, such as the Oil-Palm Plantation exhibit and the “Gateway to the Wetlands” exhibit. The Knowledge Hub team have also led a series of discussions on the strategic direction of the organisation and many thanks are extended to Russell Prior, Head of Philanthropy at HSBC Global, who kindly hosted our Mastermind workshop this year in London, where the focus was on developing our successful role in conservation, welfare and research.
Our existing partnerships have continued to develop and flourish. I am proud to announce that in 2011, as a Clinical Associate of the Nottingham University School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, we welcomed our first veterinary undergraduates. This partnership is fundamental in educating the veterinary students about the importance of animal
CEO’s Report
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During 2011 Twycross Zoo won the the Leicestershire Promotions “Best Large Visitor Attraction 2011”“The Zoo performed well commercially in 2011, with over half a million visitors. This record number reflects the growing success of recent developments and their marketing. A number of new business support tools have been introduced, such as the Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) system allowing on-line ticketing and events booking. Such investments in our technology infrastructure have had a very gratifying impact on our Gift Aid donations.
Himalaya, as a regional visitor attraction, has continued to shine, not only through pioneering developments in animal welfare and enclosure design, but also by functioning as a high-class conference venue, whilst simultaneously helping to reduce our environmental footprint. In 2011, the first civil wedding ceremony was held at Twycross Zoo in Himalaya, along with several other major events, including the BIAZA ACE conference and the WildTech consortium meeting. In June 2011, two snow leopard cubs were born to the pair of snow leopards that only arrived at the Zoo in May 2010 as part of the international breeding programme. The Art Gallery, which was launched in May 2011, is already beginning to make a noticeable contribution.
Adjacent to Himalaya, there is a large waterways project area, which consists of a series of 19 ponds and reed beds that are used to purify and recycle a proportion of the waste water generated on site. The aim of “Gateway to the Wetlands” is to highlight to visitors the critical function performed by these waterways or wetland areas in removing contaminants from freshwater and to provide a unique habitat that can sustain a diverse range of native flora and fauna. In the Midlands area, wetlands are coming under increased pressure from urban encroachment, so the development and continued maintenance of our wetland area is vital to help support local biodiversity. Emphasising the importance of conserving our natural habitats and explaining the significance of wetland areas are fundamental to the preservation of native biodiversity. The existing wetlands area is being sympathetically developed to enable visitor access and orientation. It will open to visitors at Easter 2012.
The Oil-Palm Plantation exhibit is located adjacent to the Bornean orang-utan enclosure and will open early in 2012. The devastation caused by deforestation in Borneo and the threat to local orang-utan populations are demonstrated to visitors, portraying a strong conservation message.
CEO’s Report
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welfare and conservation; reciprocal benefits are gained through the analysis of diet regimes, enclosure design and environmental enrichment. A significant accomplishment of 2011 was the success of the veterinary team and the keepers in intensively nursing the baby gorilla, Okanda, when he became very ill. He made an extremely good recovery with the help of his dedicated team of carers and has since made incredible progress. Once he is in stable health, he will be taken to Germany to join another young gorilla to enable him to grow up in the companionship of his own species. His plight gained the attention of media from around the world and as a result, the Zoo received many messages of hope and support. Knowledge in science continues to be a focus of our research. WildTech is a four year EU funded (FP7) project that commenced in July 2009, with the aim of developing novel technologies for the surveillance of emerging and re-emerging wildlife diseases. Wildlife disease surveillance is crucial to safe-guarding biodiversity and reducing the impact of wildlife disease. The project is being led by the University of Nottingham and Twycross Zoo is one of the 13 partners involved. It is supported by the European Commission under the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology Theme of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, grant agreement no. 222633. Through the innovative electronic encyclopaedia and library, Wildpro, Twycross Zoo provides information on the health and management of captive and free-ranging wild animals and emerging infectious diseases. The Zoo’s role in the WildTech project is to collate information on a set number of pathogens and diseases, so that it can be made readily available to wildlife professionals worldwide via Wildpro. Two WildTech consortium meetings are held each year, and, in April 2011, Twycross Zoo hosted its first WildTech consortium meeting in Windows on the Wild within Himalaya, gathering together an extensive worldwide network of wildlife health professionals. The involvement of Twycross Zoo in this important project illustrates the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and the preservation of native biodiversity, commitments which are also reinforced through the Zoo’s active annual contributions to worldwide conservation projects through the Conservation Welfare Fund. In May 2011, Wildpro was made open access worldwide,
ensuring that this valuable information resource was freely available to all via the Internet (www.wildlifeinformation.org). The Open Access launch of Wildpro was the culmination of over 15 years of hard work and dedication to this revolutionary venture. The launch fulfilled the long-term vision of the Wildpro project in “making high-quality information about wildlife health and management readily available to professionals worldwide”, in addition to providing valuable educational information for students. Wildpro is a key information resource base for the continued improvement of animal husbandry and welfare within zoos across the world. In November 2011, Wildpro also launched its new “Ferrets: Health and Management” volume, which gives information regarding the natural history and husbandry needs and requirements of ferrets, in addition to information about the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of their diseases. This volume was produced in response to research carried out by colleges and universities across the UK specialising in animal welfare courses, which identified a clear need for the resource. It also supports our work within the Zoo at “Pets at Twycross” where visitors are encouraged to learn how to care for pets and have the opportunity to handle and touch pet animals. We are looking forward to progressing with our exciting developments and planning for new exhibits in 2012, in addition to expanding our conservation and welfare work. I am very proud of our achievements and successes this year, which would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication shown by all Zoo staff, volunteers, supporters, trustees and advisors. My grateful thanks go to you all. Suzanne I Boardman BVMS MRCVSChief Executive Officer
Suzanne Boardman opening the 2011 BIAZA ACE conference at Twycross
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The 2011 financial year has been another exciting period for the Zoo, with a number of projects undertaken to structure the organisation so that it is well positioned to meet the challenges of the future while continuing to develop and enhance the delivery of its charitable objectives.
The year saw us achieve our objective of welcoming over half a million visitors to the Zoo, with the final figure being 506,244. Taking into consideration the economic uncertainty and the pressures on household expenditure, coupled with the strong competition provided by other regional leisure attractions, the Zoo is proud that it managed to increase the number of visitors against those of 2010, despite the inclement weather experienced on both Whit and August Bank Holidays, the Zoo’s two most important trading days.
The year was also the first full year of operation within Himalaya. New income streams have been developed as the organisation attempts to maximise its commercial potential. Himalaya hosted its first wedding in 2011, whilst bookings for events held within the Windows on the Wild conference room and exhibit have doubled throughout the year, a trend expected to continue as we enter its growth phase. May 2011 also saw the opening of the Twycross Gallery within Himalaya, which showcases and sells a variety of high-quality art from a range of talented artists. The Zoo has also invested heavily in the products being sold in the Gift Shop and Cafe Tibet. With an emphasis on quality and locally-sourced products, the average spend per head has continued to increase year on year. Himalaya has provided not only a venue that enhances the visitor experience, but also provides the Zoo with a separate business unit that will enhance future revenues.
The Zoo’s financial performance was again healthy making a surplus before depreciation of £130k. We have been able to keep a tight handle on operational expenditure, while moving to maximise income streams in operations within Himalaya. Zoo Park (Twycross) Limited has again performed strongly, with the Retail and Catering sections being enhanced by the income from the Events department and the Gallery and, for the first time, an off-site stand was opened for the Christmas period. Zoo Park made a net surplus of £350k which will be Gift Aided to the Charity.
The success of the investments being made in the Zoo are epitomised by the investment in IT infrastructure. The introduction of the Electronic Point of Sale system and web
sales in April 2011 has seen Gift Aid income increase by £200k. This is a direct result of increasing the speed and convenience of collecting gift aid information electronically. The finance department has also played a key role in the training of Guest Services staff in Gift Aid, to enhance their knowledge and, in turn, increase the take up of this valuable income stream.
With the budget designed to support the long-term strategic aims, a project budget book was developed and integrated into the operational budget, providing clarity on both the financial impact of future projects and capacity within the organisation to deliver on future projects. This will enable the Zoo to better manage its long-term financial requirements.
During the year we have repaid £200k of the principal sum on the total loan liabilities with HSBC. An additional finance facility of £750k with Lombard was drawn down in 2011, with £200k of this principal sum also being repaid over the year. The financing currently being undertaken by the Zoo is a result of the excellent relations with both financial institutions. Supporting this, the Zoo gratefully received an additional £200k as a donation from HSBC.
It has been very much a year of long-term strategic planning and development and I look forward to supporting the Zoo in 2012.
Thomas Owen MA FCCAFinancial Controller
Financial Report
It has been a year of long term strategic planning and development. “
8-spined Leafcutter Ant (Acromyrmex octospinosus)
Finance Report
UnrestrictedFunds
RestrictedFunds
Endowment Funds
Total 2011
Total 2010
INCOMING RESOURCES
INCOMING RESOURCES FROM GENERATED FUNDS £ £ £ £ £
Voluntary income: Donations & Gifts 315,870 268,645 - 584,515 634,634
Activities for generating funds: Retail and Catering
Activities for generating funds: Investment Income
2,857,941
453
-
-
-
-
2,857,941
453
2,601,964
644
INCOMING RESOURCES FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
Animal, Education & Conservation Welfare 5,739,627 - - 5,739,627 5,156,529
OTHER
VAT Refund
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 8,913,891 268,645 - 9,182,536 8,393,771
RESOURCES EXPENDED COSTS OF GENERATING FUNDS
Retail and Catering 2,404,658 - - 2,404,658 1,981,380
CHARITABLE ACTIVITY
Animal, Education & Conservation Welfare 7,008,190 420,796 - 7,428,986 7,006,306
GOVERNANCE COSTS 124,350 - - 124,350 73,565
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED
NET INCOMING RESOURCES
9,537,198
(623,307)
420,796
(152,152)
-
-
9,957,994
(775,458)
9,061,251
(667,480)
OTHER RECOGNISED GAINS AND LOSSES
Change in Market Value of listed investments (80) - - (80) 861
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (623,387) (152,151) - (775,538) (666,691)
Fund balances brought forward at 1st January 2011 15,726,736 3,153,773 100,000 18,980,509 19,647,128
Fund balances brought forward at 31st December 2011 15,103,349 3,001,622 100,000 18,204,971 18,980,509
Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society Limited (by guarantee) CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31st December 2011
Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)
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Sales in April 2011 have seen Gift Aid incomeincrease by £200k.“
Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society Limited (by guarantee) CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31st December 2011
2011 2010
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets
Investments
£
20,500,771
7,313
£
21,236,376
7,393
CURRENT ASSETS
Stocks
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
211,572
514,047
110,689
135,360
179,769
185,895
836,308 501,024
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year (2,781,504) (1,167,390)
NET CURRENT ASSETS (1,945,196) (666,366)
TOTAL ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES 18,562,888 20,577,403
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due after more than one year
(357,917) (1,596,894)
FUNDS
Endowment Fund 100,000 100,000
Restricted Funds 3,001,622 3,153,773
Unrestricted Funds: Designated 1,401,832 1,405,008
Unrestricted Funds: Other 13,701,517 14,321,728
18,204,971 18,980,509
Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society Limited (by guarantee) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET For the year ended 31st December 2011
The above has been extracted from the Statutory Accounts of Twycross Zoo for the year ended 31st December 2011. A full set is available, upon application, from the Company Secretary.
Increase/Decrease2011 2010* Difference Percentage
Parties 77,964 89,164 (11,200) (13%)
Adults 215,180 221,548 (6,368) (3%)
Children 3-16 93,516 94,592 (1,076) (1%)
Children U3 50,985 37,191 13,794 37%
Senior
Citizens 30,658 31,862 (1,204) (4%)
Members 19,999 5,076 14,923 294%
Vouchers 17,942 20,114 (2,172) (11%)
Total Visitors 506,244 499,547 6,697 1%
Number of Visitors
* 2010 Restated
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
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A key driver throughout the department during the year was to continue to be a leader in all aspects of animal management and welfare. Much emphasis was put on softening the appearance of the majority of the animal enclosures to provide a more naturalistic and enriching environment for animals and visitors alike, including the use of forest bark as the substrate of choice and the theme continuing into visitor areas. There has also been a major review of the Animal Collection Plan to strengthen further our commitment to, and support of, species that are important to conservation. MammalsPrimates: Our vital contribution to the breeding of great apes continued with the birth of a female Bornean orang-utan Molly early in the year. The wild population of this endangered species continues to decrease in the face of major threats, thus every offspring born helps to secure the future for this species. Our newly-formed pair of gorillas, Oumbie and Ozala, gave birth to their first offspring in April. Okanda is the first offspring to be sired by Oumbie since his arrival from Port Lympne. Following his healthy start in life the skills of our keepers came to the fore when they observed slight changes in Okanda’s demeanour and alerted the Veterinary and Curatorial teams. Investigations showed that Okanda’s health was deteriorating and early intervention allowed us to secure his survival following intensive treatment. Upon his recovery, and in consultation with the EEP, plans were being made towards the end of the year to transfer him to the Ape Nursery at Stuttgart Zoo early in 2012. Our continued success in breeding bonobos has led us to initiate a surrogacy-training programme with several of the females. It is hoped that in the future this will assist us in the conspecific social rearing of any rejected infants, thereby reducing the need to employ traditional hand-rearing techniques.
One of the major actions of the year was to begin moving chimpanzees out of their older accommodation, and into larger social groups. Chimpanzees naturally live in large groups, with complex social dynamics, so the moves offer the chimpanzees more opportunities to display natural social behaviours. These moves will continue into 2012 and will have a significant positive impact on the welfare of our chimpanzees.
As the World Primate Centre we have seen some important monkey births during 2012, beginning with two male Francois langurs, born to 2 different females. The second of these infants had to be hand-reared, but, following an intensive and sensitive routine, he was successfully reintroduced to his natal group. Our new de Brazza monkeys also produced offspring with the first birth, to a first-time mother, being unsuccessful, but she went on to have a successful second birth towards the end of the year, rearing the offspring herself without the need for further support. This is the first successful birth of this species at Twycross since 1981! One of the most significant primate births of 2011 was that of a female variegated spider monkey. This is the first birth of this critically endangered species at Twycross for a number of years, so it is hoped that this is now the start of a social group which will go on to produce more offspring. We continued our participation in a large number of coordinated breeding programmes and this saw two of our bonobos, Jasongo and Bokela, leave Twycross for Leipzig Zoo. One of our male white-cheeked gibbons went to Paradise Wildlife Park, a male agile gibbon went to Besancon and a female crowned lemur to Zoo de Champrepus, both in France. All of these transfers put the animals concerned into potential breeding situations with new partners from other zoos. We also saw the welcome return of l’Hoest monkeys to the zoo, when we became a participant in the l’Hoest monkey European Endangered Species programme, having not held this species for a number of years. In recent years, this programme has seen a significant growth in the European population and it is hoped that Twycross Zoo can add further to that growth in the future. Due to our success in keeping primates, a number of animals in the zoo are founders from the early years of the Zoo. Living into old age brings with it various age-related health problems and we had some significant losses of older animals this year, including the female western lowland gorilla Bongo, three female chimps, with the oldest being almost 40, and a male brown woolly monkey.
Carnivores: Following the arrival of our young pair of snow leopards in 2010 we were delighted with the successful birth and rearing of twin cubs (a male and a female) early in the year. Although being partly hand-raised the female ‘Irma’ proved to be a perfect mother to the cubs and they have been a huge delight to the visitors, who have an uninterrupted
Animal Report
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We were delighted with the successful birth and rearing of two snow leopard cubs.“view of the large naturalistic enclosure from the adjacent restaurant. With the adult male arriving from Tokyo Ueno Zoo, Japan, the cubs are particularly important genetically and thus a valuable contribution to the European population of this endangered species. Our remaining aardwolf died during the year at 19 years of age, representing one of the oldest living individuals in captivity. A female bat-eared fox was transferred to Antwerp Zoo and several meerkats went to West Midland Safari Park, Brno in the Czech Republic and Debrecen, Hungary. Our pair of meerkats have been particularly prolific in recent years and, in conjunction with the veterinary department, a contraceptive programme was planned, so as to not breed more animals than we can comfortably house or transfer to other collections. Elephants: Without doubt, the event that overshadowed all others on the elephant section during the year was the sudden and unexpected death of the bull calf ‘Ganesh Vijay’. Showing classic symptoms of elephant herpesvirus, he died within a typically short timeframe (see Veterinary Report). On a brighter note, the pregnancy of ‘Tara’ continued uneventfully, with ongoing planning continuing through the latter months of the year in preparation for the birth in February/March 2012. The result of artificial insemination, the semen donor was the bull ‘Raja’ at Woburn Safari Park, which illustrates perfectly the cooperation between zoos in the interests of conservation breeding. Ungulates: Our breeding pair of Michie’s tufted deer continued to ensure growth of the captive population of this endearing species with, for the second year, a female fawn being born. This follows previous births of several male offspring and helps to balance the overall sex ratio throughout Europe. As such, the female that was born in 2010 was transferred to Wroclaw Zoo, Poland to help establish a new pair there. A male vicuña was transferred to Edinburgh Zoo. With animal welfare and joint cooperation being fundamental to all that we do, we made the decision to castrate our male giraffe ‘Justin’, following discussions with the programme coordinator and concentrate on managing a small non-breeding herd of sub-specific hybrid animals. This is in no small part due to acknowledgment that our enclosure is no longer suitable for maintaining a large breeding herd of
giraffe, though by providing space for hybrid animals we can still play an important role in the programme’s larger objective of maintaining pure subspecies. Following a successful anaesthetic and operation earlier in the year, we duly welcomed a second female ‘Harriet’ from Africa Alive! and although the three giraffe quickly settled as a herd, ‘Justin’ unfortunately died suddenly during the night towards the end of the year; the two females continue to do well.
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
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BirdsIt has been a productive year in the bird department, with a number of hatchings being recorded. As usual, chicks of several gallinaceous species were reared, including crested wood partridge, Temminck’s tragopan and grey peacock pheasant. Two demoiselle cranes were also reared, as was a Humboldt’s penguin chick, a striated caracara and several clutches of western cattle egret.
Following last year’s success with our Southern lapwings, the adult pair surpassed themselves this year with two clutches of chicks being reared. Two sunbittern chicks from two clutches were also reared in the Tropical House. Having kept yellow-shouldered Amazon parrots for a number of years, we have more recently made changes to the pairings that we hold, to stimulate breeding activity; as such we were rewarded during the year with our first chick, a female, being hatched and reared. Red-legged seriema was a new species joining the collection, with a female arriving from Blackbrook Zoo; a male will be arriving from Vienna to pair with her early in 2012. To make additional new pairings, other birds received during the year included a new male red-crested touraco from Paignton Zoo, three pied imperial pigeon and a pair of little pied cormorant from Burgers’ Zoo, The Netherlands. A male tawny frogmouth also arrived from Belfast Zoo and, with attempted breeding activity during the year, signs are looking promising that we will see chicks being reared next year. The male of a sibling pair of white-naped cranes was exchanged with Leeuwarden Zoo to give us an unrelated pairing and we also exchanged a female military macaw for a male bird with Leeds Castle to make a second pairing. A number of birds left Twycross during the year, with Wroclaw Zoo, Poland receiving a female tawny frogmouth and two female European rollers. A trio of Chilean lapwings and a small flock of western cattle egrets went to the Welsh Mountain Zoo and two pairs of yellow-shouldered amazon parrots were returned to Linton Zoo. As one of only a handful of collections breeding sunbittern, we were able to send a male that was hatched in 2011 to Chester Zoo to make a new pairing there. In addition to the European rollers that went to Wroclaw, other species that are no longer represented in the collection
include thick-billed parrots that went to Edinburgh Zoo in an attempt to increase the breeding potential of this species. A male raven also left for Colchester Zoo to pair with a lone female there. Due to some issues with the netting of the wader aviary adjoining Himalaya, pied avocet, redshank and Inca terns temporarily left the collection and demoiselle and grey crowned cranes were re-housed there until this has been resolved. Charlotte MacdonaldCurator, Living Collections Neil DormanCurator, Conservation Programmes and Planning
Animal Report
Western Cattle Egret (Bulbulcus ibis ibis)
Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)
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Animal Collection
MAMMALS Common Name
Scientific Name Red List Status
DIPROTODONTIAGround Cuscus Phalanger gymnotis Least Concern
Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus Least Concern
PROBOSCIDEAAsian Elephant Elephas maximus Endangered
PILOSALinné's Two-toed Sloth Choloepus didactylus Least Concern
PRIMATESCrowned Lemur Eulemur coronatus Vulnerable
Red-bellied Lemur Eulemur rubriventer Vulnerable
Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta Near Threatened
Red Ruffed Lemur Varecia rubra Endangered
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur Varecia variegata Critically Endangered
Silvery Marmoset Callithrix argentata Least Concern
White-fronted Marmoset Callithrix geoffroyi Least Concern
Common Marmoset Callithrix jacchus Least Concern
Black-eared Marmoset Callithrix penicillata Least Concern
Pygmy Marmoset Callithrix pygmaea Least Concern
Golden-headed Tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas Endangered
Golden Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia Endangered
Emperor Tamarin Saguinus imperator Least Concern
Red-handed Tamarin Saguinus midas Least Concern
Coppery Titi Callicebus cupreus Least Concern
White-faced Saki Pithecia pithecia Least Concern
Black-and-gold Howler Monkey Alouatta caraya Least Concern
Spider Monkey Ateles X (hybrid) Data deficient/not evaluated
Colombian Black Spider Monkey Ateles fusciceps rufiventris Critically Endangered
Brown Spider Monkey Ateles hybridus Critically Endangered
Red-faced Spider Monkey Ateles paniscus Vulnerable
Brown Woolly Monkey Lagothrix lagotricha Vulnerable
Allen's Swamp Monkey Allenopithecus nigroviridis Least Concern
Diana Monkey Cercopithecus diana diana Vulnerable
Roloway Monkey Cercopithecus diana roloway Endangered
Hamlyn's Guenon Cercopithecus hamlyni Vulnerable
L'Hoest's Monkey Cercopithecus lhoesti Vulnerable
Lowe's Guenon Cercopithecus lowei Least Concern
de Brazza's Monkey Cercopithecus neglectus Least Concern
Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey Cercopithecus petaurista Least Concern
Crowned Guenon Cercopithecus pogonias Least Concern
Black-and-white Colobus Colobus guereza Least Concern
Javan Langur Trachypithecus auratus auratus Vulnerable
Francois' Langur Trachypithecus francoisi Endangered
Dusky Langur Trachypithecus obscurus Near Threatened
Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis Endangered
Lar Gibbon Hylobates lar Endangered
Grey Gibbon Hylobates muelleri Endangered
Pileated Gibbon Hylobates pileatus Endangered
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus leucogenys Critically Endangered
Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus Critically Endangered
Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla Critically Endangered
Bonobo Pan paniscus Endangered
Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (racial hybrid) Endangered
Long-haired Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii Endangered
Western Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes verus Endangered
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AnimalCollection
BIRDS Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status
RHEIFORMES Darwin's Rhea Pterocnemia pennata pennata Data deficient/not evaluated
GALLIFORMES Rufous-vented Chachalaca Ortalis ruficauda Least Concern
Guineafowl Numida meleagris Domestic Blue Quail Coturnix chinensis Least Concern
Crested Wood-partridge Rollulus rouloul Near Threatened
Mountain Bamboo-partridge Bambusicola fytchii Least Concern
Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra Near Threatened Temminck's Tragopan Tragopan temminckii Least Concern
Domestic Chicken Gallus gallus Domestic
Silver Pheasant Lophura nycthemera Least Concern
Animal Collection
MAMMALS Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status Bornean Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus Endangered
RODENTIA Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus Least Concern
(Domestic) Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Domestic
Long-tailed Chinchilla Chinchilla lanigera Critically Endangered
(Domestic) Guinea-pig Cavia porcellus Domestic
Patagonian Mara Dolichotis patagonum Near Threatened
Capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris Least Concern
Degu Octodon degus Least Concern
LAGOMORPHA Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Domestic
CHIROPTERA Seba's Short-tailed Bat Carollia perspicillata Least Concern
CARNIVORA Wild Cat Felis silvestris Least Concern
Amur Leopard Panthera pardus orientalis Critically Endangered
Snow Leopard Panthera uncia Endangered
Meerkat Suricata suricatta Least Concern
Striped Hyaena Hyaena hyaena Near Threatened
Aardwolf Proteles cristata Least Concern
Dhole Cuon alpinus Endangered
Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis Least Concern
South American Sealion Otaria flavescens Least Concern
Oriental Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea Vulnerable
Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula Least Concern
Ferret Mustela putorius furo Domestic
PERISSODACTYLA Donkey Equus asinus Domestic
Malayan Tapir Tapirus indicus Endangered
Lowland Tapir Tapirus terrestris Vulnerable
ARTIODACTYLA Domestic Bactrian Camel Camelus bactrianus Critically Endangered
Alpaca Vicugna pacos Data deficient/not evaluated
Vicuña Vicugna vicugna Least Concern
Reindeer Rangifer tarandus Least Concern
Michie's Tufted Deer Elaphodus cephalophus michianus Near Threatened
Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Least Concern
Goat Capra hircus hircus Domestic
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Animal Collection
BIRDS Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status Reeve's Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii Vulnerable
Grey Peacock-pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum Least Concern
ANSERIFORMES Madagascar Teal Anas bernieri Endangered
Chestnut Teal Anas castanea Least Concern
Red Shoveler Anas platalea Least Concern
Common Pochard Aythya ferina Least Concern
Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Least Concern
Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys Least Concern
SPHENISCIFORMES Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti Vulnerable
PHOENICOPTERIFORMES Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis Near Threatened
CICONIIFORMES European White Stork Ciconia ciconia ciconia Least Concern
Black Stork Ciconia nigra Least Concern
Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber Least Concern
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Least Concern
Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi Least Concern
Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita Critically Endangered
Little Egret Egretta garzetta Least Concern
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Least Concern
Western Cattle Egret Bulbulcus ibis ibis Least Concern
Striated Heron Butorides striata Least Concern
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Least Concern
PELICANIFORMES Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens Least Concern
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos Least Concern
FALCONIFORMES Striated Caracara Phalcoboenus australis Near Threatened
GRUIFORMES Red-legged Seriema Cariama cristata Least Concern
Sunbittern Eurypyga helias Least Concern
Grey Crowned-crane Balearica regulorum Vulnerable
White-naped Crane Grus vipio Vulnerable
Manchurian Crane Grus japonensis Endangered
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo Least Concern
CHARADRIIFORMES Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Least Concern
Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Least Concern
Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis Least Concern
Redshank Tringa totanus Least Concern
Inca Tern Larosterna inca Near Threatened
COLUMBIFORMES Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea Least Concern
Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea Least Concern
Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor Least Concern
Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata Least Concern
Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis Least Concern
Black-winged Ground Dove Metriopelia melanoptera Least Concern
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AMPHIBIANS Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status ANURA Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates auratus Least Concern
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad Bombina orientalis Least Concern
White's Tree Frog Litoria caerulea Least Concern
Animal Collection
BIRDS Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status
PSITTACIFORMES Bourke's Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii Least Concern
Elegant Parrot Neophema elegans Least Concern
Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella Least Concern
Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala Least Concern
Derbyan Parakeet Psittacula derbiana Near Threatened
Nyasa Lovebird Agapornis lilianae Near Threatened
Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis Vulnerable
Peach-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis Least Concern
Vasa Parrot Coracopsis vasa Least Concern
Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna Least Concern
Red-and-green Macaw Ara chloroptera Least Concern
Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis Critically Endangered
Military Macaw Ara militaris Vulnerable
Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys Endangered
Thick-billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha Endangered
Orange-winged Amazon Amazona amazonica Least Concern
Yellow-naped Amazon Amazona auropalliata Least Concern
Yellow-shouldered Amazon Amazona barbadensis Vulnerable
CUCULIFORMES Red-crested Turaco Tauraco erythrolophus Least Concern
STRIGIFORMES Southern Boobook Ninox boobook Least Concern
White-faced Scops Owl Ptilopsis leucotis Least Concern
Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata Least Concern
Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa Least Concern
Ural Owl Strix uralensis Least Concern
CAPRIMULGIFORMES Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides Least Concern
CORACIIFORMES European Roller Coracias garrulus Near Threatened
BUCEROTIFORMES African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus Least Concern
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Bycanistes brevis Least Concern
Northern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus Least Concern
PASSERIFORMES Pied Crow Corvus albus Least Concern
Common Raven Corvus corax Least Concern
Bali Starling Leucopsar rothschildi Critically Endangered
Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae Endangered
Bengalese/society Finch Lonchura 'domestica' Domestic
Java Sparrow Padda oryzivora Vulnerable
Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda Least Concern
Australian Zebra Finch Taeniopygia castanotis Least Concern
Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi Critically Endangered
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INVERTEBRATES Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status
GASTROPODA West African Land-snail Archachatina marginata Data deficient/not evaluated
ARACHNIDA
Emperor Scorpion Pandinus imperator Data deficient/not evaluated
Red-kneed Tarantula Brachypelma smithi Near Threatened
Chilean Rose Tarantula Grammostola rosea Data deficient/not evaluated
INSECTA
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa Data deficient/not evaluated
Thorny Walking-stick Trachyaretaon brueckneri Data deficient/not evaluated
8-spined Leafcutter Ant Acromyrmex octospinosus Data deficient/not evaluated
FISH Common Name
Scientific Name Red List Status
CYPRINIFORMES Goldfish Carassius auratus Domestic
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio Domestic
Golden Ide Leuciscus idus Domestic
PERCIFORMES Freshwater Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare Data deficient/not evaluated
REPTILES Common Name Scientific Name Red List Status CHELONIA
European Pond Turtle Emys orbicularis Near Threatened
Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans Least Concern
Aldabra Tortoise Geochelone gigantea Vulnerable
Red-footed Tortoise Chelonoidis carbonaria Data deficient/not evaluated
African Spurred Tortoise Centrochelys sulcata Vulnerable
Bell's Hingeback Tortoise Kinixys belliana Data deficient/not evaluated
Pancake Tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Vulnerable
Leopard Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis Data deficient/not evaluated
Hermann's Tortoise Testudo hermanni Near Threatened
Central Asian Tortoise Testudo horsfieldii Vulnerable
SAURIA
Eastern Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata Least Concern
Inland Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps Data deficient/not evaluated
Green Iguana Iguana iguana Data deficient/not evaluated
Leopard Gecko Eublepharis macularius Data deficient/not evaluated
Glass Lizard Pseudopus apodus Data deficient/not evaluated
White-throated Monitor Varanus albigularis ionidesi Data deficient/not evaluated
SERPENTES Boa Constrictor Boa constrictor Data deficient/not evaluated
Baird's Ratsnake Elaphe bairdi Data deficient/not evaluated
Cornsnake/red Ratsnake Elaphe guttata guttata Data deficient/not evaluated
Animal Collection
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16
Veterinary Report
Since September 2011, the veterinary team has been led by Sarah Chapman, Head of Veterinary Services, who joined the team after her predecessor, Lesa Longley, left to pursue a year-long stay in Japan. Sarah has previously worked at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park and Woburn Safari Park and has a Masters in Wild Animal Health and a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Zoo Medicine. Sarah is the veterinary advisor for the Elephant Working Group and the Bongo Taxon Advisory Group and is working towards her Zoo Medicine Diploma (Mammals). A big change within the department is that we now have two full-time veterinary nurses. Bridget Fry was joined by Sophie Barnes as a permanent member of the team in November 2011. Sophie had been providing locum cover for nursing duties whilst Bridget assisted with the completion of the Wildpro Ferret volume. Following the completion of this volume, Bridget has now returned to clinical duties. The nursing rota has since been constructed to provide seven-day nursing cover for our animal collection, which will further enhance the level of care for the animals. The nurses will also join our firearms team, thereby increasing the number of trained staff available for this essential cover. The veterinary nurses are responsible for implementing preventative health strategies and training keepers in topics such as biosecurity. Training with regards to biosecurity and zoonoses has also involved the maintenance team. The Veterinary Department works closely with Charlotte Macdonald and Neil Dorman in relation to animal-planning issues, for example, imports, exports and contraception. The Veterinary Department also manages escape drills, organises firearms training and is proactive in team development. Resulting from the nature of her work as Head of Veterinary Services, Sarah has been cited in various press articles and has undertaken TV and Radio interviews regarding high-profile clinical cases this year. The veterinary team also represent Twycross Zoo at various veterinary conferences within the UK and abroad.
The department is continuing the relationship with medical cardiologists from the University of Wales, Cardiff, who assist Twycross Zoo with the cardiac assessment of our animals. This has been expanded from great apes to other primate species. The heart scans are part of the Great Ape Heart Project, an international effort to progress our understanding of heart disease in these special animals. We also to continue to work with other outside specialists, such as clinicians from Nottingham Veterinary School and Dr Peter Kertesz (ZOODENT International). Recent dental
cases include our breeding male Vicuña, which required root-filling of his incisors, and two male black-and-white colobus that required root-filling of canine tooth defects. We continue to work with the International Zoo Veterinary Group and Scarsdale Veterinary Group, who both assist with out-of-hours veterinary cover for the zoo and clinical visits as necessary. We are very pleased to have received a kind donation of a number of flexible endoscopes from Hinckley General Hospital, which will allow us to perform a full range of diagnostics on our patients and gain further vital information for the treatment of clincal cases.
Our elephant calf, Ganesh Vijay, died after receiving intensive round-the-clock care for elephant herpesvirus. This led to a collaboration with the School of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nottingham to further investigate this disease. The team, including Sharon Redrobe, Director of Life Sciences and Clinical Associate Professor, has secured a grant with Dr Rachel Tarlington, University of Nottingham, to learn more about the disease using quantitative as well as qualititative PCRs for example. The adults are trained to give trunk wash samples every week so that we can monitor the herpesvirus. We are also in the process of working on the birthing plan and calf-management plan for Tara, who is due to give birth in spring 2012; Tonzi and Mimbu have acted as blood donors to enable us to store plasma for the new-born calf, in case of emergency. Artificial insemination is being discussed for the future development of our elephant herd.
We have been busy performing health checks on various animals as they move between houses and also prior to external transfer from the collection, which links in with
Veterinary team scanning Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
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The chimps get a full heart scan during their veterinary checks.“our work with the cardiologists and has enabled the early diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in various ape and monkey species. Our chimpanzees have benefited from this in particular and have had full health checks during their moves into new groups within the zoo.
Okanda, the baby gorilla, was a huge challenge for our team. When Okanda became very ill, he spent 11 days with Sarah receiving intensive veterinary care before being returned to a team of keepers lead by John Buchan. We are very pleased with Okanda’s progress and proud of the hard work by the whole zoo team, which enabled this animal to survive. The veterinary team continues to work with Kris Hern regarding animal training and the needs of the animals when receiving treatment. Notable training achievements include the perfection of the technique of injecting into the back of the hand that was used with Danny and Tommy, two chimpanzees, for anaesthesia purposes, to allow their stress-free movement to a new enclosure. This technique was used with the bonobos, which enabled swift access to a newborn bonobo baby that required vital care in the first hours of life. Training of our animals allows close inspection and weighing of individuals, so that we can monitor their health and treat accordingly.
Yinx, the Francois’ langur, is being closely moni tored after his recovery from medical issues and following his hand-rearing and subsequent reintroduction into the family group. This is a huge success for the zoo as Francois’ langurs are a critically endangered species and this is the first baby for this particular mother.
Final-year veterinary students, from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, have continued their clinical rotations on a fortnightly basis and enjoy the opportunity to learn about both exotic and wild animal cases. We teach over 100 students each year. The students are involved in clinical work, animal behavioural observations and projects, which include dietary analysis, case reviews and husbandry investigations. Their involvement in the zoo has helped us make improvements to enclosures and the students also work closely with the animal-keeping staff to learn about the animals in our collection. In addition, we have qualified veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses ‘seeing practice’ with us on a regular basis; they come to learn about managing exotic cases and what equipment is necessary to carry out appropriate clinical
work in veterinary practice.
Sad losses include Bongo, the female gorilla, who was 46 years old and had severe dental disease. Avian malaria was confirmed as the cause of death in one Humboldt penguin found dead, necessitating the treatment of the whole penguin group as a preventative measure. No further cases of avian malaria in this penguin group have since occurred. A young pileated gibbon suffered a severely fractured forelimb and, as a result, was euthanased. This event initiated a review of the pileated gibbon family tree and diet to look for a possible link with previous bone abnormalities seen in this species. Also, two woolly monkeys succumbed to heart disease, a condition which is unfortunately very common in this species. The veterinary team is working hard to health check all our animals, so that we can detect any sub-clinical disease and treat appropriately. This preventative regime plays an integral part in ensuring that all of the animals at the Zoo receive the necessary high standard of clinical care. Management of chronic clinical cases and elderly animals is a high priority, especially due to the high numbers of older primates in the collection. The veterinary team strives to give the animals the best care possible and continues to review regularly the treatment of animals to ensure that the highest level of animal welfare is achieved.
Sarah Chapman BVM&S MSc CertZooMed MRCVSHead of Veterinary Services
Hernia operation on Okanda, Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
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Conservation Welfare Fund Report
Twycross Zoo’s Conservation Welfare Fund (CWF) has again contributed to a number of field projects in 2011. Through the fund, we aim to provide financial aid to projects that have a direct contribution to species conservation or projects that work to increase animal welfare. These projects fall into three different groups – those which we fund through the ‘Primate Vision’ initiative, such as those which fall under ‘Bonobo!’; those which we fund through our small grants programme, which can be for any worthy cause related to the conservation and welfare of wild animal species; and those that are funded by ‘pledge’ through our inclusion within a particular breeding programme for a specific collection species or membership to a certain organisation. We must make special mention that two of our ‘Five Primates Vision’ projects, i.e. Awely Greencaps and Fauna & Flora’s Cao Vit Gibbon Conservation Programme, have received awards totalling €45,000 from the EAZA Ape Campaign, which ran until September. This money has enabled Awely to set up a veterinary infrastructure for their ‘self-sustainability’ livestock husbandry programme, thereby decreasing the region’s former hunters’ dependency on bushmeat, which included bonobo. In the case of FFI, the money has facilitated strengthening links with the local people, both in terms of interventions within the local communities and supporting their livelihoods, which together help to reduce habitat degradation, but it is also enabling the project to expand its detailed ecological monitoring efforts in China and further develop the collaboration between colleagues in Vietnam and southern China. In May of 2011, Susie Boardman, CEO of Twycross Zoo, and Neil Dorman, Curator, Conservation Programmes and Planning, visited two of our overseas projects, namely the Cao Vit Gibbon Conservation Programme in Vietnam and the Siberut Conservation Project in Indonesia, exploring the needs of the projects and conducting due diligence on each. Primate VisionThe aim of this initiative is to help secure the future of five primate species in the wild by 2020. Currently, two species are on the list, with two other project groups in discussion. These cover Africa and Southeast Asia. 2011 has seen the continuation of funding for Lola Ya Bonobo, Awely Greencaps
(both concerned with the conservation of bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and FFI’s Cao Vit Gibbon Conservation Programme (in Vietnam, and now also involving researchers from Southwest China). Lola Ya Bonobo (LYB): Bonobo (Pan paniscus)LYB continues its rehabilitation programme, with bonobos confiscated from markets being taken to their sanctuary. LYB’s wider education programme is involved with reducing the impact of the bushmeat trade in the area through development of micro-projects and general education initiatives. Being on the doorstep of Kinshasa, LYB is ideally situated to spread the word on the plight and conservation of one of our closest relatives. Major news items of the year include:-The purchase of a second island in January, which is being used as a release site for those bonobos which cannot be put back into the wild; the second phase of reintroductions on Ekolo ya Bonobo in March and April, with the transport and release of six more bonobos; the release of the film ‘Bonobos’ across France in April (and also in Kinshasa in August). This film told the story of Beni, one of LYB’s orphans, who is the bonobo depicted on their logo and is the emblem for their projects. August saw the development of a new nursery at the sanctuary, while October saw Claudine André (CEO of Lola Ya Bonobo) receiving the ‘Femme en Or’ award as ‘Woman for the Environment 2011’. Truly a busy year, if you include the intake of several more orphaned bonobos and their education programme!
Awely Greencaps : Bonobo (Pan paniscus)2011 has seen a census of the wild bonobos in the Basankusu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, enabling Awely to get a clearer picture of how many are present, and where. They have expanded their DRC Greencaps programme to the South, going deeper into the forest, and thereby, into prime bonobo habitat. Their major new project, which looks at the development of livestock micro-projects, has been boosted by EAZA money, enabling them to improve their veterinary infrastructure. This year has also seen the development of a 36-page booklet presenting Bonobos and the existing biodiversity of the area, the role of the forest in the regulation of the local climate, and explaining
in avoiding escapes, as they can plan better for regular cage/enclosure maintenance, and, thereby, avoid compromising quarantine procedures. People Resources and Conservation Fund: contributing to support the land-use planning workshop in one of the endangered Francois’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) critical habitat sites in North Vietnam. Wildlife Vets International: supporting the Amur Leopard Reintroduction Veterinary Consultancy in Far Eastern Russia, in examining the cats and other wildlife / livestock for wildlife disease assessment, making detailed clinical assessment of cats caught, aiding the development of the only wildlife surveillance team in this part of Russia and adding to the veterinary database on the leopard, as well as providing veterinary advice to the reintroduction programme. We also received reports back from the 2010 projects, namely Snow Leopard Trust (Mongolia) and the German Primate Centre (Siberut, Mentawai Islands, in Indonesia). In addition to the above, Twycross Zoo has provided funds to le Conservatoire pour la Protection des Primates for the conservation of South American titis via Proyecto Mono Tocón. The goal of the project is the conservation of the endangered San Martín titi (Callicebus oenanthe, known locally as “el mono tocón”). During the year, if you visited the zoo, you would have seen information around our site regarding the EAZA Ape Campaign, as well as requests for donations and a variety of events, including our biggest event, the sponsored ‘Three Peaks Challenge’. When the campaign came to a close in September, EAZA awarded Twycross Zoo a ‘Silver’ certificate in recognition of raising more than €8,500 for the campaign, and we send our thanks to all those who contributed to this amazing feat - sponsors, visitors and staff alike! Dr Kevin Caley BSc (JHons) PhDResearch and Conservation Executive
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August saw the development of a new nursery at the bonobo sanctuary.“how people can work sustainably in the region and thereby live with wildlife, rather than over-exploiting it. Written in French and the local DRC language of Lingala, the booklet is also accessible to those who cannot read through the use of intuitive graphics. In terms of dissemination and outreach, Awely have also been able to show that local school children have a fairly good knowledge of the major threats to the bonobo population. Cao Vit Gibbon Conservation Programme (FFI): Cao Vit Gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) The major change in 2011 was that Paul Insua Cao, the programme leader, moved on to work in Laos, passing the project to Ulrike Streicher, a veterinarian in the Vietnam region and a well-known wildlife biologist whose specialist area includes primates. We wish Paul well in his future endeavours, and look forward to working with Ulrike in the continuation of this important project, the aim of which is to study this, the second most endangered ape on the planet, and to manage the conservation programme in close cooperation with the local villagers and authorities to save the species from extinction. Gibbon surveys have continued in Cao Bang Province, within the protected area covering an area of 16 km² in Vietnam and 60 km² in China. Close collaboration between Chinese and Vietnamese experts in the species has been aided by the EAZA money that we jointly bid for in 2010. Operations to develop a sustainable agricultural system continue, so that villagers no longer depend on the protected forests for firewood. The project has seen a remarkable improvement in the amount of tree cover in the area. Small Grants ProgrammeIn addition to the Primate Vision, Twycross Zoo has a ‘Small Grants’ programme, offering up to £3,000 for individual projects. 2011 has seen the donation of funds to three projects – Orangutan Land Trust / Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, Nyaru Menteng: funding the construction of a transit enclosure at the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation sanctuary for Bornean orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus), which can be used for animals whilst their own enclosures are being repaired. This enclosure will assist the foundation enormously
ResearchThe Research Department has continued to support students and keepers carrying out research projects. In line with previous years, behavioural issues, including some enrichment studies, have been explored. This year has seen a number of projects looking at cognition in primates, while our healthy ageing ape research stream has attracted a number of studies. In addition, we have taken advantage of the current moves of our chimpanzees into larger social groupings to explore and monitor how the animals integrate and the hierarchies develop. We have also been involved in a multiple-study research programme called ‘QBA’ (or ‘Qualitative Behavioural Assessment’), which is a novel method for the study of subjective experience in animals, previously used in Australia, Africa and Scandinavia in the study of farm animals, but with limited exploration of its use with wild animals, such as elephants. This appears to be the first set of studies on zoo animals in the UK, and should bring together the observations of behavioural scientists and non-specialists, in terms of seeing how close their skills match for future development, as well as providing a lot of information on the species involved. In addition, one of last year’s projects, that of Carl Regan, from the University of Nottingham (highlighted in last year’s Annual Report), received the award of ‘Commendation’ from the BIAZA Council at this year’s ACE (Awards, Communication and Education) conference. In his project he identified individual animals within groups through the use of non-toxic glitter, in conjunction with microscopic and DNA polymerase chain reaction (‘PCR’) techniques so that we could get an accurate analysis of the prevalence of the gut-dwelling (pathogenic) protist Entamoeba in our primate collection.
Dr Kevin Caley BSc (JHons) PhDResearch and Conservation Executive
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Research and Knowledge Hub Report
The Knowledge Hub The Knowledge Hub was established in May 2011, with the initial mandate covering the following areas: Fund-raising and Sponsorships, Project Development and Delivery, Scientific and Business Research, Knowledge Management, Performance Management, Relationships and Partnerships Management and Corporate Governance.
The team spent the summer and autumn identifying the key business processes across the organisation, identifying potential efficiency improvements in existing processes and developing processes for new business activity to be implemented in 2012. This work will lead to the identification of Key Performance Indicators across the organisation and in the future, more effective monitoring of performance.
Since May, the team has submitted two full grant applications and five expressions of interest. In the coming months, the team will be developing a sponsorship strategy, as well as identifying and perusing a variety of funding sources, to deliver the priority projects.
Over the summer we held a number of master-planning and concept-planning workshops. In these workshops the performance against the delivery of the 2005 masterplan was reviewed and a start was made to identify the key development areas for the next five years. We are continuing to develop concept plans for Chimps Choice and Consequence and further master-planning for the wider zoo, which will continue as one of the primary objectives for 2012.
With the Governance review well underway, we have been identifying the key business areas that will need to be developed after approval. A key priority that has been identified is branding across the identities. Thus, a priority in 2012 will be the development and implementation of a branding strategy.
Gill SmithermanHead of Development
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Research Projects
University or research institution(including collaborative partners)
Level Project Title
Twycross Zoo Research Internship
Creating a baseline survey protocol for Twycross Zoo: what native species do we have already present? (continuation of project)
University of Liverpool Postdoctoral Comparative biomechanics of limb function in primates and their predators
Twycross Zoo Research Internship Study of two chimpanzees prior to integration to a larger social group: analysis of ethograms for stereotypies and common behaviours.
Flamingoland Zoo / University of York Research Internship Penguin behaviour, space use and breeding success in relation to enclosure design, with specific reference to the Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
Royal Veterinary College
BVM A retrospective study of common causes of death in captive gibbon collections in the UK
Durham University MSc Enclosure use and environmental preferences of Asian Apes: Hylobates lar, Pongo abelii, Pongo pygmaeus and Symphalangus syndactylus
Oxford Brookes University MSc The influence of enclosure design on the behaviour of zoo-housed gibbons
University of Nottingham Postdoctoral Healthy Ageing Chimp
University of Derby BSc The comparison of vigilance in captive meerkats, Suricata suricatta, at feed times, while foraging with the public present or not.
Sparsholt College / Twycross Zoo BSc The development of a body condition score chart for guenons and its benefits
University of Birmingham PhD Planning of action sequences during physical problem-solving in primates
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Postdoctoral Understanding great ape cardiovascular structure and function
University of Northampton MSc Do background and rearing style of zoo chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) relate to behaviour and personality in later life?
Aberystwyth University BSc Environmental enrichment of the plum-headed parakeet
Orchid Cellmark, Ltd. Postdoctoral Species identification using 12 r RNA
Twycross Zoo Research Internship Merging two groups of common chimpanzee at Twycross Zoo
University of Derby BSc The effect of group size on conspecific distancing in captive Bornean orang utans (Pongo pygmaeus)
Royal Veterinary College Msc Disease prevalence in captive great apes (Hominidae) in British and Irish Zoological collections
Royal Veterinary College MSc Cardiac disease in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) within UK Collections
University of Leeds BSc Auditory enrichment for captive howlers at Twycross Zoo
University of Derby BSc The feasibility and impact on welfare of utilising food-based enrichment with captive Bornean orang utans
Keele University BSc How do husbandry conditions affect breeding success in captive guenons?
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Research ProjectsResearch Projects
University or research institution(including collaborative partners)
Level Project Title
University of Nottingham BSc Qualitative behaviour assessment to determine the effect of an enrichment strategy on behaviour in captive spider-monkeys at Twycross Zoo
Twycross Zoo / University of York Research Internship How do chimpanzees converge on vocal labels for novel foods?
Twycross Zoo / University of York Research Internship When two cultures collide: how does social learning occur across chimpanzee groups?
Twycross Zoo / University of York Research Internship Observational study of chimpanzee integration processes
University of Nottingham BSc Qualitative behaviour assessment to determine the effect of an enrichment strategy on behaviour in captive Asian elephants at Twycross Zoo
Sparsholt College BSc An investigation into the variety of diets fed to Malayan tapirs, Tapirus indicus, in the United Kingdom, with reference to their fibre and protein utilisation.
Keele University BSc Do captive meerkats (Suricata suricatta) show equal alert behaviour towards aerial predators in their indoor and outdoor enclosures
University of Nottingham BSc Qualitative behaviour assessment to determine the effect of an enrichment strategy on behaviour in captive chimpanzees at Twycross Zoo
University of Nottingham BSc Qualitative behaviour assessment to determine the effect of an enrichment strategy on behaviour in captive chimpanzees at Twycross Zoo: continuation project
University of Exeter PhD How the social network structure of a group can be affected by behavioural traits of an individual and vice versa
Warwickshire College BSc Research into the social behaviour and interactions in singly and socially housed snow leopards (Panthera uncia)
University of Keele BSc How do pygmy marmosets and golden lion tamarins in a multi-species exhibit interact with each other?
University of Nottingham BSc Impact and relationship of nutritional status on reproductive endocrinology in captive African and Asian elephants
Reaseheath College, Cheshire BSc On hearing vocalisations of wild conspecifics, how does the behaviour of captive spider-monkeys change?
Chester University BSc Evaluating and minimising the effect of visitor presence on the great apes, with reference to the public’s perception of animal welfare
Universitat Pompeu Fabra PhD Gene expression variation by copy number variants
Keele University BSc How biological research can help with the conservation of the western gorilla
Royal Veterinary College Postdoctoral Musculoskeletal anatomy, pathology and growth of giraffe limbs
22
Education Report
2011 saw the implementation of the Vet Days programme. These sessions were designed to increase the passion students have for the sciences, particularly biology. The initial sessions, held in spring, were fully evaluated, with the results showing that students following the sessions were more likely to take their biology studies to a higher level, with half the respondents indicating that they had a greater interest in an animal-oriented career since the sessions. This programme currently operates a number of different sessions across various age groups and was awarded the award for ‘Best Educational Project: Schools and Institutions’, by BIAZA in November, 2011.
The Eco-Rangers After-School Club entered its fourth year in partnership with Twycross House School. Thirteen students joined Education Officer Amy Moore for this year’s sessions in which students studied rainforest ecosystems, sustainable living, invertebrates and how to care well for their pets at home. The team plans to carry out market research in early 2012 in the local area to assess whether expansion of the programme to other schools is viable.
The education department also ran a new summer scheme called Zooniversity, during which the students spent five days learning about zoo careers, animal training, behavioural research and native species work.
The Zoo Centre opened for the summer holidays as an activity centre for visitors. Craft activities were rotated each week to ensure that repeat visitors enjoyed a different experience. These activities were provided free of charge. However, donations were encouraged for the zoo’s annual campaign. To date, a total £1,100 has been collected through the Zoo Centre, which is an average of around £150 per week.
A new addition for summer 2011 was the Conservation Station. An area on the Cockatoo lawn was developed and manned by either an Education Officer or an Education volunteer. The station contained biofacts (skins etc.) and learning activities for children and parents and proved to be very popular, with a dwell time above that which was originally expected.
With the additional activities running throughout the holidays, it was necessary to supplement the education team with volunteers. A volunteer open-afternoon was run in July,
which 15 volunteers attended. 11 volunteers were selected out of this process to assist over the year at the conservation station, or wherever they were needed. In total, in 2011, Education volunteers will have provided nearly 600 hours, allowing extra engagement with visitors.
In November 2011, we hosted the BIAZA ACE (‘Awards, Communication and Education’) Conference for the first time in 11 years. The conference was very well received by around 120 delegates, representing zoos from all over the UK and Ireland. The speaker programme included experts from the fields of marketing and education and was launched by Steve Leonard, celebrity vet. The department has also seen the appointment of a new departmental Head, Claire Pipe. After joining the Zoo in 2003, Claire worked in the education department and as Conservation Officer, before leaving to manage a team at Leicester City Council. On 1st June 2011, after two years away, she returned to take up the post of Head of Education. Since re-joining the zoo in June, Claire has begun to represent the zoo on the BIAZA Committee for Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change, which aims to provide support and expertise to other BIAZA institutions on practical sustainability measures and she also travelled to Malaysia to assist the International Zoo Vet Group (IZVG) with a project to assess potential for a new zoo and forest discovery centre.In 2012, we will begin a full review of the teaching methods and subjects taught in the education department. It is our intention to run teacher focus groups in early 2012 to gauge what teachers currently like and dislike about our sessions and what they would like to change. The sessions will then be reviewed and a teachers’ familiarity day run during Easter 2012, with the aim of increasing bookings. Claire Pipe Head of Education
23Jo Plant, Education Officer explaining conservation to students on site
The change of structure in the Estates and Projects division towards the end of 2010 saw the Department become more focused on repairs, based on the skills, knowledge and ability of the team. A review of the skills and requirements within the Department, throughout the last 6 months, also identified areas for further improvement, and additional staff with specialist knowledge in heating and plumbing, horticulture and mechanics were recruited. The division made good progress during the year with the new skill set and the establishment of a programme for planned and cyclical maintenance, the results of which can be clearly seen in the overall presentation of the grounds.
Following the appointment of a Procurement Manager, the Zoo made significant progress in streamlining the procurement process, giving consistency and enhanced control over the Zoo’s buying, a task which was further simplified through new accounts and purchase order software packages. Bulk orders were established, which not only resulted in significant savings, but also reduced deliveries into the site, invoicing and general administration. Suppliers also reaped the benefits with a reduction in their own administration, invoicing and delivery costs. Further savings were made with the identification and rectification of long-standing water leaks, resulting in a reduction in our overall water usage. A conscious effort was also made to reduce our energy consumption by replacing light fittings with low energy units, while water and electricity meters and water-saving devices were fitted, where appropriate, throughout the zoo to allow better monitoring and provide savings across the site.
Following the creation of the new visitor attraction, ‘Himalaya’ in 2010, the zoo was awarded the regional ‘Local Authority Building Control Commercial project’ award and further won the ProCon awards for best Sustainable Project. During the year, further works were undertaken to the retail area of Himalaya to incorporate an art gallery, which opened in July.
The outsourcing of the Health and Safety audit has provided us with a focused action plan, with reviewed risk assessments and procedures in place.
A test programme of volunteers was carried out with the horticulture team. The process followed the same format as that of our recruitment process, where applications to become a volunteer were reviewed and suitable candidates selected for interview. The results have been very positive, providing the zoo with a keen, motivated volunteer team assisting our permanent horticultural team.
A browse-management scheme has been established with the keepers, both on-site and in partnership with Conkers. In turn, this has improved horticulture efficiency and provided time to look at projects such as our Oil Palm Plantation feature.
Significant projects undertaken throughout the year included the build of the Gallery within Himalaya, the construction of a new ‘train through aviary’ at Pets@ Twycross, a sand floor and irrigation system in the elephant house to improve facilities in line with BIAZA guidelines, a platform within our giraffe house to allow the veterinary surgeon and keepers to get high level access to the giraffes, and the development of the Kuno exhibition area, which provides visitors with information about Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in India and our plans to develop a new exhibit at the Zoo for lions, tigers, hyaenas and dholes, named after the sanctuary. Work also commenced on the new Wetland exhibit; due to open Easter 2012, this area will see the development of the zoo’s existing wetlands area to enable visitor access, educational activities and events to coincide with the Olympics, all complementing the natural beauty and biodiversity of the site.
Neil WoodwardEstates Director
Estates and Projects Report
The Zoo now has a keen, motivated volunteer team assisting our permanent horticultural team.“
24The Wetlands exhibit, under development in 2011
Marketing and PR Report
For the second year running, the TV campaign covered the West Midlands area, in addition to the existing campaign in the East Midlands area. A new re-edited version of the TV advert was created, featuring footage from Uda Walawe and promoting online sales. The campaign ran in advance of the main volume peaks, around bank holidays and school holidays. Outdoor advertising has also been used. We have taken 48-sheet-poster sites outside Dobbies Garden Centre in Atherstone, featuring food offers in Himalaya aimed at encouraging the over-60s market to visit us for lunch. The advert was replaced at the end of November to promote our Christmas offering and this was supplemented with a very prominent 48-sheet-poster site on the A5 road. To promote Himalaya as a stand-alone opportunity, we developed a campaign that included a host of events to encourage visitors, which ranged from talks for members, a farmers’ market, photography workshops and a food-and-wine- tasting evening, to name but a few. Furthermore, a Christmas events calendar was also established, providing festive events including ‘Breakfast with Santa’, Santa’s grotto, Santa’s Express, a Christmas Fayre and our first ever pantomime. ‘Friends of Twycross’ has become an important tool for creating secondary spend and repeat visits, in addition to developing customer loyalty. We ran two membership campaigns over the year, offering fantastic savings on becoming a Friend of Twycross, which were supported by pull-up banners in Himalaya and promotional leaflets being handed to visitors. The membership campaigns continued throughout the summer season. A programme of promotional discounts has been run throughout the year to encourage people to visit, which included an opportunity with Hinckley and Bosworth Tourism Partnership and a ‘2 for 1’ offer for entry with Leicester Mercury. Additionally, a ‘2 for 1’ offer in the Sunday Telegraph, as part of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS), provided national coverage. ‘Stay Play Explore’, (SPE), an initiative with Leicester Shire Promotions (LSP), has been a terrific success this year. We have committed to the scheme again for 2012, and with
winning the LSP ‘Best Large Visitor Attraction 2011’, plus the opportunities with SPE via the Olympics, we should continue to see great returns. Over Christmas, we took Twycross to the high street with our stand at the Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester. The main aim was to sell our membership offers, but we gained the additional benefit of increased consumer awareness in this locality. With weddings becoming a focus this year, we have created a new brochure and dedicated website pages to promote this offering. Our civil ceremony licence application was accepted and generated a lot of interest in the press. Also, great testimonials were received from our first six couples. Social media is a key way of developing engagement with the visitors beyond their visit. This time last year there were only 709 monthly users on Facebook, but now we have over 5000 users, with many posting their own photos and videos, and over 1,000 users visit us daily. Also, on Twitter we now have 2,440 followers (previous year was 1,124), who receive and respond to daily tweets. With the development of the new website, and through focusing on the collection and collation of contact details, the e-mail database has leapt in size from 3,567 subscribers to over 19,000. There continues to be a high level of media coverage in both the printed and broadcast media, with some excellent coverage on national media, including Daybreak, ITV Central and BBC East and West Midlands. Coverage has also appeared overseas on ABC America. To date, this year, there have been over 575 pieces of press coverage, with a circulation of over 30 million people.
Lorraine ArianoPR and Marketing Manager
25
Guest Services Report
Seasonal recruitment was a major objective for the beginning of the year. All applicants were asked to apply online and complete a customer-service-based multiple-choice test. Applicants who passed the test were invited to attend one of several assessment days, where they were measured individually against Twycross Zoo’s competencies. Using this method of recruitment, we found that we were successful in attracting a bright and cheerful group of people, with good communication skills, who have fitted well into customer-focused roles at Twycross Zoo. Easter 2011 saw the implementation of a new till system at the main zoo entrance and, as a result, we have seen a dramatic reduction in queue time and an increase in Gift Aid percentages. Previously, it was possible to witness waiting times of around 70 minutes on busy days and this has now been reduced to a maximum of 18 minutes at peak times. Our paper-based Gift Aid system was replaced with an electronic one and this has seen a remarkable increase in the number of people willing to gift aid than in previous years. The new procedure has increased the percentage of visitors gift-aiding from an average of 40% to 70%. The system has also made it possible for us to sell advance tickets online for the first time. Our website customers can now purchase entrance tickets well in advance of their visit and real time reports enable us to monitor the numbers expected on any particular day or week. This additional information gives us the opportunity to forecast and react accordingly. With the number of online sales steadily increasing, we have introduced a fast-track entrance, which offers a great advantage to the pre-paying customer. In April, we saw a complete revamp of our membership package. The old and over-complicated ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ membership system was replaced with ‘Friends of Twycross’, which is a much simpler structure, but one that gives all our members the same privileges. These simple changes have proved to be a great commercial success: the number of members now stands at 3,495, a substantial increase from the same period last year and well above our target expectations. Visitor feedback for the membership promotions which ran throughout the school holidays was excellent, with our visitors finding our membership promotions extremely good value for money and a great incentive to increase their repeat visits. With this in mind, we targeted our Friends of Twycross with exclusive offers in
both the Bazaar and Himalaya, discounts on Sunday lunches and ‘members only’ activities in the zoo. We have included a 10% discount on entry for people accompanying members on a visit, which has encouraged people to introduce friends and family to the zoo, many of whom have become members themselves. The old-style quarterly magazine has been replaced by a monthly zoo news sheet, which is e-mailed directly to members and contains up-to-the-minute animal news, competitions and a ‘what’s on’ guide. August saw the launch of our entertainment package, ‘Tipsy and the Monkey Bunch’. On a daily basis, the team delivered a selection of activities: at zoo opening time they could be found entertaining guests as they arrived with song and dance routines, followed by a midday disco on the lawn outside the Cockatoo Cafeteria. Later in the afternoon, a more sedate half hour could be spent listening to a variety of stories either underneath our Story Tree, or in our Pets at Twycross area. At zoo closing time, Tipsy and the Monkey Bunch gathered by Himalaya to wave goodbye and wish all our visitors a safe journey home. The Monkey Bunch returned during both the Halloween and Christmas holidays with seasonal themed activities. As part of our focus on delivering for the customer, we increased the number of talks taking place around the zoo. Working closely with the Life Science Department we are now running seven different talks each day of the week. Over the holiday periods these have proven extremely popular, with crowds of visitors gathering to listen. A record number of children visited Santa in his ice cave this year and, on December 23rd, Himalaya hosted our first traditional festive pantomime. Chaplin’s Entertainment Limited presented ‘Jack and The Beanstalk’, specially written to entertain children from 3 to 12 years of age. Tickets sold out well in advance of the performance, which was watched by 115 adults and 81 children. Due to its popularity and success, we plan to extend future performances to four nights, including a Boxing Day matinee, for Christmas 2012.
Neil SatchwellOperations Manager
26
The Employee Survey was conducted for the second time in 2011 and we saw a significant improvement on our 2010 results. To confirm, the four main themes identified in the Employee Survey were: · Communication· Teamwork· Reward and Policy· Respect During 2011, we have aimed to improve our communica-tion with staff, as identified in the survey, and successfully re-launched the monthly staff briefings, with each department participating in the presentation. The briefing note is then distributed to all departments/sections and emailed to all employees. As a result, the number of staff reading the note increased from 39% to 92% in December. We have also seen the implementation of performance reviews, conducted in the second quarter of this year with all permanent employees. Managers also conduct bi-monthly one-to-one reviews to assess employees against objectives and current performance. The ‘Our Zoo’ on-line training induction went ‘live’ in 2011. The programme includes: · About Twycross Zoo· Customer Service· Customer Sales· Health & Safety Environmental· Food Hygiene· Performance Management· Competencies The recruitment process for seasonal employees and ani-mal keeper apprentices has been undertaken by conducting assessment centres to assess the candidates against our competencies. VolunteersIn 2011 we concentrated on recruiting in four main areas: Education, Horticulture, Pets@Twycross and Visitor Services and we now have a total of 21 volunteers.(Education 9, Visitor Services 5, Pets@Twycross 3, Primates 2, Horticulture 1 and Marketing 1).
Work ExperienceBetween January and December 2011, we offered voluntary work placements to 119 students of animal related subjects, from NVQ level 2 to postgraduate study, working alongside the keepers in our animal-keeping department. Karen ClarkeHR Manager
Human Resources and Work Experience
Readership of the staff briefing note increased from 39%to 92% in 2011“
27
'Our Zoo' on-line training tool
Twycross Zoo team celebrating success on the summit of Ben Nevis as part of the 3 Peaks Challenge for the EAZA Ape campaign
Staff ActivitiesConference, Course or Meeting Details Location Participants from Twycross
BIAZA ETC Meeting Various Jo Hardy
Level 3 Food & Safety Twycross Zoo Gareth Harding, Jan Shakespeare, Natasha Sampson
Promedical Oxygen Training Twycross Zoo April Bradley, Helen Wallace, Jenny Meers, Jordan Kelly, Linda Fisher, Malcolm Eyre, Sean Dunn, Suzanne Baumler, Tom Proctor
Chubb Fire Twycross Zoo Bridget Fry, Colin Ward, Gemma Britton, Hayley Freeman, Helen Wal-lace, Jan Shakespeare, Janet Finch, Karen Clarke, Kris Hern, Lesa Longley, Mandy Colledge, Mark Bishop, Mary Rodger, Matt Allen, Neil Dorman, Sean Dunn, Sue Braginton, Sylvia Jamieson, Thomas Owen, Wes Sutton
Promedical First Aid Course Twycross Zoo Glenda Thorpe, Janet Finch, Katie Waller, Lauren Edwards, Mark Bishop, Neil Woodward, Sue Bragington
BIAZA Elephant Workshop Port Lympne Marcus Barney
BIAZA Regional Meeting Shepreth Wildlife Park
Jo Hardy
Minute Taking Course Fircroft College Gemma Britton
Leicestershire Promotions Tourism Meeting Hinckley Mary Rodger, Rob Bracken
ABWAK Howletts/Port Lympne
Dr Debra Bourne, Greg Clifton, Rachel Pietragallo
UK Ireland Regional Environmental Enrichment Conference Howletts/Port Lympne
Penny Hopwood
Captive Great Ape Health - Part 2 ZSL, London Lesa Longley
NEC Education Show NEC Birmingham Jo Hardy
WMS Firearms Training Powys, Wales Bridget Fry, Charlotte Macdonald, Colin Ward, Keith Lloyd, Lesa Longley, Sarah Roffe, Suzanne Baumler, Trevor Barrs
FieldTag meeting Nordens Ark, Sweden
Neil Dorman
ASTA Powerproject Training Thame Sandra Cawthra
EAZA Directors Day & Spring Council Meeting Jerusalem Suzanne Boardman
Elephant Focus Group Meeting West Midlands Safari Park
Susanne Baumler, Gary White
EAZA Mid-Year Great Ape TAG Meeting Munich Charlotte McDonald
ABWAK Browse Workshop Paignton Zoo Sarah Roffe, Vicky Snook
Epizone Conference Arnhem, Netherlands
Dr Debra Bourne
ABMA Conference Denver, Colorado Kris Hern
BVZS Spring Meeting Howletts/Port Lympne
Dr Debra Bourne
CKF Project Leaders Coventry Jo Hardy
EAZA Plant Working group Meeting Arnhem, Netherlands
Neil Woodward, Tom Proctor
European Zoo Veterinarians Meeting Lisbon, Portugal Dr Debra Bourne, Lesa Longley
BIAZA Annual Conference and AGM Fota Wildlife Park Hassan Syed, Suzanne Boardman, Sharon Redrobe
International Zoo & Aquarium Marketing Conference Canada Gill Smitherman, Rob Bracken, Suzanne Boardman
Committee Meeting BIAZA in-fields Committee ZSL, London Dr Kevin Caley
BIAZA Research Commitee ZSL Dr Kevin Caley
28
Staff ActivitiesConference, Course or Meeting Details Location Participants from Twycross
BIAZA Parliamentary Reception House of Commons, London
Suzanne Boardman, Gill Smitherman
VisionXS Conference Oxford Suzanne Boardman, Sylvia Jamieson, Gill Smitherman
BIAZA Research Conference Bristol Zoo Bridget Fry, Charlotte Macdonad, Dr Debra Bourne, Kevin Caley, Sharon Redrobe
ICEE Conference Portland, Oregon Kris Hern
Employer contribution towards 19+ apprentice Heather Hill TZ / Brooksby College
Heather Hill, Kristian Jackson
Giraffe Seminar Knowsley Martin Allen, Nicky Williscroft, Sarah Roffe, Vicky Snook, Jen Wright, Craig Lymm
ABWAK Strategy Meeting Paignton Zoo Greg Clifton, Sarah Roffe
Bonobo Training Frankfurt Donna Smithson
EAZA Annual Meeting Montpellier Bridget Fry, Charlotte Macdonald, Niel Dorman, Sharon Redrobe
BIAZA Plant Working Group Paradise Wildlife Park
Derek Kendal, Justin Fozard, Neil Woodward, Pete Anderson, Tom Proctor
Induction for animal management courses Dudley Zoo Anna Westbury
CBSG Annual Meeting Prague Suzanne Boardman
PTLLS & CTLLS Course North Warks & Hinckley College
Amy Moore
WAZA Annual Conference Prague Suzanne Boardman
BIAZA Education Regional Meeting Woburn Safari Park Amy Moore
BIAZA Records Meeting Newquay Zoo Pat Milham, Zak Showell
BIAZA MWG Meeting Bristol Zoo Anna Westbury, Charlotte Macdonald, John Buchan, Neil Dorman, Nick Rowley, Pat Milham, Debra Bourne
Waves Conference Edinburgh Dr Debra Bourne
CIPP - Advanced Payroll Course Nottingham and Worcester
Sean Dunn
Elephant Welfare Group Meeting Knowsley Anna Westbury, Martin Kristen
BIAZA Environmental & Sustainability Committee BIAZA London Claire Pipe
BVZS Autumn Meeting / Conference Cheshire Bridget Fry, Dr Debra Bourne, Sarah Chapman
BIAZA ACE Conference Twycross Zoo Suzanne Boardman, Sharon Redrobe, Rob Bracken, Hassan Syed, Claire Pipe, Lorraine Ariano, Gill Smitherman, Iain Boardman, Niki Williscroft, Jo Plant, Amy Moore, Luke Hudman
Revit Architecture Birmingham Danny Campbell
BIAZA BWG Meeting Bridland Anna Westbury, Dr Debra Bourne
Raising Funds from the Rich Conference Westminster Gill Smitherman, Rob Bracken
BIAZA Field Programmes Research Meeting ZSL, London Dr Kevin Caley
BIAZA Research Commitee ZSL, London Dr Kevin Caley
29
External Representation and Publication
External RepresentationSuzanne Boardman – Chief Executivel Visiting Lecturer, University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciencel British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA) Veterinary Advisory Group – Memberl BIAZA Council - Memberl BIAZA Memberships and Licensing Committee - Memberl Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) Species Survival Commission – Member l IUCN – Memberl European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) Infectious Diseases Working Group – Memberl Hinckley and Bosworth Promotions Board, Leicestershire – Vice Chairl Frozen Ark – Trusteel Parliamentary and Scientific Committee – Memberl Leicestershire Strategic Partnership – Board Memberl Hinckley and Bosworth Local Strategic Partnership – Board Memberl World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) – Member
Dr Debra Bourne – Senior Veterinary Editor, Wildprol The Wildlife Disease Association – Assistant Editorl EAZA Monotreme & Marsupial TAG – Veterinary Advisorl BIAZA Bird Working Group - Memberl BVZS Committee – Memberl The Zebra Foundation – Trustee
Robert J Bracken - Commercial Directorl Hinckley and Bosworth Tourism Partnership - Vice Chairman
Dr Kevin Caley - Research & Conservation Executivel BIAZA Field Programmes Committee - Memberl BIAZA Research Committee - Member
Sarah Chapman - Head of Veterinary Servicesl European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Bongo l Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) – Veterinary Advisorl BIAZA Elephant Focus Group - Veterinary Advisor
Neil Dorman – Conservation Programme and Planning Curatorl BIAZA Mammal Working Group – Carnivore Focus Group – Lead Chair
l EEP (European Endangered Species Programme) Lowland Tapir Species Committee – Memberl EEP Emperor Tamarin Species Committee – Memberl EEP Bonobo Species Committee – Memberl EEP Dhole Species Committee – Memberl EEP Co-ordinator and International Studbook Keeper for Asiatic Lionl European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Felid Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) – Memberl EEP Woolly Monkey Species Committee – Memberl EEP Amur Leopard Species Committee – Member
Bridget Fry – Animal Health and Research Managerl EEP Studbook Co-ordinator for the siamang gibbon
Tom Proctor – Horticultural Supervisorl BIAZA Native Species Working Group - Member
Charlotte Macdonald - Living Collection Curator l EAZA Great Ape Taxon Advisory Group – Memberl BIAZA Primate Focus Group – Co-chair Sharon Redrobe – Director of Life Sciencesl Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Zoos Forum representing welfare - Memberl Secretary of State-appointed Defra List 1 Zoo Inspector l Visiting Lecturer (MSc Wild Animal Health course), University of London l Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Zoological Medicine Board - Memberl BIAZA Veterinary Group - Memberl Trustee of Ape Action Africal Veterinary Advisor to the sandcat and white-faced saki EEPsl Veterinary advisor to the Cebid Taxonomy Advisory Group l Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine – Editorial Board Member
Neil Woodward – Estates Managerl BIAZA Native Species Working Group – Memberl BIAZA Plant Working Group – Memberl EAZA Plant Working Group - Memberl Royal Horticultural Society - Memberl Gloucester Moth Group - Memberl Bristol Natural History Society - Memberl Carnivorous Plant Society - Memberl International Carnivorous Plant Society - Memberl Midlands Moth Group - Member
30
In 2011 the Education Department launched a number of new initiatives.“PublicationsBourne, D. (2011). Wildpro – a new open access resource for wildlife health and management. Wildlife Disease July 2011: 1.
Clay, Z., & Zuberbühler, K. (2011). Bonobos Extract Meaning from Call Sequences. PLoS One 6 (4): e18786. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018786
Crompton, R.H., Pataky, T.C., Savage, R., d’Août, K., Bennett, M.R., Day, M.H., Bates, K., Morse, S., and Sellers, W.I. (2011). Human-like external function of the foot, and fully upright gait, confirmed in the 3.66 million year old Laetoli hominine footprints by topographic statistics, experimental footprint formation and computer simulation. J. R. Soc. Interface doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0258.
Sak, B., Kvác, M., Petrželková, K., Kvetonová, D., Pomajbíková, K., Mulama, M., John Kiyang, J. and Modrý, D. (2011). Diversity of microsporidia (Fungi: Microsporidia) among captive great apes in European zoos and African sanctuaries: evidence for zoonotic transmission? Folia Parasitologica 58: 81-86.
Bourne, D. (2011) African Horse Sickness. Veterinary Nursing Journal 26, 315-318.
Bourne, D. (2011) Physical and psychological needs of rabbits: a rabbit is not a cat. The Veterinary Nurse 2, 184 -189.
Bourne, D.C. & Boardman, S.I. (2011) “The Changing Face of West Nile Virus in Europe”: A Review. WAVES VIIth International Symposium on Wild Fauna, 20-23 October 2011, Edinburgh, UK.
Bourne, D.C. & Boardman, S.I. (2011) “Wildpro: Idea, Development and Open Access”. BIAZA Research Symposium, 6-7 July 2011, Bristol, UK.
Bourne, D.C., Fry, B., Caley, K. & Osuagwhu, J. (2011) Wildpro “Ferrets: Health and Management” Review Version. Access via www.wildlifeinformation.org
Bourne, D.C. & Boardman, S.I. (2011) “Wildpro - from Concept to Open Access” BVZS Spring Meeting, 30 April-1 May May 2011, Port Lympne, UK.
Bourne, D.C. & Boardman, S.I. (2011) “WIN and Wildpro: from Initial Concept to Open Access and Beyond”. International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals, 1-4 June 2011, Lisbon, Portugal.
Collaborations throughout the zoological world are important in improving zoo-animal welfare globally.“
31Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Ural Owl (Strix uralensis)
Staff ListAs of 31st December 2011 the Zoo employed the following 122 permanent staff. We also thank the many seasonal and casual workers who helped us during the year.
DirectorsSuzanne Boardman CEO
Robert J Bracken Commercial Director
Sharon Redrobe Life Sciences Director
Hassan Syed Resources Director
Neil Woodward Estates Director
CommercialLorraine Ariano PR & Marketing Manager
Nicola Barlow Administration Supervisor
Mark Bishop Team Leader, Visitor Services
Sue Bragington Unit Supervisor, Catering
Lynne Cook Cook
Janet Finch Retail Supervisor
Linda Fisher Senior Ranger
Alma Fox Housekeeper
Hayley Freeman Retail Assistant
Grace Gardiner Bookings & Sales Administrator
Natalie Gudger Press Officer
Gareth Harding Sous Chef
Kirsty Hatton Administration & Sales Assistant
Luke Hudman Marketing and PR Assistant
Amy Hulse PA to Commercial Director
Sylvia Jamieson Manager for Art & Design
Emma Nisbet Administration Assistant
Elizabeth Perry Senior Catering Sales Assistant
Tasha Sampson Cook
Neil Satchwell Operations manager
Jan Shakespeare Compliance Controller
Amy Simcock Graphic Designer
Glenda Thorpe Cook
Barbara Treadwell Retail Assistant
Dot Turner Senior Catering Sales Assistant
Debby Walsh Unit Supervisor, Catering
Laura Ward Administration Assistant
Estates & ProjectsJohn Beddows Carpenter & Maintenance Operative
Louise Bhara Procurement Manager
Richard Brownhill Carpenter
Paul Burridge Plant Driver
Fred Chetwynd Maintenance Operative
Paul Currall Compound Operative
Adrian Dalton Driver & Support Operative
Mick Deakin Painter & Decorator
Graham Eyre Horticulture Warden
Ian Gurney Heating & Plumbing Engineer
Darren Kelly Chief Electrician
Derek Kendall Horticulture Warden
Daniel Marshall Electrician
William Millar Maintenance Operative
Tom Proctor Horticultural Supervisor
Paul Shepherd Carpenter
Peter Taylor Horticulture Warden
John Thompson Head Gardener
Life SciencesMartin Allen Animal Keeper
Sophie Barnes Veterinary Nurse
Trevor Barrs Deputy Section Head: Birds & Tropical
Susanne Bäumler Section Head: Elephants
Debbie Blount Animal Keeper
Dr Debra Bourne Senior Veterinary Editor, Wildpro
Gina Boyt Animal Keeper
April Bradley Animal Keeper
Anneliese Braidley Animal Keeper
John Buchan Team Leader
Helen Burton Animal Keeper
Dale Busby Animal Keeper
Sue Butcher Animal Keeper
Sarah Chapman Head of Veterinary Services
Emma Chapman Animal Keeper
Tanya Clayton Deputy Section Head: Asian Apes
Greg Clifton Animal Keeper
Sally Coates Animal Keeper
Amber Cocks Animal Keeper
Sophie Cooper Animal Keeper
Sarah Chapman Animal Keeper
Neil Dorman Conservation Programmes & Planning Curator
Bridget Fry Animal Health & Research Manager
Ellie Goucher Animal Keeper
Ashley Hereford Animal Keeper
Kris Hern Animal Training Manager
Penny Hopwood Animal Keeper
Michelle Howes Animal Keeper
Lily Hughes Animal Keeper
Arun Idoe Section Head: Primates
Martin Kristen Animal Keeper
Lisa Langston Animal Keeper
Keith Lloyd Animal Keeper
Craig Lymm Animal Keeper
Charlotte Macdonald Living Collection Curator
Jason Mann Assistant Animal Keeper
Rachel Marson Animal Keeper
Teresa Martin Section Head: African Apes
Pat Milham Animal Records Registrar
Amy Moore Education Officer
Rachel Pietragallo Animal Keeper
Claire Pipe Head of Education
Joanna Plant Education Officer
Leanne Porter Animal Keeper
Lorraine Ridsdill Animal Keeper
Sarah Roffe Section Head: Hooves & Carnivores
Nick Rowley Animal Keeper
Mel Shorthose Animal Keeper
Zak Showell Deputy Registrar
Chris Simpson Animal Keeper
Emma Smith Animal Keeper
Donna Smithson Acting Senior Keeper
Victoria Snook Animal Keeper
Rebecca Spalding Animal Keeper
Clare Waite Animal Keeper
Katie Waller Animal Keeper
Anna Westbury Team Leader
Garry White Animal Keeper
Nikki Williscroft Animal Keeper
Jenny Wright Animal Keeper
ResourcesMatt Allen IT Assistant
Dr Kevin Caley Research & Conservation Executive
Daniel Campbell Architectural Technician
Sandra Cawthra Projects Executive
Karen Clarke Human Resources Manager
Sean Dunn Payroll & Accounts Administrator
Heather Griffin PA to Resources Director
Nicki Howarth Pollard Accounts Officer
Lorraine O'Carroll Finance Assistant
Tom Owen Financial Controller
Gill Smitherman Head of Development
Phillipa Weston Human Resources Assistant
32
Wildlife Information Network Report
The Wildlife Information Network (WIN), incorporating Wildpro® Multimedia, used much of 2011 to successfully embed itself into Twycross Zoo-East Midland Zoological Society (TZEMZS). WIN quite rightly still carries considerable weight within the international conservation and welfare
communities, as does the Wildpro brand. An integral part of maintaining awareness and ensuring that Wildpro is widely used is for a representative to attend conservation and wildlife conferences and scientific meetings throughout the world. As a result, we try and attend most of the international zoo and related conservation conferences throughout the year. In May, our long-standing wish to put the Wildpro information resource into the public domain became a reality. WIN hosted a press conference in the boardroom of the British Veterinary Association, where Suzanne Boardman (CEO of Twycross Zoo), Dr Debra Bourne (Senior Researcher for WIN) and Sharon Redrobe (Director of Life Sciences, Twycross Zoo) made the formal announcement that Wildpro was now Open Access and answered questions from the assembled press and guests. The distributed press release of the Open Access event made copy in most veterinary and conservation journals and newsletters across the world, including the broadsheets in the UK. The WIN researchers continue their outstanding work, led by Dr Debra Bourne. In late autumn, WIN published its latest volume “Ferrets: Health and Management”. This volume is the second in a series - the first being “Rabbits: Health and Management”- which was specifically requested by the then subscribing universities and colleges who offer veterinary and wildlife courses. The launch took place at the London Vet Show, Olympia, in November and has been very well received and critically acclaimed by the reviewers. Our other research commitments are well in to development and I expect the Bonobo Project to be completed in early Spring of 2012. Wildpro has been slowly, but carefully, developed over the years. Nevertheless, we believe that the time has come to re-visit the style and format of the system in line with this ever-changing world in which we live; the scientific data and content of detailed and highly-referenced information will not alter. I plan that, throughout the coming year, we will study
all aspects of the system and devise the way forward to improve the manner in which we deliver and disseminate our information. I will report further next year. Finally, I must share with you the fact that I continue to receive e-mails and letters from all corners of the world - often in very uncertain English - thanking us for making our scientific information freely available, and how they have been able to make great use of the Wildpro information system. Be assured, the Wildlife Information Network and Twycross Zoo-East Midland Zoological Society are making a measurable impact on the health and management of wild animals worldwide, and everyone who is, or has been, involved with the charity can be justifiably proud of our achievements. Iain M W BoardmanChief Executive Officer, Wildlife Information Network
33Sharon Redrobe and Susie Boardman celebrating the launch of Wildpro Open Access
Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological SocietyBurton Road (A444), Atherstone, Warwickshire, CV9 3PX
Tel 0844 4741777 Fax 0844 4741888 [email protected] www.twycrosszoo.org
Twycross Zoo - East Midland Zoological Society is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales as company number 1060956 and is a registeredcharity in England and Wales (charity number 501841) The Registered Office is at Twycross Zoo, Burton Road, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 3PX
I am very proud of our achievements and successes this year, which would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication shown by our staff and Trustees, Suzanne I Boardman, CEO
“ContactsFounder MemberS N Evans
Members of the CouncilM-L Hughes BSc PhD MBA (Chairman)A D Conner BCom,D J Chivers MA, PhD, ScDA G Greenwood MA, VetMB, FIBiol, Dip ECAMS, FRCVSC CliffordS Bell OBE
CEOS I Boardman BVMS, MRCVS
Commercial DirectorR J Bracken
Resources DirectorH Syed
Estates DirectorN Woodward
Life Sciences DirectorS Redrobe BSc(Hons) BVetMed CertLAS DZooMed MRCVS
Registered OfficeNorton Grange,Norton Juxta Twycross,Near Atherstone,Warwickshire,CV9 3PX
AuditorsBaker Tilly UK Audit LLPSt Phillip’s Point, Temple Row, Birmingham, B2 5AF
BankersHSBC Bank Plc, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1PU