Annual stocktake of animals at the zoo
TWYCROSS Zoo will happily be adding a string of new arrivals as it carries out its annual stocktake.
The past year the conservation centre has enjoyed bumper breeding success, with 26 baby animals boosting the numbers. Visitors can see a variety of up to 141 different species that live at the zoo, including 35 invertebrates.
The stocktake includes Twycross’ camouflaged insects, butterflies and cockroaches, bringing the past year’s count to 2780, not including the ant colony.
Many of its species are part of the European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs), which aims to secure the future of wild species through captive breeding.
More than 80 per cent of babies born at Twycross Zoo in 2017 were from species that form part of the EEPs and European Studbooks programmes, including two snow leopard cubs and two orangutans.
Louise Howard, animal records registrar at Twycross Zoo, said: “We carefully monitor our animals on a daily basis, but once a year, we are required to provide an official census of all our animals.
“The data we collect is fed into a large database that is accessible by other zoos from all around the world, providing vital information about animal populations and breeding potential.
“This year we have welcomed lots of new arrivals, from cute newborns to adult animals that have come from other zoos, so there is always an interesting variety of species for visitors to visit.”