Zoo pays tribute to all their animal mums
BOSSES at Twycross Zoo have paid tribute to the centre’s animal mums and babies to mark Mother’s Day.
Furry families include Kibriah and Maliku the Borneo orang utan mums, and their offspring, Kayan (3, female) and Basuki (3, male), and Likemba the bonobo mum and her offspring, Lola (1, female).
A total of 22 animals were born in 2020 at the zoo, contributing to the long term survival of their species.
Zoo curator, Neil Dorman, said: “Although Mother’s Day is a fun day to celebrate, the animal mums at our zoo play a critical role in conservation ensuring that we have safety-net populations in our care that can support the decreasing numbers of their wild counterparts. It’s a shame that this year we are unable to share the day with our visitors; however, we look forward to welcoming our visitors back from 12th April for a belated Mother’s Day visit.”
Twycross Zoo is a conservation charity and is the only place in the UK home to the four great ape species.
It is also home to some of the world’s most endangered species, including Sumatran tigers, Eastern black rhino, Bornean orang utans and Amur leopards.
The zoo has lost a lot of income from being closed for extended periods since the coronavirus lockdown was announced in March 2020, which has meant it has had to use cash reserves and rely on bank loans and public donations.
It saw less than a third of its expected visitors over last year’s summer holidays.
You can book a ticket ahead of the reopening, on the Twyross Zoo website.