Analysis of Twycross Zoo organisation

Twycross Zoo is located in the village of Twycross in Leicestershire. Most of the population are within an hour of Twycross Zoo, approx 9 million.

History of the zoo:

The Zoo was founded in 1962 by Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans. Molly Badham, who kept animals from a young age, owned a pet shop in her home town, along with Nathalie Evans who also had a pet shop in the same time. The two women went on to share a flat along with two chimpanzees. Their collections of animals grew, and they went on to buy a large plot of land with stables, farm buildings etc. Molly Badham then went on to become an expert in the care of primates in captivity, and now the zoo has grown to have one of the largest numbers of primates. Molly and Nathalie set up a charity called the ‘East midlands zoological society’ and the animal collection and zoo premises were donated to them in 1962.

Size of organisation:

The zoo attracts around 500,000 visitors a year. The zoo employs around 120 full time staff, and also employee seasonal staff for more help around the seasonal times.

Nature of the work done:

The zoos main aim is a sanctuary for the animals that they keep there. Also, conservation, education and research that is done within the zoo. The zoo does a lot of things for the animals. They do captive breeding.

The captive breeding programme

At Twycross zoo there are many animals that are threatened with extinction. The main reason for extinction is usually because of the human population, and zoos and organisations who try to help these animals have been working together for years to try prevent animals from going extinct and making organisations, helping zoo’s and captive breeding centres etc to make sure that these animals don’t go extinct by doing things such as the captive breeding programme, they also need to keep the zoo population. There are many species of land vertebrates that will soon need to be cared for by humans if they are not able to breed well in the wild. By working with other organisations and captive breeding centres etc they can help to breed animals quicker than if they were in the wild or troubled areas etc. An example of this is the Amur Leopard that they have bought to Twycross zoo to breed the animal and make sure that it doesn’t go extinct.

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The zoo also does research at the zoo for animals. The zoo has a strong research department and support many projects every year. The zoo promotes research, especially if it benefits animal welfare and the conservation at the zoo. Most of the researchers that Twycross zoo recruit are studying the animals that the zoo have because they have the largest collection of primate species of any zoo in the world, apart from countries like Japan.

The zoo research behaviour, nutrition etc to help and look after the animals at the zoo to the best that they can, finding new ways to give the animals the nutrition that they need and new ways to make sure that the behaviour of the animals is good, and if it isn’t finding new ways to make sure the animals are happy and well looked after. Also, the methods of feeding the animals and the food that they feed them are very closely researched as every animal has a carefully regulated diet and this needs to be obtained.

The zoo also contributes to campaigns; this is a good thing to do for them because it shows that the zoo is interested in things that are happening and things that are related to the zoo.

They also maintain animal welfare and this is very important for the animals because the research done for animal welfare is focusing on the body, the heart rate etc to examine how the animal is coping with its environment and food etc.

The zoo focuses on enrichment for the animals also. The reason the zoo do enrichment is to make sure that the animals are happy and occupied with the things that the zoo provide for them to play with and do etc. They do this for many reasons, such as to make sure animals perform natural behaviours, animals are more active, animals have more control over their lives, and environment is more interesting to animals and public and to avoid development of stereotypical behaviour. They keep there eye on the animals daily and write down the notes on the animals for each day.

Twycross zoo has a professional education department. They teach the public that visit the zoo all of the things that they would like to know about the zoo. They also teach schools and universities. They do this by giving group talks and answering individual questions asked by the public that visit the zoo. When a school or university visits the zoo, they can arrange a talk with a member of staff at the zoo and they tell you everything about the zoo that you need to know.

The areas of science used in the organisation (biology, chemistry, physics)

At Twycross zoo, there are different sections; the zoo is split up into different areas. This means that in all of the different sections, there are different parts of science that is used.

Biology is used in the zoo because part of biology is the study of plants. There are plants and trees everywhere around the zoo. They need to understand the plants they put into enclosures incase it is harmful to any of the animals. Also, plants that the animals can eat need to be researched incase they harm the animal in any way. The zoo keepers would use this to make the enclosures and around the zoo look a bit better, also

Zoology is one of the branches of biology that looks into the structure, function, behaviour, and evolution of animals. To learn about animal behaviour and how the animals behave and show if the animals are happy with their environment and are eating the correct food with the specific minerals, vitamins in etc. The animal keepers, vets, researchers and zoo owners are most likely to use this part of science.

The zoo could also use biochemistry, for example the vet; if they have a sample to send to a laboratory this could be used.

The zoo would also use building biology, as this is the study of indoor living environment they would need to use this bit of science to make sure that the building requirements for the enclosures are up to standard and suitable for each and every animal. The estates part of the employees would use this part of science.

The zoo would use conservation biology a lot around the zoo because it is the study of restoration of the natural environment, wildlife, vegetation, preservation and protection. These are some of the main aims of the zoo, making sure that they are being environmentally friendly and finding new ways to restore the natural environment. Conservationist at the zoo would defiantly use this part of science, so would the zoo keepers and the maintenance employees too.

Ethology is the study of animal behavior; this is used a lot in zoos because they study the animal’s behavior to make sure that they are happy with the environment and their enclosure etc. They also study the animal’s behavior to make sure that they are healthy and being looked after well.

The zoo also use chemistry, this is another use of science used in the zoo.

They use chemistry to understand what medicines to give to the animals. Also, the use of cleaning fluids needs to be researched and studied to make sure that it wont affect the animals at all and can clean it properly also. Also, cooking in the cafes and restaurants need to use chemistry with cooking also, to make sure that it is cooked properly and the correct temperatures and ingredients.

Physics is used a lot around the zoo because there are a lot of buildings and enclosures, so the physics has to be good and up to standards to make sure that it is suitable and safe for the animals, visitors and employees to work, live and look in.

Skills used by employees which are science related:

At Twycross zoo there is a lot of science used in the organisation.

In Administration science is used in:

• Personal decisions
• Business decisions
• Finance
• ICT
• Animal databases
• Records

The skills and qualifications for these are:

• GCSE’s
• Business administration
• Computer Science
• The director of administration is a vet.

The animal team are very important in the zoo, they care for the animals. The science used is listed:

• Keeping animal records
• Feeding and cleaning
• Caring for animals (medication etc)
• Designing enclosures and enrichment
• The qualifications used are:
• Related degrees
• Animal management
• NVQ, GNVO Diploma, HND
• Veterinary health studies

Experience

Estates also use science in the zoo. They help to maintain that the zoo is up to standards and build new things to make the zoo a better place for the animals, workers and visitors.

The jobs that done are:

• Gardening
• Building enclosures
• Maintenance
• Electrical
• The qualifications needed for this are:
• Trades
• Horticulture

Education is a big part of the zoo, and the zoo do there best to make sure that visitors and workers etc are educated properly and understand the history, reason etc of the zoo.

The jobs to do with education are:

• Teaching
• Campaigns
• Signage and Interpretation
• Outreach
• Research

The qualifications needed for this are:

• GCSE’s
• A Levels
• Relevant degrees
• Teaching
• Experience

There are also other staffs that work at the zoo. These aren’t as important as the animal keepers etc. These include:

• Food and Beverage
• Gift shop workers
• Visitor services

The qualifications are:

• GCSE’s
• A Levels
• Experience

Examples of a range of jobs used in the organisation and the roles and responsibilities of those employees, you should also identify any scientific qualifications required for the jobs / how science is used

• Job
• Role
• Responsibilities
• Qualifications needed
• How science is used
• Education Officer

An education officer supports the education department, provides high standard services for groups of students and children visiting the zoo.

– Preparation of talks for groups of students.

– Delivering talks

– Keeping education buildings tidy

– Marketing the zoo’s education services

– Graduate in a zoo – related subject

– Preferably PGCE qualified

– Experience in teaching

– Excellent presentation skills

Science is used in this because you have to know all about the animals so you can teach people about them.

Catering manager

To ensure that the catering department delivers a cost effective service to the zoo.

– Motivate and manage staff

– Recruitment, training, development

– Maintain health, safety, hygiene

– Experience in budget setting and management

– Experienced in managing

– IT Literate

Biology is used for cooking.

Ranger

Being a key member of the team offering each member of the public their first impression of the zoo. Communicating with the public and welcoming them.

– Working on a few areas of visitor services.

– Help with car parking, gift aid, pay booth, information centre.

-Litter picking, cleaning etc.

– Good customer care skills, polite, friendly, helpful.

– Punctual

Qualifications aren’t essential.

Science isn’t really that important in this job, but you will need to know about the animals if the visitors ask anything.

Animal keeper (Grade 1)

To assist with the animal keeping on their section, so that it is carried out to the standards on a day-to-day basis.

Animals:

-Prepare and distribute food and water correctly.

-Know the animals, check, observe them.

Enclosures:

-Keep to standards of hygiene, cleanness.

-Maintain security

Staff:

– Assist with training

– Know the animals dietary requirements

– Follows the zoo’s health and safety instructions

– Had training and experience

Science is used because you need to know everything about the animals, what they eat and understand and identify their behaviour etc.

Gardener & Maintenance operative

To assist in the upkeep and planting of the zoo’s grounds and displays. Also, assist with the general maintenance.

-Mowing lawns

-Digging ground

-Planting

-General maintenance of grounds display

– Driving transport

-Physically fit, active

– Work experience as a labourer or gardener

Science isn’t really used with this job.

Vet

To help the zoo with the everyday care of animals. Be on hand to assist anything that they are needed for. Treat the animals when needed.

– Always on hand to help when there is a problem

– Care and look after the animals to make sure they are healthy.

– If they need treating to treat them in the correct way.

– Vaccinations etc.

-Biology ‘A’ Level, as well as one or two from Physics, Chemistry and Maths.

– Grades at ‘A’ Level, two A’s and a B, or, in some cases, three A’s

– Alternatively, a distinction in BTEC Diploma in Animal Science.

-Biology

Example of how changing scientific ideas affect the processes used within the company.

When scientific things are changed that are to do with the zoo, the zoo have to adapt to the changes and make sure that they are up to date with all of the latest ideas and changes within science, like better equipment and materials etc.

Things have to change in the zoo when scientific ideas change. The ethics of the zoo has changed along the years as there are more scientific ideas being founded, from exhibition to now it is education and conservation.

The enclosure designs also change with scientific ideas also. Before new materials were developed, the zoo enclosures were wired fences with not much to play with and not that great security, also it wasn’t very nice for the animals as they felt like they were trapped in cages and visitors weren’t happy to see the animals in cages, so they had to change how they were designed with scientific ideas. Now there are thick glass walls around the animal’s enclosure, this is better for the animal because they don’t feel as caged in and it is easier for visitors to view the animals and it is a more natural and earthly place for the animals to live in. They also have changed the materials in the zoos so that the animals are a lot safer with what they are living in and playing with etc. For example, the playground equipment that the gorilla’s have used to be unsafe and unsteady with the materials that were used before, and they may not even have had anything to play on because it was unsafe and they didn’t have the correct materials. Now, they have strong wood play equipment that is safe for the animal to sit and play on.

There are a lot of changes of how the staffs work with day to day work due to the research that is done. They do different things to what they did before new research and scientific research was done.

Also, the zoo is a lot more environmentally friendly than it used to be because of the world changing because of scientific things that are happening in the world, they join up with everyone else with recycling and re-using things.

How ICT is used in the company:

ICT is used in the zoo because they have to do some work with ICT and computers to understand their animals and keep records on them etc.

The zoo has to keep records on every single animal to make sure that nothing goes wrong and they are not fed or gave medication twice for example. They have to keep animal records on everything about the animal and what they eat, how they need to be given it. Also, with the active breeding programme they have to make sure that they put into records about the animals breeding. The zoo do this because if anything went wrong with the zoo or there are new staff being employed, and if the zoo goes under new management etc they have under records everything about the animals and what is going on with them, this is to make sure that they have proof of what they are doing and have done.

They also have staff records at the zoo to see the record on staff, so that other staff and managers etc can see what is going on and the comments or qualifications etc are up to standards and that they are doing their job properly and they don’t have any records on the CRB.

The zoo also does the pay roll using ICT. This is easier so they have all of the pay rolls and records on the computer and don’t get confused with them. Also, it is easier to print off and get all of the pay roll’s right for every staff worker. The zoo also uses ICT for pay rolls are that it is easy to update and change.

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The zoo has partnership with many other zoos in the world, so they used ICT to communicate with other zoos for research, help or to do with the animals. This is easier, and much cheaper to keep in contact with them over the internet, emails etc than phone calling abroad into other countries which will cost a lot more. Also, the zoo has a website so they need to keep that up to date and running.

Rules and regulations that the company has to adhere to:

Twycross zoo has several rules and regulations that they have to stick to and go along with. Every company has rules and regulations that they must stick to and keep in line with the law, if they don’t they are breaking the law and could in fact have their company shut down.

There is a lot of rules and regulations for Twycross zoo as they have to stick to them strictly to make sure that the animals are as safe as they can be in their home, and also that the visitors and staff are safe.

The zoo has to stick to the rules and regulations of the ‘The Provision of Services Regulations.’ There are lots of different parts to this that the zoo has to stick to, the part of the provision they have to stick to is called the Secretary of state’s standards of modern zoo practice.

The provision of food and water regulation states that the food must be presented in an appropriate manner, it must be of nutritive value, good quantity and quality. That the animals must have fresh, clean drinking water and it must be available to them at all times. It also states that supplies of food and drink should be kept and prepared under hygienic conditions.

The provision of a suitable environment states that the temperature, ventilation, lighting and noise levels in the enclosures must be suitable for an animal. That the animals in outdoor enclosures must be provided with shelter. Also, that the enclosures and barriers must be in good condition and not be any harm to animals, for example they must not have barriers where the animal could get out, or get hurt or stuck in it.

Provision of animal health care states that the zoo has to do routine observation, which means that the animals should be checked at least twice a day by the person that is in charge of that section on that day, and that if they are any cause for concerned they need to be checked by a proper professional immediately. They also have to keep a daily record on that animal.

It also states that they have to check the enclosures closely also. They must be a size and design and suitable for the animal to live in. Also, they must not put animals that don’t get on or are not the same species into the same enclosure. Keepers must also check the plants and trees in the enclosures to make sure they cannot injure the animal in any way at all. Also, there must be a distance between the barriers and enclosures, and also a distance between the visitors in case of the spread of disease.

The provision of opportunity to express most normal behaviour states that the animals should always be allowed the opportunity to express the behaviour that they would like to do and in any way that they would like to, which is suitable.

The provision of protection from fear and distress states that animals must be handled and looked after by qualified and experienced staff, it must be done with care to make sure that the animals are protected. It also states that animals must under any circumstances be provoked for the benefit of the public. If the animal was to interact in a stressful way, they must not be approached or looked at closely. If the animal is pregnant with young children, they should be put in a quiet area to minimise stress.

The secretary of state’s standards of modern zoo practice also covers a lot more things that are to do with the zoo. It covers transportation, so that the zoo has to ensure that when the animals are being transported they are always safe and looked after properly and not getting aggravated. It also ensures that the zoo has a lot of public safety and that they make sure they stick to the rules to keep everybody safe. Also, they have to ensure that staff has training and are fully qualified and experienced with doing what they are doing and ready for things that could happen.

What are risk assessments? Who creates them and how are they used:

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what in your company could cause harm to people or animals. They are used in all businesses and organisations and are there to predict and limit the hazards that could happen in your workplace or in Twycross zoos place the home of animals. With risk assessments you can see whether you have taken enough precautions and predictions to make sure that the company is trying its hardest to make sure staff, visitors and animals are protected the best that they can. All zoo’s and wildlife parks legally have to perform risk assessments. They are made by the selected persons that have been asked to make a risk assessment. For example, they could ask the zoo keeper to make one as they know the things that could go wrong and work with the animals, public, and other staff and also in the enclosures so they can predict what could happen. A higher member of staff could also make the risk assessments to what they think could go wrong, or the more predictable risk assessments that they know.

10&11 – Lost them, need doing again. Œ

What kite marks are and what they represent:

The Kitemark symbolises quality and safety to people and also businesses, it is a registered trademark of the British standards institution. It is a mark of excellent assurance and visible evidence that the product conforms to certain guidelines; also it shows that the product or business has gone through testing to make sure it is appropriate for the purpose.

For the business or product in question to gain a kite mark they have to go through several stages of testing to make sure that the product or business is a 100% safe for the consumer or visitor to feel safe in using the product or attending the business. The Kitemark is trusted and recognised by more than 88% of the population and of those who recognised the Kitemark claimed that products with a Kitemark were 93% safer and 91% felt that it would be better quality and purpose.

Around the zoo there are many products and places that will have the Kitemark symbol on it. For example, there should be a Kitemark on most of the glass windows you see around the zoo, or even on a fire extinguisher in the enclosures, or in the zoo shop it will have it on near enough ever souvenir that you can buy in there.

Kitemarks are important to customers because they feel like they have trust in knowing that the product or place that they are buying or visiting has been tested and is of the highest safety and qualify that it can be. They have trust in the product or business because it is well known and they know that it takes work to have a Kitemark so the product or business must be safe enough.

Impacts on the local community:

The demands made on transport and communications systems:

The zoo affects the local community, with people visiting the zoo daily the visitors and also the staff have to go through the local village to get to Twycross zoo. At peak season, there are many more visitors than other times of the year and this is going to cause more cars and coaches etc visiting the zoo. This could cause some hassle in the community as the roads aren’t big enough for big coaches and lots of traffic to go through and build up, so traffic problems on the way to the zoo can cause a major problem for the community.

Also, with so much traffic going through the local village there is going to be a lot more pollution and noise than the community are used to.

The zoo has made some changes so that they are putting less stress on the community. They have changed the entrance to get the traffic off the roads quicker and the majority queuing is on the campus of Twycross zoo.

Waste management:

Twycross zoo produce a lot of waste daily. They are trying their best to reduce their footprint as much as they can.

They are reducing their contribution to waste landfill by recycling as much as they can, and also trying to reduce the waste that they produce with things that aren’t needed. For example, most of the paper that the zoo uses is shredded and used as animal bedding. This is a good idea because you are not wasting paper and re-using it with something that is essential to the animals.

With the animal waste, the animals produce near enough 800 tonnes of poo a day! This means that they have a lot of poo to get rid of and they have to do it environmentally. They have invested in an in-vessel composting system. It works by putting the poo, shredded paper, straw, sawdust and garden waste into the machine, and it grinds the compost down and heats it up to 60 degrees. The reason for heating the compost is to get rid of all of the bacteria and germs. It generates sterilized compost in around 15 days.

They are also doing their best to reduce the electricity that they need by using as many energy efficient products as they can. For example, using energy saving light bulbs.

They are also reducing the effect they have on the water system by creating their own environmentally friendly water filtration system.

Here is a flow chart that describes what the zoo does with their animal waste:

Economy:

Twycross zoo also helps the economy by providing jobs for people that need work and that is helping society by producing more jobs so that less people are unemployed.

Also, that the shops around the zoo could benefit from Twycross zoo being in the village that is in because visitors could go into the local village and buy things from the shops which is more profit and customers for the shop.

Community involvement:

The zoo does a pretty good job of involving the community in what they do. They do this by holding events organised and held by the zoo itself to involve the community. Also, they do talks and educate the community in what they do at the zoo and everything that they would like to know to involve them a lot more.

You can join the zoo as a member, this will give you certain advantages to the zoo for example you can get cheaper entry.

Also, you can adopt an animal at the zoo. This can be a fun thing to do for children and involve the public in with the animals and the zoo.

Energy consumption:

The zoo tries their best to reduce the amount of energy that they consume.

They do this by using energy efficient appliances such as energy efficient light bulbs and heating. They also have under floor heating and this saves energy because less heat is being wasted and also they are more efficient than radiators.

Also, with the new buildings that are being built they make sure that they build them with more energy efficient things in their building. For example they put more insulation and under floor heating in the new buildings to try and save as much energy as they can.

The zoo also now use glass in the enclosures instead of cages. This is a great way to keep heat and energy in as is keep more heat in than a cage.