Jaguars in the UK

My normal zoo travelling companion love jaguars as well so I've seen many of them in the UK.
Chester zoo - the enclosure both inside and outside is fantastic. If you are patient then you can get great views of them. Inside viewing is through glass, outside is open viewing.
They currently have permission to breed as of last year but no success as yet.
Big Cat Sanctuary - only on open days or via an experience. I recommend the photography day as you get really close and have great amounts of time with all the various cats.
All 3 jaguars are female with 2 black.
Dartmoor - open fronted enclosure. Great viewing.
Paradise wildlife park - currently have a cub. If you like cats then it is a fantastic place to visit. Great raised walkways so you can follow them around their enclosure. They are currently building a new enclosure for the cub once she gets older.
Wingham - wire viewing. Very small enclosure but it does mean that you get very close to them. 1 black.
I havent visited Amazona or South lakes as yet.
The jaguar at the isle of Wight has just died if I remember correctly.

I hope this helps in you plans to visit jaguars in the UK.

Having talked to keepers at various places I've been told that they are certainly the scariest cats to look after which would contribute to why there are so few places that keep them. One of the jaguars at BCS is well know for her attempt at escaping. All foiled but she is both very cunning and sneaky.

Oh if you want to go further afield then Paris has 2 jaguars (1 black) and it's a lovely zoo to explore. And Amsterdam zoo has 2 (black) cubs at the moment.
 
Thanks Hettie for your detailed post, very interesting to get a bit more info on the various holders and the way they exhibit their jaguars. I've always thought Chester's enclosure to be very impressive and, though I haven't been there for ages, Dartmoor offers brilliant viewing.

Re: them being scary, I gather jaguars are considered to be particularly intelligent, and of course they're amazingly powerful - which makes the open fronted enclosures all the more thrilling! They are such fantastic animals though; I was pleased to note recently on Chester's website that one of their carnivore keepers hails them as her favourite species and loves the challenges that working with them brings. Its nice that some people love them so much and see them as a challenge worth taking on!
 
Dartmoor offers brilliant viewing.

Indeed, but I can't help being a little nervous whenever I'm there -the potential distance between Jaguar and viewer always seems too small for me. I also used to feel a little uncomfortable when they housed Siberian Tigers in the lower "pit" enclosure (it's below the main tiger enclosure and more recently held Cheetah) as I felt an annoyed tiger would easily have been able to scramble up the wall and out.
 
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