Best UK Cheetah enclosure

[britishzoofan]

This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Cheetah's in the UK. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to perhaps list the enclosures in order of what they determine to be the best.

There were a couple of zoos (Banham and Paignton) where I couldn't find pictures of their exhibits. Therefore, if anyone has seen these two enclosures could they give a brief description of the enclosure, evaluate it compared to others and perhaps provide a photo.

If you want to vote for: Big Cat Sanctuary, Banham, Exmoor, Africa Alive, Paignton, Dartmoor, Wingham or Flamingo Land please vote for other in the poll and then in the thread state which collection you were voting for.

Big Cat Sanctuary (South African)

Banham (South African)

Unfortunately, there are no photos in the gallery. It would be extremely useful if someone who has visited can describe the exhibit and give an evaluation on its quality.

WMSP (South African)

Exmoor (South African)

Colchester (South African)

Hamerton (South African)

Africa Alive (South African)

Port Lympne (South African)

Paignton (South African)

Unfortunately, there are no photos in the gallery. It would be extremely useful if someone who has visited can describe the exhibit and give an evaluation on its quality.

Dartmoor

Longleat (South African)

Wingham (South African)

Flamingo Land

Wild Place (Sudan)

Chester (Sudan)

Whipsnade (Sudan)

Marwell (Sudan)

 

[Jedd Cullinan]

Awesome enclosures for Cheetahs

 

[Brum]

A tricky one, out of the ones I've seen then I'm really torn between Chester and Whipsnade. Got to be said though, Wild Place looks really good as well...

 

[Sand Cat]

I voted for Hamerton, mainly for the enclosure/husbandry set-up really - i.e. having multiple enclosures with the means to keep animals off-show and rotate them to try different pairings. Their breeding success would suggest this is a big hit with the cats too!

 

[Shorts]

I voted for Hamerton, mainly for the enclosure/husbandry set-up really - i.e. having multiple enclosures with the means to keep animals off-show and rotate them to try different pairings. Their breeding success would suggest this is a big hit with the cats too!

Me too. They're all pretty much of a muchness to me (fenced field with a bit of bit of furniture, usually incorporating a platform) and Hamerton wins, for me, for the sheer scale and commitment to keeping and breeding the species and the fact that you really can get pretty to close to the Cheetah's when they're walking the boundaries.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Me too. They're all pretty much of a muchness to me (fenced field with a bit of bit of furniture, usually incorporating a platform) and Hamerton wins, for me, for the sheer scale and commitment to keeping and breeding the species and the fact that you really can get pretty to close to the Cheetah's when they're walking the boundaries.

I was torn between Chester and Hamerton, on the basis I like the actual enclosures more at the former, but the latter has made an effort at keeping and breeding the species in a series of linked enclosures which can be compared to Chester's black rhinoceros complex in its scope.

I think the pair of you have swung it for me.

 

[Fallax]

This is a really tough one but I voted Chester. Whipsnade is the only other one I have seen in person and I must say Hamerton looks great too.

 

[amur leopard]

I think it's between Hamerton and Chester (with Whipsnade in there as well. The UK clearly has some really great cheetah enclosures, with only a coupld of French exhibits coming to mind that could come near surpassing the best over here and similarly with German zoos, but I think I'll vote Hamerton.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Could I just mention that the picture shows our original paddock built many years ago.
We now have 8 others too - 5 off-show + 3 partially so...

 

[TNT]

IMO this is probably the toughest poll yet... most of the exhibits are very good, but for different reasons. I'm going to outline some positive aspects of the exhibits that I'm torn between... my preferences when it comes to the exhibits may be different to others, but here we go:

Hamerton (3.4 individuals?) - They have clearly dedicated a huge amount of time and space to the species with one of the larger "groups" in the UK, and multiple paddocks (noted by AS above). The enclosures are both functional (not a bad thing) and large... you're always guaranteed to spot a cheetah, which is nice. As mentioned by another member, the ability to separate and move individuals between the huge number exhibits is fantastic, and very important for this particular species.

Dartmoor (2.0 individuals) - This may seem like an unusual choice to some, but I've always enjoyed watching the Cheetah at Dartmoor. They've always been very active, and look fantastic up on the huge mound in the centre of the exhibit. The photography opportunities are great due to the lack of chain-link fencing, which seems to be the containment of choice in most all of the UK's exhibits. As they aren't breeding (2.0 siblings), the need for a larger secondary paddock for breeding purposes is negated.

Wild Place (3.0) - With three males, there is less of a need to separate individuals for the purposes of breeding, which means they are offered a huge exhibit; and then a decent sized side paddock for short term separation/shut in (first image shown below). When I first saw the exhibit, I was very impressed... not only by the size, but also by the attention to detail in terms of the grass lengths in the exhibit. Care has been taken to keep the grass in some places shorter, to allow good viewing, and then long in places to allow the cheetah opportunity to hide; I always enjoy the challenge of attempting to spot the cheetah amongst the grass. Viewing opportunities are good in that some glass viewing areas are provided... much easier than the chain-link which is predominantly used for this exhibit. Imo, the Wild Place exhibit has found a perfect balance between a functional and naturalistic exhibit, which is why it gets my vote.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

We now have 8 others too - 5 off-show + 3 partially so...

This being the main aspect to which I referred when comparing your complex to the Black Rhinoceros complex at Chester, of course - the sheer devotion to multiple exhibits allowing offshow breeding and the circulation of animals as/when/where required

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Out of curiosity I've worked out the comparative sizes of the various exhibit complexes in question - although the accuracy of these figures is somewhat stymied by the fact the satellite image on Google Maps is several years old and therefore does not show newer developments; as such I suspect the Hamerton figure is an underestimate:

HAMERTON - 5,930 m²
CHESTER - 4,980 m²
WILD PLACE - 4,200 m²
WMSP - 3,990 m²
WHIPSNADE - 3,750 m²
PORT LYMPNE - 2,650 m²
MARWELL - 2,250 m²
COLCHESTER - 1,000 m²

 

[TNT]

Out of curiosity I've worked out the comparative sizes of the various exhibit complexes in question - although the accuracy of these figures is somewhat stymied by the fact the satellite image on Google Maps is several years old and therefore does not show newer developments; as such I suspect the Hamerton figure is an underestimate:

HAMERTON - 5,930 m²
CHESTER - 4,980 m²
WILD PLACE - 4,200 m²
WMSP - 3,990 m²
WHIPSNADE - 3,750 m²
PORT LYMPNE - 2,650 m²
MARWELL - 2,250 m²
COLCHESTER - 1,000 m²

Would be interesting to divide that by the No. of individuals at each collection (to see how many m² is "roughly" provided per individual)

 

[britishzoofan]

Out of curiosity I've worked out the comparative sizes of the various exhibit complexes in question - although the accuracy of these figures is somewhat stymied by the fact the satellite image on Google Maps is several years old and therefore does not show newer developments; as such I suspect the Hamerton figure is an underestimate:

HAMERTON - 5,930 m²
CHESTER - 4,980 m²
WILD PLACE - 4,200 m²
WMSP - 3,990 m²
WHIPSNADE - 3,750 m²
PORT LYMPNE - 2,650 m²
MARWELL - 2,250 m²
COLCHESTER - 1,000 m²

Very interesting. Quite a big difference across collections. It would be interesting to see where Longleat would place.

I'm assuming as nobody has mentioned them the Banham and Paignton enclosures are no match for those who have gained votes so far.

 

[britishzoofan]

Would be interesting to divide that by the No. of individuals at each collection (to see how many m² is "roughly" provided per individual)

I would imagine Wild Place would come out on top. However, I may be wrong.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Out of curiosity I've worked out the comparative sizes of the various exhibit complexes in question - although the accuracy of these figures is somewhat stymied by the fact the satellite image on Google Maps is several years old and therefore does not show newer developments; as such I suspect the Hamerton figure is an underestimate:

HAMERTON - 5,930 m²
CHESTER - 4,980 m²
WILD PLACE - 4,200 m²
WMSP - 3,990 m²
WHIPSNADE - 3,750 m²
PORT LYMPNE - 2,650 m²
MARWELL - 2,250 m²
COLCHESTER - 1,000 m²

At Hamerton, our original paddock is 50m x 50m, seven of the others are roughly half that and one about a quarter. All have 2 holding runs and/or cages attached, plus the house with two rooms - in addition to the paddocks. Probably around 12,000 sq/m enclosed. Space per animal would vary greatly, depending on the population on the day you took the snap-shot...

 

[Brum]

At Hamerton, our original paddock is 50m x 50m, seven of the others are roughly half that and one about a quarter. All have 2 holding runs and/or cages attached, plus the house with two rooms - in addition to the paddocks. Probably around 12,000 sq/m enclosed. Space per animal would vary greatly, depending on the population on the day you took the snap-shot...

And with that Hamerton has come along and stole my vote...

 

[pipaluk]

D

Out of curiosity I've worked out the comparative sizes of the various exhibit complexes in question - although the accuracy of these figures is somewhat stymied by the fact the satellite image on Google Maps is several years old and therefore does not show newer developments; as such I suspect the Hamerton figure is an underestimate:

HAMERTON - 5,930 m²
CHESTER - 4,980 m²
WILD PLACE - 4,200 m²
WMSP - 3,990 m²
WHIPSNADE - 3,750 m²
PORT LYMPNE - 2,650 m²
MARWELL - 2,250 m²
COLCHESTER - 1,000 m²

Do all these figures include offshow areas? Just asking

 

[pipaluk]

I'm struggling with this one. Are we looking for the best zoo exhibit or there record of cheetah breeding?
Best exhibit Chester or Whipsnade

Best breeding record, Whipsnade or Hamerton probably.

 

[britishzoofan]

I'm struggling with this one. Are we looking for the best zoo exhibit or there record of cheetah breeding?
Best exhibit Chester or Whipsnade

Best breeding record, Whipsnade or Hamerton probably.

Simple answer to that, best exhibit. However, you can argue the two are linked.