Leopards In UK Zoos

Nsakazi

Nsakazi

Member
Hi everyone :)

I have recently got back from spending 2 months out in South Africa on a wildlife conservation project.
While out there I completely fell in love with Leopards, there is just something about them that is just so beautiful and everytime I see one it brings a tear to my eye.
Being within 5 metres from wild leopards was just breathtaking and hearing their call rumble through you in the morning is beyond words!!

Anyway......I was wondering if anyone knows if any Zoos in the UK that have Leopards? The ones near me (Devon) don't seem to and I cannot find anywhere that does. I love Longleat because of the space the animals have but have been many times and know they don't have Leopards.
I have mixed opinions on animals in captivity but would like to visit some Zoos that have Leopards and Snow Leopards just to see them again really. It will be very different going from working with them in the wild to seeing them in Zoos but they are just so beautful I'd like to get some nice pictures.

I am planning to go back out to South Africa next year and stay for longer but in the mean time this would be nice :)

Thanks
 
Off the top of my head the nearest place to you, though still a bit of a hike, would be Marwell. It has both Amur Leopards & Snow Leopards.
 
If you want to do some serious comparisons of the types of leopards and be guaranteed good photo ops, I would highly recommend you take the Eurostar from London to Paris and then travel by train or rental car to Le Parc Des Felins, which I recently did.

They have four subspecies and/or color morphs of the common leopard, all in their own huge enclosures. Represented are: sri lanka leopard, persian leopard, amur leopard, black leopard. They also have snow leopards and clouded leopards, which are of course different species, not to mention tons of other cats (far more than any place else on earth).

If you go right now, there is an adorable snow leopard cub (plus lots of other cubs on the Asian circuit, but none of these are leopards).
 
Marwell has very good viewing of the Amur leopards if you are lucky and one is in the tree by the raised viewing platform.

People were in awe of it when I was there and it was the best view of a leopard I have ever seen.
 
Nsakazi said:
Anyway......I was wondering if anyone knows if any Zoos in the UK that have Leopards? The ones near me (Devon) don't seem to and I cannot find anywhere that does.
Click to expand...

Exmoor Zoo has black leopards, unless things have changed.
 
There were also Amur Leopards at Cricket St Thomas(Somerset) but presumably no longer. Does anyone know where they went to? (information on the dispersal of Cricket's stock seems pretty hard to come by with a few exceptions)
 
FYI there are Amur Leopards at Colchester and Twycross Zoos. Twycross also has snow leopards .... you can't miss their enclosure as it's part of the new entrance, but they might be harder to spot ! Linton Zoo in Cambs also has snow leopards, and a single female African leopard. Paradise Park in Herts also has snow leopards. Thrigby Hall in Norfolk has Amur Leopards too.

Appreciate these aren't close to Devon !
 
Thanks everyone. I don't mind travelling within reason to different zoos so there are plenty there for me to research :)
 
I didn't realise there were so many Zoos in the UK had kept Leopards. Ideally wanting to photograph and see African and Snow Leopards.
 
Nsakazi said:
I didn't realise there were so many Zoos in the UK had kept Leopards. Ideally wanting to photograph and see African and Snow Leopards.
Click to expand...

There's also a pair of snow leopards at the Welsh Mountain Zoo...not the best enclosure in the world but they are usually the main reason for a visit to me (along with the brown bears)
 
Nsakazi said:
I didn't realise there were so many Zoos in the UK had kept Leopards. Ideally wanting to photograph and see African and Snow Leopards.
Click to expand...
Don`t think there are any pure African Leopards in the UK.

Before anyone says the one in the cage in the main paddock at West Midlands its a Hybrid!
 
Pygathrix said:
They have a male Amur and a clouded pair who take turns in the large outdoor enclosure.
Click to expand...

Wo betide anyone who choses to rotate cloudies with another carnivore species - see the RSCC thread! Or perhaps it is acceptable for CWP to do it but not RSCC.

Besides, I am fairly certain that the cloudies at CWP are housed in the off-show cage to the rear of the main leopard enclosure whilst the male Amur still occupies the exhibit cage.
 
there is NO way there are clouded leopard at cotswold wildlife park, im sorry but theres is no way
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top