So this is supposedly the entire enclosure? There are worse snow leopard exhibits out there in the zoo world, but not many that take about 8 seconds to walk from one end to the other.
What worries me about this enclosure is not so much the size, but the opportunity or lack of it, to have any sort of view out of the enclosure beyond those bland grey walls, every inch the prison cell.
For animals from the wild that spend the majority of their time scanning the surrounding mountainside for bharal or markhor, this gilded cell gives them by the looks of it no such opportunity.
This is where the new snow leopard enclosure comes into its own open and airy with plenty of opportunity to look out over the grounds of the zoo, along with ample rockwork to give them some security.
I wonder why they didn't prop up the roof with poles like they did with the clouded leopard exhibit? I know it's not ideal but it would at least give them some panorama. @snowleopard: I didn't see it finished, but I think it was about twice this size.
With the grey walls and rocky backdrop this photo seems as if it was taken at Guantanamo Bay. Maybe Obama should head over to the U.K. and shut this enclosure down as well as the infamous Cuban prison.
@snowleopard, if you actually knew anything about snow leopard habitat, you would know that in general they live above the tree line, meaning that a rocky backdrop would be appropriate for their wild habitat. Why would you think their fur is white and black? To blend in with snow and rocks. They're not jungle animals.
Furthermore, comparing that enclosure to a facility where people were routinely tortured is completely out of order. I've seen the enclosure and the behavior of the cats in it, and they engage in completely natural behavior with no sign of stress at all. They're not being waterboarded, they're not subject to sleep deprivation or walling or anything else.
Indeed, there have been some harsh unnecessary criticisms of this place, but like I said, this enclosure and the clouded leopard one seem to be about the same size as the Howletts cages for the same species (I say seem as I never saw the snow leopard exhibit right up close as it was being rendered when I visited, so I couldn't get close.
Indeed, there have been some harsh unnecessary criticisms of this place, but like I said, this enclosure and the clouded leopard one seem to be about the same size as the Howletts cages for the same species (I say seem as I never saw the snow leopard exhibit right up close as it was being rendered when I visited, so I couldn't get close.
The irony here is that all the people who have actually been to the facility come away with a generally favorable experience. I've been there several times, and it's not perfect, but every time it's improved and obviously they're putting a massive amount of effort into the place. The people who live in Sweden, Canada, and Berkeley all have a negative attitude though they've never been to visit.
I've also seen the Howlett's enclosures for these species and they're definitely an appropriate size, and the Snow Leopard enclosure has appropriate scenery given that they're mountain cats who live above the tree line, and the animals are showing perfectly natural behavior with no stereotyping. Isn't that the most important thing? The welfare of the animals?
While I think this enclosure has lots of room for improvement, it seems to be better than many of the other enclosures at RSCC that I've seen posted here. Especially if, as ashley-h says, this is about half the enclosure (although it's a little difficult to accurately judge it's size without an occupant in the picture for comparison). I wouldn't be thrilled if the entire substrate was broken shale, I think a little grass in there would be in order.
I think the thing they could do with more than anything is having some elevation to see above the walls, as the net roof is flat so there's no way for them to see out.
I dont think this enclosure is too bad if it was made taller with more netting with a/a few tall rocks giving the snowleopards a view around the site would be alot better and if this is only half the size of the enclosure it doesnt look too bad.
I like this enclosure if it was made taller with a tall rock i think it would be very good
Size is not always the main thing in designing enclosures.
Regards
