When taking the photographs I noticed that the enclosure had windows on three sides and decided to go to the side where no one else was standing therefore no reflexions in the window I have been here twice since and still no one goes round the side to get the better image.
I personally do not like this enclosure, it almost seems like the leopards do not have any privacy at all. Whenever I have been to West Midlands since they arrived, they were either asleep or constantly pacing back and forth like in this photo.
I personally do not like this enclosure, it almost seems like the leopards do not have any privacy at all. Whenever I have been to West Midlands since they arrived, they were either asleep or constantly pacing back and forth like in this photo.
I am not one for slatting enclosures so I will not start here but I will say there are many more enclosures in bigger zoos as well as this that have virtually no privacey for the animals.
Lets face it if you go to a zoo as a day out with the family (this does not mean I am having a go at zoochatters) you expect to see the animals they (family) are not that bothered about the enclosure and what it looks like or if it is good for the animal as long as they can see the animal they are happy, and in todays world then if the customer is happy thats all that counts
I am not one for slatting enclosures so I will not start here but I will say there are many more enclosures in bigger zoos as well as this that have virtually no privacey for the animals.
Lets face it if you go to a zoo as a day out with the family (this does not mean I am having a go at zoochatters) you expect to see the animals they (family) are not that bothered about the enclosure and what it looks like or if it is good for the animal as long as they can see the animal they are happy, and in todays world then if the customer is happy thats all that counts
i must respectfully disagree. If the majority did not care about the animals welfare, then how come they exerted so much pressure to reform zoo conditions over the last 20-30 years?
I also feel that, almost unconciously, families do not just want to see an animal, they want a zoo experience. They want to learn, be immersed and entertained, seeing the actual animal is just one part of this.
I completely agrre with what you have said what I was saying was that some zoos much bigger then this have no or very little privacy within their enclosures for the sake of pulling in customers imagine a couple with two children going to a zoo paying £50+ and then going round in summer to find most of the animals hiding in dense shrubbery and can't be seen do you think they would come back for the zoo experience affraid not as I have heard many people while I have been round different zoos say another one not out what a waste of money this as been
As for the majority exerting pressure on zoos to improve if I remember right in the late 70s and early 80s people like myself were hated by the majority of zoo goers for exactly that trying to improve enclosure and health and safety for animals.
I agree that some families want a zoo experience but unfortunatly thier are not many zoos giving a full zoo experience due to funding limits
is it the pacing that causes people to view this enclosure so badly? From photographs it looks larger than the chessington or thrigby hall leopard exhibits. I just think having some platforms and wooden boxes high up would make the animals more secure, as well as darkening the enclosure with some boards on parts of the roof. I don't think the issue here is with space, nor do I think an expensive rockwork makeover is necessary to acheive a massive improvement in the welfare of the leopards.
Just as an update - the Leopards are no longer in this enclosure. It is now home to several Lemurs and the Leopards are in an enclosure on the safari drive unfortunately it's very difficult to get a decent view of them now - but last time I was there a keeper did say that they are looking for a better way to display them for the public.
