Sometimes, breeding results aren't everything...In some species, especially certain primates, hypersexuality and thus an increased birth rate is the result of crowded, stressful conditions.
I am sure that a wonderful institution like the Denver Zoo would make sure their cats don't feel overcrowded at all times, therefore I think the breeding is a good sign.
Even "wonderful institutions" aka more or less well managed zoos have some bad exhibits/animal houses; this is another example, and even the best care can't change that. And the more they breed, the more crowded it gets....
Last month I visited Denver Zoo for the first time. They had adorable snow leopard cubs, but in an atrocious small indoor cage. Entire carnivore house is disgusting. Except for Predator Ridge and new entrance complex, this zoo is horrible. I cannot believe they are AZA accredited.
Predator Ridge is brilliant, Primate Panorama has many above average exhibits and the largest number of species of any major zoo in North America, Tropical Discovery is a decent rainforest building, Bird World is often regarded as one of the best bird houses in North America, and Northern Shores has its good points (average exhibits for polar bears, sea lions and seals plus an excellent, acre woodland for arctic wolves). The fabulous book America's Best Zoos rates the Denver Zoo as being in 8 of their top 20 lists, and at #2 for primates and #2 for the impressive hoofstock collection. After all of that I do agree that the carnivore house is an absolute atrocity and should have been bulldozed years ago, and the pachyderm building is another abomination. However, I'm sure that you are aware that Asian Tropics, a 10-acre rotating set of habitats, will open in the next year or so. It is being regarded as possibly a world-class addition to an already incredibly popular zoo. There were close to 2 million visitors in 2008!
I agree with snowleopard and there are proposed plans of an Asian Forest to replace their cat house. It is a good sign that the Snow Leopards are breeding though!
Sure, they have a good hoofstock collection and they are in fairly large yards, but they are just generic square fields tacked side by side. To be fair, however, I must confess I only had half a day there and did not get to the Northern Shores side of the zoo. The entrance plaza is outstanding and if they can make the rest of the zoo feel and look that way, then they'll really have something.
