This is an interesting enclosure, probably the only "open" enclosure I've seen for Serval. The viewing area here isn't windows, they are just open viewing decks. The ground slopes well down below the decks and there are also (presumably electric) overhang fences below the decks which can be seen in the photo as well.
@Chlidonias I agree most enclosures housing small cats such as Servals, Fishing Cats & Bobcats, would usually have a roof with glass viewing.
But it's cool to see how it's open, & you view the Serval from a balcony.
@Chlidonias The Servals always seem really engaged with this exhibit, which is a good sign. I rarely see them pacing etc. and they make use of the whole exhibit. The female’s preferred place is a ledge in the far right corner of this photo. You can see her from above if you look over the rear fence, which backs on to the rhino waterhole: Serval (Leptailurus serval) - ZooChat
This open-topped enclosure got me thinking and I looked through the ZooChat gallery to see what zoos I'd visited with open-topped Serval exhibits. With 520 different zoos and aquariums under my belt, I was surprised to only find 4 Serval exhibits that I've seen that were open-topped. Here they are:
I wonder if the lack of open-topped enclosures has more to do with not letting the cat escape, or protecting passing birds from its ambush behavior? I suspect the former given that most cats (bar lions, tigers and cheetahs) are not housed in open-topped enclosures, but it could work both ways I guess.
That's a nice enclosure for servals. The barriers at the viewing area look quite insubstantial though. The Night Safari in Singapore used to keep its servals in an open, moated enclosure (up till the mid 2000s if I recall), but they managed to escape on a couple of occasions (the cats were safely recovered).
@Zooish The visitor barrier has hotwire directly under it (just visible in the photo). I agree it’s an excellent exhibit. It opened in 2004 and has stood the test of time. With the space they have, there’s little I’d change. Interestingly, the Serval previously lived in a series of old cages that although were antiquated, they seemed to greatly enjoy walking along the many ledges that were used to increase the footprint of the exhibit. Aside from the ledge I mention in my comment above, this is the biggest thing lacking in this exhibit.
