This does appear to be a terrific fossa enclosure, especially with all of the climbing devices for the fast-moving predators. They are fascinating creatures, and always a joy to see in zoos.
Their enclosure faces a similar exhibit originally built to seperate the male when cubs were born (which has successfully occured), now used to hold two female short-clawed otters. They can often be seen pacing next to that enclosure and looking in with intensity, their mouths obviously watered by the scent of potential prey (which is all around them, as the lemur complex is behind the wall in this picture).
I'd like to just add that this isn't the whole enclosure. From memory, there is an indoor den as well as another outdoor part with fencing rather than windows. I have been lucky enough to witness the pair being quite active each time I have visited. I agree with you, snowleopard, that they are a joy to watch.
Yes, there is indeed two other enclosures that the fossas can access. One is covered by a mesh roof and is floored with woodchips, whilst there is a smaller indoor den with sleeping baskets etc.
It seems a real waste that a good chunk of the enclosure is currently inhabited by a group of otters - and it makes a mockery of the educational material too. That educational material is good, incidentally, but looking really tired now - it looks as if it hasn't been touched up or renovated since the enclosure opened, which is a pity. And while ranting - why is it that marwell have yellow mongooses in the enclosure adjacent to this and the lemurs? It'd make much more sense ot have some ring-tailed mongooses, and I would have thought that berlin would have been keen to move some of this species on.
Great exhibit though - one of the best at marwell.
The original plan was to have ring-tailed mongooses, and I remember the zoo paper at the time being very excited about it. When it opened in 2002, they said the enclosure will initially keep yellow mongoose until ring-tailed specimens become avaliable. Unfortunately, 7 years on and there's been no word.
The otters are kept there because they are too closely related to the group in Life of the Trees. They have become very aboreal there, and I've seen them sitting high up on the posts. In my opinion however that space should be given to binturong in order to fit in with the South-East Asian theme nearby.
