mhale

Jaguar cub at Dartmoor Wildlife Park, 4 October 1993

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This is the old park
Again, it looks like a Jag to me, very small tho, is it a cub?
If you can remember, where was this cage sited?
 
I have amended the photo title. Yes, this was a jaguar cub.

From what I recall, this enclosure was the first one on the left-hand side after the turning to the restaurant. There was also a tiger cub in the same area (see photo posted in the gallery). The ground around these enclosures looked like a builder's yard (there was metal and wood everywhere) and some staff came out of a gate marked "Private" with rottweilers on leads. It was actually quite intimidating and I felt as if I wasn't supposed to be in that area of the park, but it was shown on the map.
 
So was this the serval cage opposite the bears, or the coati cage next to the monkeys?
I remember the feeling, didn't feel like a zoo much.
 
It must have been the serval cage, because my next set of photos were of the bears. I don't even remember seeing any coatis!
 
I think the Basil the coati was held in (what looked like) a parrot cage in the close encounters building years ago. This place really was a tip!
 
The wildlife park brought me to tears on my first visit. I was so upset to see bears begging for food, and visitors being encouraged to throw it to them. Most of the other enclosures weren't much better and I came away feeling really depressed. I went back 8 years later in the hope that things had improved but the park was still owned by the same man and it was close to closing at that time I think.

I haven't had a chance to visit since it has reopened, but I would like to as I have seen the TV show and am hopeful that improvements are steadily being made.
 
I have just consulted my Dartmoor guidebook and, sure enough, the tiger and jaguar cubs were kept in the serval enclosure. I have no idea where the serval was kept at this time though!!
 
Dont worry mhale it has changed for the better i visited a few weeks after it opened and it was really good quite alot of improvements and loads have been happening recently Dartmoor could be a great park but i think they should keep the animals they have got and get more small mammals etc not get animals such as Gorillas,Elephants they havent got the room and it isnt that sort of park.
 

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