Best Big Cat Enclosure in the UK

Riziki said:
Best Tiger Enclosure - Whipsnades Tiger Enclosure + Howletts has been considered by quite alot of people do be very good too.
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I am going to continue championing the cause of the IOW's Tiger Sanctuary. Although only stages 1, 2 and 3 have so far been completed, they provide excellent facillities for the animals and each enclosure is based on an actual national park in India (so far Kanha, Ranthambhore and Penna). Each have different features inspired by the parks which they are based on so that, when all five stages are complete, the 20+ tigers will be rotated and have different environments and enrichment oppurtunities each day.

Also, the zoo contributes to the conservation of tigers in India, to the breeding programme by taking in cross-bred tigers, and is the only place where I have seen the white tiger story successfully explained to the public.

I regard the Tiger Sanctuary concept and its enclosures as more innovative and better for the public and animals then both Whipsnade's enclosure and (sorry Riziki) the Howletts enclosures.

Just to finish, here are the plans for the astonishing stage five, based on Bandhavgarh national park. I am quite sure nothing like this has ever been attempted before...

Future developments at the Isle of Wight Zoo
 
Sorry about that Redpanda i have never seen Isle Of Wights Tiger Sanctuary and i would like to so much!
Lets change it to -
Best Amur Tiger Enclosure - Whipsnade
Best Bengal Tiger Enclosure - Isle Of Wight Zoo
Sorry about that Red Panda.
 
Riziki said:
Sorry about that Redpanda i have never seen Isle Of Wights Tiger Sanctuary and i would like to so much!
Lets change it to -
Best Amur Tiger Enclosure - Whipsnade
Best Bengal Tiger Enclosure - Isle Of Wight Zoo
Sorry about that Red Panda.
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Cheers, for a small zoo which is otherwise pretty average, these enclosures really do deserve recognition.
 
elephant400 said:
At chester i loved the maned wolves ( i know their canine but i couldn't help mentioning them, lol ) enclosure, which is now the butterfly house. I thought it was really good, a lot of platforms. poles and enrichment. They could of cut the bush a bit but i thought it was a really good enclosure.
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the last time i was at chester we didn't see the wolves :(
 
best (not cloudie or snowies) leopard, Heythrop and marwell

Are there any photos of chesters maned wolf and howletts north chinese leopard?
 
redpanda said:
I am going to continue championing the cause of the IOW's Tiger Sanctuary. Although only stages 1, 2 and 3 have so far been completed, they provide excellent facillities for the animals and each enclosure is based on an actual national park in India (so far Kanha, Ranthambhore and Penna). Each have different features inspired by the parks which they are based on so that, when all five stages are complete, the 20+ tigers will be rotated and have different environments and enrichment oppurtunities each day.

Also, the zoo contributes to the conservation of tigers in India, to the breeding programme by taking in cross-bred tigers, and is the only place where I have seen the white tiger story successfully explained to the public.

I regard the Tiger Sanctuary concept and its enclosures as more innovative and better for the public and animals then both Whipsnade's enclosure and (sorry Riziki) the Howletts enclosures.

Just to finish, here are the plans for the astonishing stage five, based on Bandhavgarh national park. I am quite sure nothing like this has ever been attempted before...

Future developments at the Isle of Wight Zoo
Click to expand...

hmmmmm, my problem with what you are saying about the isle of wight versus a host of other zoos is they, like sadly to many collections shut their cats in 'over night quarters' so whilst they might keep them in window dressed arty farty outdoor exhibits that look like a country the cats inhabiting the enclosure have no concept of what so ever they, when push comes to shove are shut in for the majority of their time.
 
True, but, as you say, almost every british collection does the same thing and, as tigers sleep for upwards of twenty hours a day, it, in my mind, does not particularly matter if they are sleeping in a glitzy habitat or in their night quarters. And, when they do get out there are a whole host of new smells and activities because the cats are rotated.

Of course the tigers have no experience of India and a lot of the set dressing is just that, however, it does demonstrate nicely that tigers are superbly adapted to their habitats and that these habitats are being destroyed. Also, because these enclosures are all based on different places, they each provide the tigers with different experiences and enrichment activities making their life more interesting.
 
redpanda said:
True, but, as you say, almost every british collection does the same thing and, as tigers sleep for upwards of twenty hours a day, it, in my mind, does not particularly matter if they are sleeping in a glitzy habitat or in their night quarters. And, when they do get out there are a whole host of new smells and activities because the cats are rotated.

Of course the tigers have no experience of India and a lot of the set dressing is just that, however, it does demonstrate nicely that tigers are superbly adapted to their habitats and that these habitats are being destroyed. Also, because these enclosures are all based on different places, they each provide the tigers with different experiences and enrichment activities making their life more interesting.
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Just because zoo's do it, and I'm pleased to say many are changing there policy, it doesn't make it right! Just because the keepers turn the lights off at home time doesn't mean to say the animals go "yawn well I guess that me done for the day" and settle down bagpuss like till the following morning.

Having been involved in the transistion period from over night shut in to free access in a collection myself I can honestly say the change was for the better, it gave us the freedom to change feeding patterns, times amounts etc, the cats used to pace prior to coming in for the night, this dimished in a very short space of time, and reseach using low light cameras showed the cats using their enclosures throughout a twenty four hour period, yes they may sleep up to 20 hours a day, depending on season, and how well fed they are, but I can assure you, in weather like this they would do it it crashed out on a platform or in their favourite grass patch making the most of the summer nights rather then shut in a few square metres.

Rotating exhibits is another subject and one that can run along side free access, so I don't have an issue with it, as it can have beneficial gains to the husbandry of the animals in an exhibit, although no doubt it can cause some problems as well.
 
easytigger said:
amounts etc, the cats used to pace prior to coming in for the night, this dimished in a very short space of time,
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i went to the IOW zoo in 2001, and i had seen cats pacing their enclosures, i was fobbed off by the keeper when i asked why she was pacing saying that it was okay and blah blah blah,

why do they pace?

thank you
 
easytigger said:
Just because zoo's do it, and I'm pleased to say many are changing there policy, it doesn't make it right! Just because the keepers turn the lights off at home time doesn't mean to say the animals go "yawn well I guess that me done for the day" and settle down bagpuss like till the following morning.

Having been involved in the transistion period from over night shut in to free access in a collection myself I can honestly say the change was for the better, it gave us the freedom to change feeding patterns, times amounts etc, the cats used to pace prior to coming in for the night, this dimished in a very short space of time, and reseach using low light cameras showed the cats using their enclosures throughout a twenty four hour period, yes they may sleep up to 20 hours a day, depending on season, and how well fed they are, but I can assure you, in weather like this they would do it it crashed out on a platform or in their favourite grass patch making the most of the summer nights rather then shut in a few square metres.

Rotating exhibits is another subject and one that can run along side free access, so I don't have an issue with it, as it can have beneficial gains to the husbandry of the animals in an exhibit, although no doubt it can cause some problems as well.
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My point was not that it was alright, but that if most zoos do it, it does not detract from the fact that, in my opinion, this is the best set of tiger habitats in the UK. I guess I was being rather too anthropomorphic in my view that the animals would curl up and fall asleep at bed-time and can certainly see the benefits of letting the animals stay out 24 hours a day.

However, this thread is about the best exhibit, not the best husbandry methods so, now that we've cleared that up, lets leave it at that and get back to the main discussion.
 
blackpanther said:
i went to the IOW zoo in 2001, and i had seen cats pacing their enclosures, i was fobbed off by the keeper when i asked why she was pacing saying that it was okay and blah blah blah,

why do they pace?

thank you
Click to expand...

There are many things that can trigger pacing in cats, ranging from illness and discomfort to keepers working in a nearby enclosure and the cats trying to see whats going on.

Anticipation is a key cause of pacing though, being fed at a set time or being shut in at set time, in a lot of cases it can be solved either by giving the cats a vantage point so they can see the keepers coming with the food rather then pacing near windows or altering times of feeding or when it comes to locking the cats in, where its safe to do so, leaving them out at night.

Yes in a bland barren concrete enclosure stress is a primary cause of stereotyping in many species, but in modern zoo's is way down the list, and other options such as the ones listed above should be taken into account before naturally assuming as many zoo visitors do (and I'm not saying you are taking this stance) that the animal is unhappy because it lives in a 'cage'
 
redpanda said:
However, this thread is about the best exhibit, not the best husbandry methods so, now that we've cleared that up, lets leave it at that and get back to the main discussion.
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I understand your point entirely, my final word on this is that improved husbandry routines, can enhance and compliment these enclosure designs if implemented correctly.

On a different matter do they rotate the cats with each other as well for further interaction or is it set groups out with each other, or worst case scenario only a couple of cats out in the enclosures at a time?

Thanks
 
easytigger said:
There are many things that can trigger pacing in cats, ranging from illness and discomfort to keepers working in a nearby enclosure and the cats trying to see whats going on.

Anticipation is a key cause of pacing though, being fed at a set time or being shut in at set time, in a lot of cases it can be solved either by giving the cats a vantage point so they can see the keepers coming with the food rather then pacing near windows or altering times of feeding or when it comes to locking the cats in, where its safe to do so, leaving them out at night.

Yes in a bland barren concrete enclosure stress is a primary cause of stereotyping in many species, but in modern zoo's is way down the list, and other options such as the ones listed above should be taken into account before naturally assuming as many zoo visitors do (and I'm not saying you are taking this stance) that the animal is unhappy because it lives in a 'cage'
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thanks for that, i will shut up now :D is there a thread where husbandry practises are discussed so maybe i can aim my questions in the right direction?
 
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easytigger said:
I understand your point entirely, my final word on this is that improved husbandry routines, can enhance and compliment these enclosure designs if implemented correctly.

On a different matter do they rotate the cats with each other as well for further interaction or is it set groups out with each other, or worst case scenario only a couple of cats out in the enclosures at a time?

Thanks
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I don't pretend to be an expert on the IOW zoo's husbandry practices however I don't think they have implemented rotation yet as they are only on stage three of five and often the animals are allowed to settle in before rotation systems is utilised.

I would imagine that they will keep established groups together as the cats are, mostly, old as the IOW zoo is a place which 'collects' tigers which won't go anywhere else. Also, they had been keeping the same trio in the Kanha enclosure since its opening.
 
Some IOW Zoo cats are given night access to enclosures; this has been the case for several individuals down the years. Some also get night-time access as an enrichment treat.
 
port lympnes cheetah enclosure (the maned wolf used to live there) is really god. atm it only has one male in it but he has lots of space & bushes to hide. chesters cheetah enclosure is also really good.
the snow leopard enclosure is also really good & i think they've made it bigger.
the best tiger enclosures have got 2 be at howletts. they have lots of platforms & places 2 hide. i think most of them have pools in as well. colchesters amur tiger enclosures are quite good & they have some places to hide.
lions have also got 2 be howletts & port lympne.
 
No Worries AliceP :) i agree wiht you about Howletts and Port Lympne, The Howletts Tigers i thought where really healthy and enjoyed their enclosure with no stereotypical behavior (which proves basic can work).
I think we have come up with this so far:
Best Lion Enclosure - Whipsnades Lions of the Serengeti
Best Amur Tiger Enclosure - Whipsnade Tiger Falls
Best Bengal Tiger Enclosure - IOW Zoo's Tiger Sanctuary
Best Jaguar Enclosure - Chester Zoo's Spirit of the Jaguar
Best Cheetah Enclosure - Chester Zoos Cheetah Enclosure
Best Snow Leopard - Port Lympne?
Best Small cats - Howletts and Port Lympne
These are all welcome for discussion
Thanks for contributing everyone!
 
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