Best small cat exhibits

[Jurek7]

It looks like almost all examples up to now are for lynxes / bobcats.

Servals at Krefeld and Warsaw and European wildcats in Lange Erlen, Basel and Goldau are quite good. All have natural vegetation and are open-topped, not usual for small cats.

Serval in Warsaw climbed a huge poplar tree in its exhibit and a fire brigade was required to bring it down. The tree was then cut. Recently it took to hunting wild blackbirds visiting its exhibit.

Goldau has a viewing hut with double door which opens to the exhibit. The wildcat could theoretically jump in, but it is normally afraid of people.

 

[snowleopard]

Glancing through the ZooChat gallery at my 'serval' photos over the years, I wasn't surprised to see that probably at least 80% of the exhibits for servals are too small for the species. I've seen servals at dozens of zoos and yet only a couple of really good enclosures caught my eye.

Tierpark Aachen in Germany has a terrific serval exhibit:

This is an incredibly large serval exhibit (almost an acre!) at Out of Africa in Arizona, USA:

Then there's crap like this at Animal Haven Zoo in Wisconsin, USA:

Bear Den Zoo, also in Wisconsin in the USA:

Or this tiny, ghastly cage at Roscommon Zoo in Michigan:

 

[Smannsaker]

Then there's crap like this at Animal Haven Zoo in Wisconsin, USA:

Bear Den Zoo, also in Wisconsin in the USA:

Or this tiny, ghastly cage at Roscommon Zoo in Michigan:

I feel like it is quite odd how a zoo can be allowed to have such small and inadequate enclosures. Wouldn't such enclosures make the general public opposed to going there?

 

[Xenarthra]

I feel like it is quite odd how a zoo can be allowed to have such small and inadequate enclosures. Wouldn't such enclosures make the general public opposed to going there?

To be fair, to call most of these places "zoos" is a stretch. They're often roadside attractions on private land, unaccredited and lacking the oversight of an AZA facility. Home-made cages on a farm, that sort of thing. The more clean-cut operations are like Joe Exotic's "zoo" in the Tiger King documentary, just as bad but with a more professional facade, if you can call their conduct professional. Most folks who visit are just interested in seeing animals regardless of conditions; some don't know any better, some don't care unfortunately.

 

[Smannsaker]

The servals in Bioparc Fuengirola are housed in a rotational exhibit with chimpanzees. The chimpanzees are in the outdoor exhibit at daytime, while the servals are in the outdoor exhibit at nighttime. There are no indoor viewing. I feel like it is a bit small, and should have some more foilage in it for the servals. It is way to small for the chimps.

 

[Arizona Docent]

The servals in Bioparc Fuengirola are housed in a rotational exhibit with chimpanzees. The chimpanzees are in the outdoor exhibit at daytime, while the servals are in the outdoor exhibit at nighttime. There are no indoor viewing. I feel like it is a bit small, and should have some more foilage in it for the servals. It is way to small for the chimps.

That is the most bizarre rotational exhibit I have ever heard of!

 

[Gibbonsagainstgravity]

The Margay enclosure in the Berlin zoo is just outstanding!
The cats have access to multiple smaller indoor areas, as well as one main one, which includes a large pool with live fish and many real trees and plants. The outdoor area is nice, but really nothing compared to the indoor housing.

 

[Zhao yun]

The fishing cat exhibit in the Night Safari is a possible contender for one of the best in Asia and maybe globally. As a picture says a thousand words, here are some pictures:
Fishing Cat Trail - Fishing Cat exhibit - ZooChat

Anyway, there is a lot more space behind, which has plenty of shrubbery which helps the cats to hide. The pond is stocked with fish，which the cats get to hunt.
Fishing Cat Trail - Fishing Cat exhibit - ZooChat
In addition to this, there are multiple spots where the cats can ambush prey, making this a dynamic habitat.