Best UK Clouded Leopard enclosure

Best UK Clouded Leopard enclosure?

  • Total voters
    33
  • Poll closed .
B

britishzoofan

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Clouded Leopards in the UK. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to perhaps list the enclosures in order of what they determine to be the best.

I couldn't find photos of a couple of exhibits so it would be useful if members who have visited could describe the enclosures and possibly provide a photo from somewhere.

Howletts

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Cotswold

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Chessington

Unfortunately, there are no photos in the gallery of this enclosure. It would be extremely useful if someone who has visited can describe the exhibit, give an evaluation on its quality and possibly provide a photo.

Port Lympne

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Thrigby

full

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Wingham

Unfortunately, there are no photos in the gallery of this enclosure. It would be extremely useful if someone who has visited can describe the exhibit, give an evaluation on its quality and possibly provide a photo.
 
Wingham’s clouded leopard enclosure is essentially the same as their jaguar and puma enclosures. If people want a reference image they should go to the jaguar exhibit thread and look at the Wingham entry there.

I’ve never been to Chessington but if I recall correctly Chessington have their clouded leopards in the old Sumatran tiger enclosure? So if you find photos of that?

Howletts are by far the best in terms of clouded leopard husbandry, but not every enclosure is like the one pictured (they have 12 clouded leopards so lots of different enclosures is different sizes). Port Lympne’s are similar to Howletts, except in their case theirs are only used for two elderly males, whereas Howletts uses theirs to breed regularly.
Cotswold’s enclosure is arguably the best in terms of space and enclosure design, but it falls back to the same question as in the gorilla thread; do people prefer a more naturalistic setup, or a functional setup...
 
Thank you @ShonenJake13 for your help.

Here is a photo of the Jaguar enclosure at Wingham.

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Unfortunately, I couldn't find a photo of the old Tiger enclosure at Chessington unless the Tigers left it after 2015.
 
Tau said:
Cotswolds enclosure hands down, large size, multiple levels and plenty of vegetation. With large indoor areas, best in the UK.
Click to expand...
I hear they have some great keepers there ;)
 
Cotswold definitely have the best exhibit and the inhabitants are at least a chance to be seen. Howletts might have been successful with breeding but hopeless as a display - better as off-display breeding (which effectively they are). Thrigby too small and no where near tall enough (though a good chance of seeing the cat). Not seen the others but that Wingham one looks way too exposed unless they have severely planted it up.
 
To get the thread back on track a score update. Cotswold have over 90% of the vote with their excellent enclosure which provides great enrichment for the animals. In my opinion just like Hippos, Clouded Leopards are another species I would like to see more of in UK zoos.
 
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Results are in. Congratulations to Cotswold on a comprehensive win in the poll for Best UK Clouded Leopard enclosure. This was an easy win for Cotswold who may have been helped by the fact the competition in this field was quite weak. However, Cotswolds enclosure was still of high quality with excellent height for the Leopards, along with plenty of space and vegetation for cover. This continues Cotswold's good record so far in the polls with a previous third place in the White Rhino vote. They have also got the third highest average percentage vote so far which stands at 55%. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain this excellence.

Cotswold: 90.9%
Chessington: 3.0%
Port Lympne: 3.0%
Thrigby: 3.0%
 
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britishzoofan said:
Results are in. Congratulations to Cotswold on a comprehensive win in the poll for Best UK Clouded Leopard enclosure. This was an easy win for Cotswold who may have been helped by the fact the competition in this field was quite weak. However, Cotswolds enclosure was still of high quality with excellent height for the Leopards, along with plenty of space and vegetation for cover. This continues Cotswold's good record so far in the polls with a previous third place in the White Rhino vote. They have also got the third highest average percentage vote so far which stands at 55%. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain this excellence.

Cotswold: 90.9%
Chessington: 3.0%
Port Lympne: 3.0%
Thrigby: 3.0%
Click to expand...
I voted Cotswold because they have the best on show exhibit outdoor and indoor and have bred the species. However, if the same criteria as another thread is applied then Howletts has the best breeding record by a mile and largest total area so should have won comfortably under those conditions! It didn't get a vote due to the aesthetics of its exhibits!!
Even Thrigby and Port Lympne got a vote!
 
pipaluk said:
I voted Cotswold because they have the best on show exhibit outdoor and indoor and have bred the species. However, if the same criteria as another thread is applied then Howletts has the best breeding record by a mile and largest total area so should have won comfortably under those conditions! It didn't get a vote due to the aesthetics of its exhibits!!
Even Thrigby and Port Lympne got a vote!
Click to expand...

I assume you are referring to the Cheetah thread and I noticed you haven't yet voted in the thread and would be interested in what you believe to be the best Cheetah enclosure as I'm guessing you don't think it is the current poll leader Hamerton.
 
britishzoofan said:
I assume you are referring to the Cheetah thread and I noticed you haven't yet voted in the thread and would be interested in what you believe to be the best Cheetah enclosure as I'm guessing you don't think it is the current poll leader Hamerton.
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I have nothing against Hamerton, I love the place and believe it is in the top 5 zoos in the UK. But given I've been voting on exhibtry, that can't go to Hamerton. Its one properly onshow exhibit is a good size, nothing wrong with it, but can only be viewed through wire so as an individual exhibit it does not win surely. Obviously there breeding record is excellent andto be commended, but if that constitutes a win, Howletts should have walked this contest and did not get a single vote - no consistency in what criteria people are using clearly! I've already posted on the cheetah thread what I think but haven't decided how to vote but to be consistent probably Whipsnade
 
pipaluk said:
I have nothing against Hamerton, I love the place and believe it is in the top 5 zoos in the UK. But given I've been voting on exhibtry, that can't go to Hamerton. Its one properly onshow exhibit is a good size, nothing wrong with it, but can only be viewed through wire so as an individual exhibit it does not win surely. Obviously there breeding record is excellent andto be commended, but if that constitutes a win, Howletts should have walked this contest and did not get a single vote - no consistency in what criteria people are using clearly! I've already posted on the cheetah thread what I think but haven't decided how to vote but to be consistent probably Whipsnade
Click to expand...

I can see what you mean. It would be interesting to hear from those who voted for Hamerton and how they view a vote for Hamerton being different to that for Howletts. There are certainly valid reasons to do so.
 
pipaluk said:
I have nothing against Hamerton, I love the place and believe it is in the top 5 zoos in the UK. But given I've been voting on exhibtry, that can't go to Hamerton. Its one properly onshow exhibit is a good size, nothing wrong with it, but can only be viewed through wire so as an individual exhibit it does not win surely. Obviously there breeding record is excellent andto be commended, but if that constitutes a win, Howletts should have walked this contest and did not get a single vote - no consistency in what criteria people are using clearly! I've already posted on the cheetah thread what I think but haven't decided how to vote but to be consistent probably Whipsnade
Click to expand...

I agree with you, actually - but would say that this thread and the Cheetah one, are titled 'best *** enclosure', and not 'best *** exhibit'... My point was that there could be, and indeed often is, a difference.
 
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