Best UK Fishing Cat enclosure

Best UK Fishing Cat enclosure?

  • Total voters
    32
  • Poll closed .
felis silvestris

felis silvestris

Well-Known Member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Fishing Cats 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 list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

Axe Valley

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Curraghs

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone can describe it or provide a photo that would be great.

Howletts

full


Port Lympne

full


Fenn Bell

full


Newquay

full


Five Sisters

full


Drayton Manor

full


Hoo Farm

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone can describe it or provide a photo that would be great.

Photo credits to @gulogulogulo @MagpieGoose @ro6ca66 @felis silvestris @TNT




 
Of the few that I have personally seen, Howletts impressed me the most, mainly as it offered the largest water source and the most abundant climbing, with the impressive weeping willow branches given the impression of it being densely planted on multiple levels. Newquay also looks excellent from photos, though, so I would be interested to hear what others have to say.
 
I know I will be completely in the minority here, as many will vote Port Lympne or Howletts, who offer nice exhibits, but except for the one by the Tigers at Port Lympne, I would say the exhibits are rather small.
Fenn Bell's is not one I've seen with my own eyes, but it looks quite open.
Whilst Exmoor, currently do not hold the species, I do think their exhibit was a nice one all things considered, although I would have like to have seen more foliage.
A lot of them are very similar, but for me, the best is Drayton Manor. The image posted does not do it any justice at all.
It is a large exhibit, with a Den in the front area, and another off show den. There is also trees and rockery in the front area, with actually the largest pond, that I've seen a Fishing Cat have. More to this, is that I've seen on occasions them place food in the water, and you get a great view of her hunting it out. There are wooden ledges and planks over the pond, and whilst she is an aging cat, I've seen her jump off the planks into the water to grab a fish. The back part of the exhibit, I got to see on a keeper day, and it was overgrown, very forestry, with a small pond, and access to the house from that side. I really liked the exhibit, as it really suits the animal, has the space to play to it's enrichment needs and has a decent off show area if it wants to keep away from the public. The mix of ledges, rockery, foliage, planks and platforms, and a large pond, make me feel this is well suited to the animal, and whilst the current resident is aging, I would like to think, that in the future they could acquire a breeding pair.
For me it's a hands down winner, although the image above does not do it any justice, and maybe most people haven't visited the collection, or will vote for more bigger zoos they've visited. Remember Howletts and Port Lympne are split into 2/3 exhibits and not all are big, in fact the Howletts ones which alongside Newquay have the lions share of the vote, are actually rather small in comparison to the exhibit at Drayton Manor, but the photo is rather deceptive.
Newquay's is nice, and again overgrown, but for me it is very similar to what Axe and Five Sisters offer, and neither of those offer much in the way of water. Newquay's pond in the images looks spacious, but with your own eyes, it isn't that impressive, Drayton Manor has a pond probably 6-7 metres across and a width of another 2-3m and it's shallow at edges, and deeper in the middle.
I think if you saw Drayton Manor's with your own eyes and not judge from the image above, you would be impressed.
But, that is of course, just my opinion. But it easily gets my vote.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
I know I will be completely in the minority here, as many will vote Port Lympne or Howletts, who offer nice exhibits, but except for the one by the Tigers at Port Lympne, I would say the exhibits are rather small.
Fenn Bell's is not one I've seen with my own eyes, but it looks quite open.
Whilst Exmoor, currently do not hold the species, I do think their exhibit was a nice one all things considered, although I would have like to have seen more foliage.
A lot of them are very similar, but for me, the best is Drayton Manor. The image posted does not do it any justice at all.
It is a large exhibit, with a Den in the front area, and another off show den. There is also trees and rockery in the front area, with actually the largest pond, that I've seen a Fishing Cat have. More to this, is that I've seen on occasions them place food in the water, and you get a great view of her hunting it out. There are wooden ledges and planks over the pond, and whilst she is an aging cat, I've seen her jump off the planks into the water to grab a fish. The back part of the exhibit, I got to see on a keeper day, and it was overgrown, very forestry, with a small pond, and access to the house from that side. I really liked the exhibit, as it really suits the animal, has the space to play to it's enrichment needs and has a decent off show area if it wants to keep away from the public. The mix of ledges, rockery, foliage, planks and platforms, and a large pond, make me feel this is well suited to the animal, and whilst the current resident is aging, I would like to think, that in the future they could acquire a breeding pair.
For me it's a hands down winner, although the image above does not do it any justice, and maybe most people haven't visited the collection, or will vote for more bigger zoos they've visited. Remember Howletts and Port Lympne are split into 2/3 exhibits and not all are big, in fact the Howletts ones which alongside Newquay have the lions share of the vote, are actually rather small in comparison to the exhibit at Drayton Manor, but the photo is rather deceptive.
Newquay's is nice, and again overgrown, but for me it is very similar to what Axe and Five Sisters offer, and neither of those offer much in the way of water. Newquay's pond in the images looks spacious, but with your own eyes, it isn't that impressive, Drayton Manor has a pond probably 6-7 metres across and a width of another 2-3m and it's shallow at edges, and deeper in the middle.
I think if you saw Drayton Manor's with your own eyes and not judge from the image above, you would be impressed.
But, that is of course, just my opinion. But it easily gets my vote.
Click to expand...
I think that this is the original fishing cat enclosure and if it is I was lucky enough to be there on the first day the female cat was allowed out to explore. The two keepers (John Foden and Robin Roberts)were absolutely chuffed with it
 
felis silvestris said:
Hoo Farm

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone can describe it or provide a photo that would be great.
Click to expand...
full


Alwaysevergreen said:
A lot of them are very similar, but for me, the best is Drayton Manor. The image posted does not do it any justice at all.
Click to expand...

This view on Google Street View linked here, might give people a better idea of what the fishing cat enclosure at Drayton Manor is like.
 
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Give me.until Friday evening and I'll get a few pictures of the Fishing Cat enclosures up.

There are currently three enclosures which there is some interconnection. A forth enclosure is almost complete. They are small but seem well suited for the size.of the cats.All three have good vegetation. One has a.small pond.

As far as I can remember there are two cats male and female. They are also quite active from the visits that I have made.
 
Poll closed. Congratulations to Newqauy for having the Best UK Fishing Cat enclosure. The dense jungley enclosure gave them a win ahead of Howletts who also had a great enclosure. This is now their second win.

Newqauy: 43.8%
Howletts: 28.1%
Drayton Manor: 9.4%
Port Lympne: 9.4%
Five Sisters: 6.3%
Curraghs: 3.1%
 
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