Best UK Lynx enclosure

[Panthera1981]

Score update. Whipsnade currently have the lead by 4 votes over Wild Place. There appears to be several excellent exhibits in this category.

I would be interested to hear those arguments in favour of Whipsnade as I believe there have been none so far. @ShonenJake13 @MagpieGoose @gulogulogulo who are you voting for?

If this vote had happened 5+ years ago, I’d have not expected Whipsnade to score highly. For me, what works is that it makes excellent use of recycling an old exhibit (cheetah) for little or no cost. Secondly, it has significantly matured, much like Whipsnade’s wolverine area, so there’s lots of undergrowth and depth allowing the lynx plenty of privacy-it puts the needs of the animal above those of the visitor.

IMO small cats tend to get short shrift when it comes to exhibit design (mostly just an overgrown pen) so it’s refreshing to see a lot of decent lynx enclosures in this poll. Port Lympne gets my vote for best Pallas Cat exhibit btw!

 

[Brum]

Unsurpisingly I've also gone for Birmingham as well... And not being biased, but it genuinely is my favourite.

 

[Sand Cat]

My 'Other' vote is for Mablethorpe. Superb exhibit built on a very modest budget with excellent climbing opportunities, lots of places for the Lynx to hide but not to the detriment of the viewing potential for visitors, and the accompanying Ice Age exhibits make for a very interesting display.

If I could pick two the other would be New Forest, I do have a soft spot for Mablethorpe to be honest which twisted my arm, but both are excellent enclosures even though they're completely different!

 

[pipaluk]

My 'Other' vote is for Mablethorpe. Superb exhibit built on a very modest budget with excellent climbing opportunities, lots of places for the Lynx to hide but not to the detriment of the viewing potential for visitors, and the accompanying Ice Age exhibits make for a very interesting display.

If I could pick two the other would be New Forest, I do have a soft spot for Mablethorpe to be honest which twisted my arm, but both are excellent enclosures even though they're completely different!

Mablethorpe is actually much better than I expected when going there 6 years ago and no photos do it justice, but it isn't a winner here.
This is between 4 good exhibits (all of which I have seen) : New Forest, Wild Place, Whipsnade and Birmingham. For once, HWP doesn't seem to have put the same effort into some of its others and doesn't beat any of those 4.
This again comes down to interpretation of 'best', the best for the Lynx by some distance is New Forest, whilst it is probably the worst for visitor viewing! Better viewing is available at Whipsnade and Wild Place. Though viewing is better than New Forest at Birmingham, it is again only through wire and the enclosure doesn't match New Forest, good though it is

 

[TeaLovingDave]

This is between 4 good exhibits (all of which I have seen) : New Forest, Wild Place, Whipsnade and Birmingham. For once, HWP doesn't seem to have put the same effort into some of its others and doesn't beat any of those 4.

I'd actually rank HWP at about the same level as Whipsnade and Wild Place - the photo provided in the OP is very misleading as to scale, layout and level of vegetation - but it still does not quite beat Birmingham in my mind.

 

[TNT]

Whilst I don't want to take away from what is a great exhibit at Birmingham, because it really is... I don't understand the hype. I can't be the only one? I think that both Wild Place and New Forest have better exhibits... And probably Whipsnade, but I don't remember it all that well.

 

[pipaluk]

Whilst I don't want to take away from what is a great exhibit at Birmingham, because it really is... I don't understand the hype. I can't be the only one? I think that both Wild Place and New Forest have better exhibits... And probably Whipsnade, but I don't remember it all that well.

I agree, new forest is better for the Lynx and both Whipsnade & wild Place are no worse than Birmingham for the Lynx but give better viewing, Birmingham 4th for me!!

 

[britishzoofan]

I would also note that Wildwood Escot is missing from the list

Thanks, here is a photo.

 

[Shorts]

A few comments but no vote as many of the photos are not that representative* and, in reality, the top tranche of these enclosures really are much of a muchness.

I don't really rate Birmingham's enclosure, it's not particular big (and pretty narrow) and it's hard to see the inhabitants -the mesh, designed, for bigger species I believe, doesn't help.

The Hamerton photo (and I suspect a few others) is not an accurate representation of how the enclosure looks now -vegetation has grown/matured and it's a really nice looking, spacious, enclosure.

No-one's voted for Camperdown (which may be down to few having visited) which seems a little unfair -it's a good sized enclosure with mature trees, which the lynx often laze in, and is as deserving of a vote as most others that have received them.

I'm astonished Newquay has a vote (I suspect from either a local or someone who's never seen it in the flesh) -it's, at best, adequate/average size, has viewing (IIRC) on three sides giving animals little privacy and has a similar thick mesh to Birmingham.

*to be fair I suspect getting a representative photo (where one is even possible) of a Lynx enclosure is not on the top of most peoples' lists when they visit a zoo.

 

[ShonenJake13]

Where are the photos of New Forest that were going to be uploaded? I’d be interested to see them, as I’ve visited Whipsnade in person and have seen plenty of photos of Birmingham and Wild Place’s ones both privately from friends and on this site, so (as a counter point) would like to see what the hype is about with NFWP, and some more photos of the enclosure may well change my mind.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Just curious if the breeding record will be taken into account with these spp. It has been (inconsistently) with similar threads, but doesn't appear to have been mentioned here. Has it been assumed that Lynx will breed anywhere, so it is just the aesthetics of the enclosures which are being judged from the pictures?

 

[Pertinax]

so (as a counter point) would like to see what the hype is about with NFWP, and some more photos of the enclosure may well change my mind.

I've only been there once but remember noting the Lynx enclosure was very spacious and sited in a fir wood, which was the sort of place I might expect to see a wild one( though I appreciate they use other habitats too). It was much larger than any of the others on here appear to be...

 

[Pertinax]

Just curious if the breeding record will be taken into account with these spp. It has been (inconsistently) with similar threads, but doesn't appear to have been mentioned here. Has it been assumed that Lynx will breed anywhere, so it is just the aesthetics of the enclosures which are being judged from the pictures?

I think it is aesthetics mainly as Lynx will breed pretty freely I believe- at one zoo I know, many years ago they even bred successfully in a quarantine cage the size of a small living room.

 

[Sand Cat]

Just curious if the breeding record will be taken into account with these spp. It has been (inconsistently) with similar threads, but doesn't appear to have been mentioned here. Has it been assumed that Lynx will breed anywhere, so it is just the aesthetics of the enclosures which are being judged from the pictures?

I probably wouldn't be too swayed by breeding here as there are a few places with very good enclosures that do not breed the species through choice. As others have said though, breeding probably isn't the best criteria to use here - as an example, Lynx bred incredibly well at Riber Castle (now closed) years ago, and their enclosures were pretty unremarkable. With a species like Cheetah or Clouded Leopard, I think its a much more important thing to consider, as they're tricky to breed, so any healthy cubs seem to imply that you've done something right!

 

[Rupert89]

Dartmoors enclosure looking much better than the pic of when it was first done

 

[Rupert89]

 

[Rupert89]

 

[Benosaurus]

I'm struggling to decide between New Forest, B'ham, Whipsnade and Wild Place.

Can anyone list the factors that make a good lynx enclosure?
Also, can anyone list/rank these enclosures by size?

 

[The_melford_manatee]

I'm struggling to decide between New Forest, B'ham, Whipsnade and Wild Place.

Can anyone list the factors that make a good lynx enclosure?
Also, can anyone list/rank these enclosures by size?

I would say a good lynx enclosure should be large and natural with good tree covering along with allowing the animals to hide.It should also have a good viewing area,although that is not as important.I could be wrong(and probably am)but these are the criteria which I am using.

I do not see what makes Wild Place so impressive.I would rank it below Whipsnade(my current top),New Forest,Birmingham and(perhaps)Highland.Out of curiosity,could anybody explain what makes this enclosure better than the others?

 

[Rajang21]

I do not see what makes Wild Place so impressive.I would rank it below Whipsnade(my current top),New Forest,Birmingham and(perhaps)Highland.Out of curiosity,could anybody explain what makes this enclosure better than the others?

Dense, naturally occurring ground level foliage plus pre-existing tree cover (definitely more extensive than Whipsnade‘s); mixed topography; good size; ability to separate individuals with two paddocks available.

Not to say that makes it any better than the others, but those are just a few features in its favour.