Best UK Puma enclosure

[felis silvestris]

This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Sloths 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.

The Langur and Maned wolf polls are closing soon if you haven’t yet voted do so before it closes.

Big Cat Sanctuary

Exmoor

Amazona

Lincolnshire WP

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

Wolds WP

Johnsons Of Old Hurst

Rutland

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

Wingham

Photo credits to @cyrildacat @gulogulogulo @MagpieGoose @TNT @Crowthorne

 

[Rajang21]

One of two current puma enclosures at Big Cat Sanctuary. There is another near the entrance which is much newer and larger but I did not take a picture. The one pictured holds a single animal while the newer one holds two.

 

[Pandaboi]

Here is Lincolnshire wildlife parks puma enclosure. I went last year but never took any photos of it. Found these online though.

 

[Lafone]

I've seen quite a few of these and I can't say any of them were particularly 'wow'. The cats were very nice of course. Pumas don't appear to be exhibited in particualrly naturalistic spaces (Big cat sanctuary has a bit more in that direction, as does Exmoor). Perhaps there is some specific reason that they are housed in functional rather boxy exhibits. This isn't to suggest any of the exhibits are bad (though some are smaller than others) as they all have climbing etc. I find it hard to rate 'best', but am probably in the minority.

 

[Brum]

Lincolnshire Wildlife Park is decent for a Puma with severe health issues, and the indoor housing is huge.

 

[Sand Cat]

I've not seen any of these in person, although much to my surprise Lincolnshire Wildlife Park looks the nicest in the pictures shown! What a mediocre selection of exhibits compared to the bigger cat species though - it would be lovely if someone made a really nice puma enclosure here in the UK.

 

[Alwaysevergreen]

To me, this was hard, as I would say personally, I don't like many of the exhibits for Puma as they all feel rather small and boring. Lincolnshires got my vote because of the outside area with a high platform and a large inside.

 

[FBBird]

The current Lynx enclosure at Newquay was originally designed for Pumas, on an ‘abandoned goldmine’ theme with elevated as well as ground level viewing. Rather attractive, open topped with vegetation including a fair sized tree. Maybe a little small for pumas in these times, it’s held Carpathian Lynx for more than a decade

 

[TNT]

Having seen all of these enclosures in person bar Rutland and BCS, I'd have to echo @Lafone and @Alwaysevergreen in that none of the exhibits are particularly impressive... That said, I'll provide an overview of the exhibits I've seen in ranked order below:

1. Bar the exhibit at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park (LWP), a collection not known for its exhibitory, none of the exhibits seem to hit all of the key factors you might expect a good exhibit to have. The LWP exhibit is of a decent size, provides height with platforms and trees, offers a somewhat naturalistic environment (not to be confused with immersive, which I don't really care for), and a good quality/sizeable house.
2. Winghams is large and provides the best climbing opportunities of all the highlighted enclosures. However, everything is very static and at least on my visits seems to offer minimal privacy. If the plant life were allowed to develop, this would easily be a contender for the top spot (Though the house would probably let it down).
3. The Amazona exhibit is generally quite nice and allowed to develop naturally like Exmoors. I appreciate the curved mesh as a zoo nerd, but the enclosure overall could really do with a refresh ad many of the climbing apparatus were old and rotting on my visit last year.
4. Exmoor embraces "plant life" better than most zoos and offers quite an attractive exhibit in the summer, but it's let down by its small size and housing.
5/6. Johnsons (5) and Wolds (6) can be covered together as both have a taken a very DIY/Rustic approach. I can't comment on the housing as both are off show (a positive for the cats), but the enclosures themselves are of a decent size. Johnsons takes the lead from an aesthetics point of view and makes good use of the space, whilst Wolds is very manicured and makes poor use of the space.

 

[TNT]

Having seen all of these enclosures in person bar Rutland and BCS, I'd have to echo @Lafone and @Alwaysevergreen in that none of the exhibits are particularly impressive... That said, I'll provide an overview of the exhibits I've seen in ranked order below:

1. Bar the exhibit at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park (LWP), a collection not known for its exhibitory, none of the exhibits seem to hit all of the key factors you might expect a good exhibit to have. The LWP exhibit is of a decent size, provides height with platforms and trees, offers a somewhat naturalistic environment (not to be confused with immersive, which I don't really care for), and a good quality/sizeable house.
2. Winghams is large and provides the best climbing opportunities of all the highlighted enclosures. However, everything is very static and at least on my visits seems to offer minimal privacy. If the plant life were allowed to develop, this would easily be a contender for the top spot (Though the house would probably let it down).
3. The Amazona exhibit is generally quite nice and allowed to develop naturally like Exmoors. I appreciate the curved mesh as a zoo nerd, but the enclosure overall could really do with a refresh ad many of the climbing apparatus were old and rotting on my visit last year.
4. Exmoor embraces "plant life" better than most zoos and offers quite an attractive exhibit in the summer, but it's let down by its small size and housing.
5/6. Johnsons (5) and Wolds (6) can be covered together as both have a taken a very DIY/Rustic approach. I can't comment on the housing as both are off show (a positive for the cats), but the enclosures themselves are of a decent size. Johnsons takes the lead from an aesthetics point of view and makes good use of the space, whilst Wolds is very manicured and makes poor use of the space.

Exhibitry*

 

[felis silvestris]

Score update. Lincolnshire are leading over a competition with no stand-out enclosures. Strange that no zoos have made an enclosure for them is really great.

 

[felis silvestris]

Poll closed. Congratulations to Lincolnshire WP for having the Best UK Puma enclosure. Although the par was quite low for these cats, they got the win due to having a decent indoors and outdoors. Mentions should be given to Exmoor, BCS and Amazona who also had decent enclosures.

Lincolnshire WP: 48.0%
Exmoor: 20.0%
BCS: 16.0%
Amazona: 12.0%
Wingham: 4.0%