Small cats/recommendations

Canary

Canary

Active Member
Hi everybody

Not sure if this is the correct place to post so feel free to move.

Anyway, this year I am looking to visit more zoos. For background, I have regularly visited my local parks such as Banham, Africa Alive, Colchester, Hamerton, as well as Chester and YWP.

I am looking for recommendations for places I could visit, with emphasis on more unique animals and smaller cats. I like seeing and photographing everything but it would be good to see things I haven't before.

I am able to travel to anywhere in England really.

Thanks in advance.
 
Ark Wildlife Park and Exotic Animal Sanctuary have:
  • Serval
  • Eurasian Lynx
  • Bobcat
  • Jaguarundi
  • Jungle Cat
Alongside many other small carnivores, including some nice civets and genet's.
 
Howletts
Serval
Caracal
Fishing cat
Pallas cat
Clouded leopard
Margay
Port lympne
Serval
Lynx
Fishing cat
Margay
Rusty spotted
Clouded leopard
 
Canary said:
Hi everybody

Not sure if this is the correct place to post so feel free to move.

Anyway, this year I am looking to visit more zoos. For background, I have regularly visited my local parks such as Banham, Africa Alive, Colchester, Hamerton, as well as Chester and YWP.

I am looking for recommendations for places I could visit, with emphasis on more unique animals and smaller cats. I like seeing and photographing everything but it would be good to see things I haven't before.

I am able to travel to anywhere in England really.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Just to say what an excellent thread - love the small cats and will be watching the recommendations with interest too!
 
ZTL lists the following small cats listed in the UK
Amur leopard cat: Camperdown
Arabian sand cat: Exmoor
Bobcat: ARK, Fenn Bell, Hoo Farm
Canadian lynx: Hamerton, Northumberland, South Lakes
Caracal: Axe Valley. Big Cat Sanctuary, Cat Survival Trust, Chessington, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Hoo Farm, Howletts, Wingham, Woodside
Carpathian lynx: Beale, Camperdown, Dartmoor, Dudley, Exmoor, Green Dragon, Newquay
Central Asian Lynx: Woodside
Cougar: Amazona, Cat Survival Trust, Exmoor, Heythrop, Johnsons Farm,
Lincolnshire, Rutland, Wingham
Eurasian lynx: Cat Survival Trust
European wild cat: Hoo Farm
Fishing cat: Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Crocodiles of the World, Curraghs, Drayton Manor, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Five Sisters, Hoo Farm, Howletts, Lake District, Newquay, Port Lympne
Geoffroy's cat: Cat Survival Trust, Hemsley, Shorelands, Woodside
Indochinese leopard cat: Axe Valley, Exotic Pet Refuge, Folly Farm, Hoo Farm, Johnsons Farm, Thrigby Hall
Jaguarundi: ARK, Axe Valley, Exmoor, Hamerton, Shorelands, Wild
Jungle cat: ARK, Big Cat Sanctuary, Hoo Farm
Northern lynx: ARK, Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Birmingham, Camperdown, Curraghs, Drayton Manor, Exotic Pet Refuge, Five Sisters, Highland, Johnsons Farm, Lake District, Mablethorpe, New Forest, Port Lympne, Scottish Deer Centre, Whipsnade, Wild Place, Wildheart, Wildwood, Wildwood Trust, Wingham, Wolds,
Ocelot: Amazon World, Amazona, Birmingham, Camperdown, Exotic Pet Refuge,
Folly Farm Zoo, Hemsley
Oncilla: Hamerton
Scottish wild cat: Aigas, Auchingarrich, Battersea, Belfast, Berkshire, British Wildlife, Calderglen, Camperdown, Chester, Cotebrook, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fairseat, Five Sisters, Gentleshaw, Green Dragon, Highland, Hoo Farm, Lake District, Linton, New Forest, Newchurch, Northumberland, Port Lympne, Scottish Deer, Thrigby Hall, Tropiquaria, Wild Discovery, Wildwood, Wildwood Trust, Wingham
Serval: Africa Alive!, ARK, Axe Valley, Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Barleylands, Call of the Wild, Cat Survival Trust, Chessington, Drusillas, Eagle Heights, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Howletts, Hamerton, Hoo Farm, Lake District, Marwell, Northumberland, Ponderosa, Porfell, Port Lympne, Reaseheath, Tilgate, Tropiquaria, Wild, Wildheart
Siberian Pallas' cat: Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Cat Survival Trust, Cotswold, Highland, Howletts, Port Lympne
South African cheetah: Africa Alive!, Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Colchester, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Hamerton, Longleat, Paignton, Port Lympne, West Midland, Wingham
Sri Lankan rusty-spotted cat: ARK, Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Exmoor, Hamerton, Hemsley,
Hoo Farm, Porfell, Port Lympne
Sudan cheetah: Chester, Dartmoor, Flamingo Land, Whipsnade, Wild Place.
Yucatan margay: Banham, Exmoor, Hanwell, Howletts, Port Lympne, Shaldon, Welsh Mountain
 
Not in the UK but if you wanted to see more or less all the felid species in Europe look no further than the Parc des Felins in Paris. Just a short train/drive away really, plus one of the most amazing cities in the world, two or three more great and very unique zoos and a lovely aquarium to boot! Honestly it strikes me as more efficient than traipsing around the UK.
 
Dassie rat said:
ZTL lists the following small cats listed in the UK
Amur leopard cat: Camperdown
Arabian sand cat: Exmoor
Bobcat: ARK, Fenn Bell, Hoo Farm
Canadian lynx: Hamerton, Northumberland, South Lakes
Caracal: Axe Valley. Big Cat Sanctuary, Cat Survival Trust, Chessington, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Hoo Farm, Howletts, Wingham, Woodside
Carpathian lynx: Beale, Camperdown, Dartmoor, Dudley, Exmoor, Green Dragon, Newquay
Central Asian Lynx: Woodside
Cougar: Amazona, Cat Survival Trust, Exmoor, Heythrop, Johnsons Farm,
Lincolnshire, Rutland, Wingham
Eurasian lynx: Cat Survival Trust
European wild cat: Hoo Farm
Fishing cat: Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Crocodiles of the World, Curraghs, Drayton Manor, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Five Sisters, Hoo Farm, Howletts, Lake District, Newquay, Port Lympne
Geoffroy's cat: Cat Survival Trust, Hemsley, Shorelands, Woodside
Indochinese leopard cat: Axe Valley, Exotic Pet Refuge, Folly Farm, Hoo Farm, Johnsons Farm, Thrigby Hall
Jaguarundi: ARK, Axe Valley, Exmoor, Hamerton, Shorelands, Wild
Jungle cat: ARK, Big Cat Sanctuary, Hoo Farm
Northern lynx: ARK, Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Birmingham, Camperdown, Curraghs, Drayton Manor, Exotic Pet Refuge, Five Sisters, Highland, Johnsons Farm, Lake District, Mablethorpe, New Forest, Port Lympne, Scottish Deer Centre, Whipsnade, Wild Place, Wildheart, Wildwood, Wildwood Trust, Wingham, Wolds,
Ocelot: Amazon World, Amazona, Birmingham, Camperdown, Exotic Pet Refuge,
Folly Farm Zoo, Hemsley
Oncilla: Hamerton
Scottish wild cat: Aigas, Auchingarrich, Battersea, Belfast, Berkshire, British Wildlife, Calderglen, Camperdown, Chester, Cotebrook, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fairseat, Five Sisters, Gentleshaw, Green Dragon, Highland, Hoo Farm, Lake District, Linton, New Forest, Newchurch, Northumberland, Port Lympne, Scottish Deer, Thrigby Hall, Tropiquaria, Wild Discovery, Wildwood, Wildwood Trust, Wingham
Serval: Africa Alive!, ARK, Axe Valley, Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Barleylands, Call of the Wild, Cat Survival Trust, Chessington, Drusillas, Eagle Heights, Exmoor, Fenn Bell, Howletts, Hamerton, Hoo Farm, Lake District, Marwell, Northumberland, Ponderosa, Porfell, Port Lympne, Reaseheath, Tilgate, Tropiquaria, Wild, Wildheart
Siberian Pallas' cat: Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Cat Survival Trust, Cotswold, Highland, Howletts, Port Lympne
South African cheetah: Africa Alive!, Banham, Big Cat Sanctuary, Colchester, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Hamerton, Longleat, Paignton, Port Lympne, West Midland, Wingham
Sri Lankan rusty-spotted cat: ARK, Axe Valley, Big Cat Sanctuary, Exmoor, Hamerton, Hemsley,
Hoo Farm, Porfell, Port Lympne
Sudan cheetah: Chester, Dartmoor, Flamingo Land, Whipsnade, Wild Place.
Yucatan margay: Banham, Exmoor, Hanwell, Howletts, Port Lympne, Shaldon, Welsh Mountain
Click to expand...

I thought both Lynx at Whipsnade were Eurasian lynx - I know the Northern is a sub class - just looking at the list which shows Northern and Eurasian as two separate things when I've only seen Northern referred to as Norther Eurasian so wondering why they have two sections. Anyone got any further info?
 
Lafone said:
I thought both Lynx at Whipsnade were Eurasian lynx - I know the Northern is a sub class - just looking at the list which shows Northern and Eurasian as two separate things when I've only seen Northern referred to as Norther Eurasian so wondering why they have two sections. Anyone got any further info?
Click to expand...
Northern lynx/Eurasian Lynx pretty much the same thing!!
 
Though so too! Just wondered why they were listed apart - wondered if there was a new lynx fact to find out :)
 
Eurasian lynx is the species Lynx lynx.
Northern lynx is the subspecies Lynx lynx lynx, as opposed to the other Lynx lynx subspecies, such as Carpathian (Lynx lynx carpathicus) or Siberian (Lynx lynx wrangeli) lynxes.

Lynx no longer feels like a real word after writing that.

Those listed just as 'Eurasian' will be of mixed or uncertain subspecies.
 
Swampy said:
Eurasian lynx is the species Lynx lynx.
Northern lynx is the subspecies Lynx lynx lynx, as opposed to the other Lynx lynx subspecies, such as Carpathian (Lynx lynx carpathicus) or Siberian (Lynx lynx wrangeli) lynxes.

Lynx no longer feels like a real word after writing that.

Those listed just as 'Eurasian' will be of mixed or uncertain subspecies.
Click to expand...

Ah thank you - didn’t know the mixed or uncertain sub species reference point! Nice. Knowledge gained. Can’t beat that.
 
You will not see Scottish wild cat at Chester. They are part of a rewintroduction project and are permanently offshow.

The 1960s cat houseat Chester was situated where the marmoset enclosures and zip-wire now stand. Had you been around in the mid 1960s to eary 1990s you could have seen,

* denotes bred at Chester.

jungle cat *
European wild cat
Scottish wild cat *
ocelot
margay *
Paraguayan Geoffroy's cat *
jaguarundi * first UK breeding 18 August 1973
leopard cat *
pampas cat
serval *
caracal *
northern lynx *
canadian lynx *
bobcat
puma *
common leopard *
black leopard *
north Chinese leopard * (originally thought to have been Amur leopard)
Persian leopard *
clouded leopard
jaguar
black jaguar
East African cheetah
ring-tailed coati
cape fox
golden jackal
 
I *may* be biased but Port Lympne is the only zoo in the UK to have its own dedicated small carnivore section (to my knowledge) and we also offer an encounter specifically with small cats.

On our section:
- Rusty spotted cat
- Pallas cat
- Margay
- Fishing cat
- Fossa
- Northern lynx
- Serval
- Clouded leopard
- Binturong
- Red panda
 
Jess_Greenwood said:
I *may* be biased but Port Lympne is the only zoo in the UK to have its own dedicated small carnivore section (to my knowledge) and we also offer an encounter specifically with small cats.

On our section:
- Rusty spotted cat
- Pallas cat
- Margay
- Fishing cat
- Fossa
- Northern lynx
- Serval
- Clouded leopard
- Binturong
- Red panda
Click to expand...
Still a good enough list but not what it once was:
Black - footed Cat
Caracal
Scottish Wildcat
Ocelot
Indian Desert Cat

All lost within the last decade, some fairly recently.
 
pipaluk said:
Still a good enough list but not what it once was:
Black - footed Cat
Caracal
Scottish Wildcat
Ocelot
Indian Desert Cat

All lost within the last decade, some fairly recently.
Click to expand...

I agree, it would be lovely to have more of these species again but we'll see what the future holds.
 
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