ZooChat Challenge UK 2013

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TeaLovingDave said:
You and spike look to be the main contenders at present :p
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Pacemakers are there to be caught! I think spike would be clear favourite though, given that i, like most will only get one bite at Port Lympne. Given my failure to see most of the small cats on my last visit, and the poor quality of the Aspinall parks' maps which may make it hard to even find the enclosures, my chances are also reduced. If i don't see the black footed cat or margay there i'm out, i don't think anywhere else i'm likely to visit has them.
 
pipaluk said:
If i don't see the black footed cat or margay there i'm out, i don't think anywhere else i'm likely to visit has them.
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The rusty cat, too.

As far as margay go, the ones at Welsh Mountain Zoo are pretty showy, and if they ever go onshow Edinburgh might bag you the species.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
The rusty cat, too.

As far as margay go, the ones at Welsh Mountain Zoo are pretty showy, and if they ever go onshow Edinburgh might bag you the species.
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I'm unlikely to make it to Wales this year, but i've been delaying my return to Edinburgh until Pandamonium has died down & the ticketing relaxed, but may make it there late on.
I will get another chance at the rusty cat, as i intend to return to Hamerton later in the year, if only to get a better view of the Tayra!
 
I may only go to PL once this year.

I'll only get one shot at the zoos listed above too (possibly 2 at Colchester).

I'm not fussed either way, just looking forward to photographing new cats :)
 
pipaluk said:
Thanks for confirming this Tim, it's good to know my memory isn't playing tricks on me!

Not really the correct thread for this, but do you have a record of what else they held at that time? I remember 5 or 6 pumas in probably 3 seperate cages but not much else.
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Sorry to be unhelpful but I do not have a record of the species in Poole Zoo’s collection.

I only had one very brief visit about thirty years ago. In addition to the jungle cats previously mentioned, I remember numerous Asian small-clawed otters, various small primates and a Pets Corner with lots of domestic animals. I don’t recall there being any especially exciting species in the collection, although jungle cats were not very common in the UK at the time which is why they stuck in my mind.

I know that at one time the collection included several big cats and an Asiatic black bear; however these larger animals were no longer there at the time of my only visit.
 
Tim May said:
Sorry to be unhelpful but I do not have a record of the species in Poole Zoo’s collection.

I only had one very brief visit about thirty years ago. In addition to the jungle cats previously mentioned, I remember numerous Asian small-clawed otters, various small primates and a Pets Corner with lots of domestic animals. I don’t recall there being any especially exciting species in the collection, although jungle cats were not very common in the UK at the time which is why they stuck in my mind.

I know that at one time the collection included several big cats and an Asiatic black bear; however these larger animals were no longer there at the time of my only visit.
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Thanks Tim, my main reason for asking was because i was pretty sure i saw a bear there too, but it must have been in a very small cage and i thought i could have imagined it or was just remembering my many visits to Linton where the Asiatic Black Bears were also kept in a not much bigger cage!
 
Something which may well add some urgency to one facet of this challenge - it seems that Wuppertal no longer keeps Blackfooted Cat, leaving Port Lympne as the only collection in Europe holding the species. I don't believe anyone on here has seen them yet this year, so we don't even know whether they are still there either.
 
I will pick up this challenge - I might be behind but I have all summer :) Will also try and get to PL to check on Blackfooted Cat ;)
 
pipaluk said:
After a visit to Hamerton today i'm on 13, adding jaguarundi, oncilla & serval.
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After a visit to Thrigby Hall today, i'm now on 18. Saw the 3 species i'd hoped to see:
Temmenicks Golden Cat
Leopard Cat
& the usually (for me at least) elusive Clouded Leopard

Plus 2 bonus species i'd not been expecting:

Scottish Wildcat
& Jaguar- i've checked the rules, and it says must be seen from a public viewing area, not that it can't be seen through 2 pieces of mesh and a pane of glass! It was the clouded leopard that drew my attention to it, as it was clearly hissing at something through the fence at the end of its enclosure and when i looked in there was a jaguar pacing in a cage that must be accessed from the yard behind the hall. It is apparently a female being quarantined for Amazona.

I will write a review of a very enjoyable first visit in the Thrigby thread later.
 
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pipaluk said:
After a visit to Thrigby Hall today, i'm now on 18.
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Very impressive given we've only just passed the first week in March.

Only time will tell whether you're a pacemaker or eventual winner and whether a tortoise and hare analogy will arise.:)
 
Shorts said:
Very impressive given we've only just passed the first week in March.

Only time will tell whether you're a pacemaker or eventual winner and whether a tortoise and hare analogy will arise.:)
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I'm sure there is a tortoise somewhere!

I've been lucky so far in that yesterday's 90 minute journey to Thrigby was the first of over an hour and all the other zoos are ones i visit regularly, but circumstances have allowed me to get to them earlier than usual. Marwell i wouldn't normally get to until later in the year,but an unscheduled trip to family meant just a 10 minute diversion from the m3 to pick up 2 species.
Thrigby wasn't planned until summer, but as i had a day off i gave that a go instead of my usual Whipsnade trip as i went there last week.
The bonus species have made my task a bit easier too, as when i eventually make it to Port Lympne, i will have a full day there instead of combining it with Wingham as i needed to before!
 
pipaluk said:
The bonus species have made my task a bit easier too, as when i eventually make it to Port Lympne, i will have a full day there instead of combining it with Wingham as i needed to before!
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A lot easier; mental arithmatic suggests you now need only a perfect run during the Port Lympne visit to get the lot.
 
Well nowhere near the front-runners but in a purely academic honour of the challenge made a diversion to see the lynx at Whipsnade that we'd missed first time round. Thanks challenge! I expected to spot a bit of fur in a corner but we were treated to two gorgeous animals flaunting themselves in all their beauty, I'm definitely going back when the cubs they were attempting to make are born.

I've not a chance of getting anywhere in the challenge but thanks anyway!
 
I've finally kicked myself off :) visit to Chester zoo puts me at 5! yay :)

Almost didn't see the Serval had to wait a lil while for it to come out of hiding :)

So now:
Asiatic Lion
Jaguar
Sumatran Tiger
Cheetah
Serval


Also I think I'm a tortoise in this situation xD
 
Well, I finally saw my first zoo cat of the year, although I'm not sure how countable it is. Going through Devon in a coach on the way back from a field trip, I was able to see over the boundary fence of Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park and so was able to see:

1) Lion
 
so far I have seen

1) lion
2) tiger
3) puma
4) jaguar
all at wwp the caracals and wildcats were not out but I hope to revisit soon because my membership runs out after easter.

I also plan to visit howletts sometime so hope to add some more on my list then.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Now on 10 after getting Ocelot at Birmingham Nature Centre!
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Now on 12 after getting Clouded Leopard and Pallas Cat at Cotswold Wildlife Park,very happy to get Clouded Leopard out of the way as it saves me having to visit Thrigby just to see them!
 
zoogiraffe said:
very happy to get Clouded Leopard out of the way as it saves me having to visit Thrigby just to see them!
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Doesn't save you having to visit Thrigby to see the Amur Leopard Cat though ;)
 
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