After watching BBC2's 'Big Cats About The House' and a repeat of 'Secret Life of the Zoo', I've been taking a greater interest in jaguars - perhaps the most underrated of the big cats. Perhaps its me, but I feel like they are a bit out of fashion in UK zoos these days - maybe a lot of places only want one large spotted cat and Amur Leopards are the first choice? I wonder if anyone can confirm which UK collections currently keep Jaguars, and which of these are black/golden coloured. I have checked zootierliste but suspect it may be out of date - it lists Thrigby as a holder, but wasn't that only temporary holding for an animal that went to Amazona? I know Marwell went out of the species (booo!) but am not sure if Dartmoor still keep them, as I suspect their last old animal passed away. Also any additional info on Chester's individuals, Napo and Goshi, would be very welcome. Have there been any recent developments in terms of breeding, and how old are they, for example?
Dartmoor received a male back in 2015 and I am sure he is still there. I can't remember seeing one at Thrigby and there's no mention of one in the thread.
I concur; I regret that many UK zoos have stopped keeping jaguars. I recall seeing jaguars in a number of UK zoos including London, Whipsnade, Marwell, Chessington, Colchester, Kilverstone....(with London, Marwell and KIlverstone having both spotted and melanistic specimens).
Is it a "fashion" thing though? I thought it had more to do with them not being as endangered in the wild as the other big cats.
Paradise Wildlife Park have a breeding pair and youngster (who will presumably move elsewhere soon?) and are planning an extension to the current enclosure.
The jaguar at Thrigby was only temporary . Current holders - Chester, Paradise Wildlife Park, Amazona , Dartmoor, Wingham, South Lakes ? Sadly I can't think of any 'open' zoos that have them. To Tim May's list above I can add Edinburgh as one that has lost them in the last 6-8 years. There aren't enough holders IMO!
Thanks for this, that's probably about the number I would have thought. Even adding in the Big Cat Sanctuary that's not an awful lot of holders, and I agree that its a shame there aren't more. That list Tim May has provided is quite sad, in terms of how many zoos USED to keep Jaguars - and adding Edinburgh makes it even worse. I certainly hope that Chester will stick with the species.
Just realised, I didn't say which held black or normal! I believe one of Chester & Wingham's pairs are black , not sure any others are, Paradise Wildlife Park had a black one for some time, but gone now
Dartmoor - 1.0 (Spotted) Wingham - 1.2 (0.2 Black, 1.0 Spotted) Big Cat Sanctuary, Smarden - 0.3 (0.2 Black, 0.1 Spotted) Chester - 1.1 (1.0 Spotted, 0.1 Black) Isle of Wight Zoo - 0.1 (Spotted) Paradise Wildlife Park - 1.2 (All spotted) South Lakes - 1.1 (Spotted) Amazona - 1.0 (Spotted)
My interpretation would’ve have been those collections that cover a wide, spacious geographical footprint, so Whipsnade or Port Lympne for example. It’s a shame Whipsnade’s hamstrung by its zoogeopraphical theming. They could probably do an “America’s” area, and jaguars, very well.
Thanks very much for this very detailed info! Interesting to see that there are no black male Jaguars in the UK, yet there are currently 5 females. Is this coincidence or are black females more common for genetic reasons?
How many collections can afford to keep the three largest big cats? I’m sure they’d keep Lions and Tigers first as ABC species. On top of cost Jaguars often seem even less showy than other big cats who only seem to sleep 99% of the time. Keepers at Chester told me they guessed their Jags were on show for 15% of the time- at least before the introduction of the hot rock anyway.
I wouldn't have thought Jaguars cost vastly more to look after than Leopards though, and quite a few collections have them. I'd also suggest that Amur Leopards are often more shy than a lot of large cat species. The hot rock is a brilliant idea - something the animals enjoy that gives the visitors a better experience!
In the old days there were 4 cages holding cats in the area that now houses the Carpathian lynx the last remaining cage will soon be refurbished and added to the Tiger enclosure refurbishment (the old cage is currently boarded up) but the last old cage was the one with brilliant BART in.
