Zoos with the Best Cat Collection

Hi all!
I know that San Diego and Cincinnati are noted for their rather large collection of cats. Are there any other facilities that house a large number of large and small species? Are there any rarities in institutions?

 

Memphis has an impressive collection and exhibit area with their Cat Country complex: African lion, fishing cat, tiger (Sumatrans and Bengals rotate), leopard (not sure about the species), jaguar, cougar, snow leopard, ocelot, caracal, and cheetah.

 

Brookfield has a great small and big cat collection. Amur tiger, African lion, Amur leopard, snow leopard, caracal, clouded leopard, fishing cat and black-footed cat.

 

DeYoung Family Zoo claims to have the largest cat collection in the Midwest. Don't know the species list off the top of my head.

 

Just looked it up it's:

• Amur Tiger
• Indochinese Tiger
• Bengal/Generic Tiger
• Barbary Lion
• Cougar
• Eurasian Lynx
• Black Leopard
• Bobcat
• Serval

 

Cincy's, although the collection died down after the Nocturnal House/Cat House merger, they still have:
Cougar
Malayan Tiger
White tiger
Pallas' cat
Snow Leopard
Clouded leopard
Ocelot
Margay (Off display, if alive)
Black-footed Cat
Sand cat
Caracal
Fishing cat
Bobcat
Lion
Serval
Cheetah

 

@Grant Since you posted this under United States, is it safe to assume you are interested in American zoos only on this thread? If so, is it ok if I modify the title to add USA? If you are interested in international zoos with good cat collections, is it ok if I move the thread to zoos - general?

 

Although it is under United States, international is still very interesting Im sure so that's perfect if you move it to general thread

 

I'm going to get to go to the Louisville area come July and Cincinnati's website 'list' of cats is a big reason why I'm willing to drive over during my brief trip. It's nice to see it listed like this. Thank you. Several of these cats aren't housed in Arizona and I don't know of any other facility on this side of the country that has Sand Cat, Pallas' Cat, Snow Leopard, Black-footed Cat AND Fishing Cat. The fact that they have Cheetahs is a total plus.

 

According to ZTL, Le parc des Felins in France has the following:
Amur, Sri Lankan and North Persian leopards
Amur and Indochinese leopard cats
Tiger (including Siberian, Sumatran and Malayan tigers)
Southwest African, Southeast African, Barbary and Asiatic lions
Arabian sand cat
Southern Brazilian little spotted cat
European and Gordon's wild cats
Northern, Siberian and Canadian lynxes
Fishing cat
Indochinese clouded leopard
Snow leopard
Jaguar
Jaguarundi
Caracal (including common caracal)
Geoffroy's cat
Siberian Pallas's cat
South-east and Tibetan golden cat
Ocelot
Cougar
Jungle cat
Bobcat
Serval
Sri Lankan rusty-spotted cat
South African cheetah
Yucatan margay

 

Now THAT is a collection I'd like to see!

 

For a relatively small zoo, Jihlava really punches above its weight:

Sumatran tiger
Persian leopard
Sri Lankan leopard
Snow leopard
Eurasian lynx
Bobcat
Jungle cat
Serval
Caracal
Gordon's wildcat
European wildcat
Sand cat
Geoffroy's cat
Margay
Pallas' cat

 

Done.

 

As hinted by the list earlier, Le Parc Des Felins is BY FAR the best cat zoo on earth. I have been four times (and one trip spent three and a half days there). The enclosures are massive by zoo standards with the big cat exhibits measured in acres instead of square feet. They are all completely natural, built around an existing forest. Since I am a cat fanatic it is by far my all time favorite zoo. If you are really into cats, the best advice I can give you is do whatever it takes to get to France (which of course has a lot of other things going for it). In addition to the subspecies mentioned above, they have the following color morphs: black leopard, black jungle cat, white lion.

 

Two facilities in California (about two hours from each other) have perhaps the best collections in the United States, though the one in Rosamond has many enclosures of dubious quality. I will list the cats off the top of my head which may or may not be one hundred percent accurate (and may or may not all be on public display).

Exotic Feline Breeding Compound (aka Feline Conservation Center) in Rosamond:
Malayan and hybrid tiger
Puma
Jaguar (both black and typical)
Amur and North China and Persian leopard
Serval
Jaguarundi
Geoffroy's Cat
Margay
Pallas Cat
Fishing Cat
Sand Cat
Jungle Cat
Mainland Clouded Leopard
Snow Leopard
Lynx (Canada or Eurasian or maybe both?)

Project Survival's Cat Haven near Dunlap (below Kings Canyon NP):
Amur and black leopard
Jaguar (both black and typical)
Puma
Lion
Tiger (both white and typical)
Cheetah
Snow Leopard
Serval
Pallas Cat
Bobcat
Canada Lynx
Eurasian Lynx
Jaguarundi

 

Here are some of my other favorite cat zoos:
Memphis Zoo (USA)
The Living Desert (USA)
WHF Big Cat Sanctuary (ENGLAND)
Oklahoma City Zoo (USA, though I have not personally visited)
Port Lympne Animal Park (ENGLAND, though I have not visited since the controversial changes)

 

I think that little list just about puts an end to this thread!!

 

Exmoor zoo has probably the most cat species in the uk. When I was last there (three years ago) they had Caracal, Serval, Fishing Cat, Sand Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Leopard Cat, Leopard (one black, one spotted), Ocelot, Cheetah and Golden Cat.

 

Mulhouse isn't too shabby either: Asian lion, tiger (hybrid IIRC), Amur leopard, snow leopard, Carpathian lynx, oncilla, sand cat, and Pallas' cat. With the exception of the lynxes, the enclosures could be a bit bigger, though.

 

I don't think they have Golden Cat now, but you've missed off Puma so still 10. You may be right. Not sure about Port Lympne, they've lost a couple recently but they certainly had more than 10 a few years ago

Edit I make Port Lympne 12 and Howletts 11, will list later when check haven't forgotten any