Keeping Cats Together - Expanding Jaguar and Snow Leopard Ideas

In my last post, I not only wrote about what I'd like to see for the future of the area from Grizzly Gulch going south to empty Pygmy Hippo, across from Snow Leopard, but I mentioned the need to expand the Snow Leopard and Jaguar enclosures.

The Zoo put forth a plan (illusion?) to create a new enclosure for the Jaguar in the space of the old Sea Lion Pool.  How serious that plan is, who knows, they previously had it slated for Andean Condors.  Personally, I don't like either idea.  I think the one Condor that has been on exhibit, the female Claudia, has been shuffled around enough since arriving.  She is now back in her original enclosure, and should just stay put.  I also like keeping all the Cats in one area.  So, I'm not a fan of moving the Jaguar out of the Lion House area.

So, yea, I have ideas for the Jaguar and the Snow Leopard.  Projects pending funding that I think should happen after the Orangutans get new enclosures built at Triple Grotto.  Maybe nobody even cares what I think.  But, I keep putting my ideas out there, as I think they are doable, as well as logistically well thought out.  And certainly better than what Director Peterson approved for the current Snow Leopard hallway, Orangutan shit-show, and the Madagascar disaster.  At least these ideas would create larger enclosures for the Jaguar and Snow Leopard, and together with keeping the Lion House home to Our Lions and another Cat species (seemingly Tigers would be only ones that can be contained without netting), all creating a good looking Cat area.  We had that before when there were four Cat yards, before Peterson's nonsense of taking down both walls, when only one double-wide would have been sufficient, and Cats could have been rotated into the larger one. She couldn't have done it with giving them more room in mind, when she allowed the new Snow Leopard enclosure to be disgusting small.  It's literally a cluttered hallway, and shorter than the one in my flat.

When the Snow Leopard expansion was built a few years ago, it was allegedly supposed to have a second phase that included an overhead trail that crossed the path north, down south gate, running parallel to Therapy Horses.  A larger space that would accommodate rotation between Raj, the current male on exhibit and his two offspring who are currently off exhibit.  That plan needs to be completed.

The Jaguar is currently housed in the old Snow Leopard enclosure.  He seems content, and that enclosure is supposedly larger than the one he was in at Sacramento Zoo.  That said, he should have more room.  The original plan was to move him into Cat Yard B.  Keeper Staff voiced concern about escape as it is not netted.  Peterson's approved fix was to add metal panels around the perimeter to prevent any breaches over the walls.  Keeper Staff again voiced concern that was not proper containment.  The plan to move Tikal the Jaguar there were scrapped.  Like with Triple Grotto renovation for Orangutans, money wasted on fixes, rather than doing something the right way at the start.  

In my opinion, there seems to be two places in that area to expand the Jaguar's current enclosure.  Into the path and towards the Pudu and Tortoise enclosures, but not removing them, or via overhead trail to large empty area at east end of Lion House. Which is a newer thought.  

This aerial photo shows 

both Jaguar and Snow Leopard views.

Red = Existing Enclosures,

Yellow = Expansions + Trails,

Blue = Path Redirecting

I looked at those areas yesterday and took these photos, of both Jaguar area ideas, and view of Snow Leopard area.

Snow leopards path where trail could be, left side to expansion

Jaguar looking at area that could be used for expansion moving into right of photo.

Photo ... I couldn't upload the photo for some reason.  I want this to post before today's Vote Meeting, so I'll try again later.

So yea,  I want to see alot of life back in the area of the Cat Yards.  I want a new Pygmy Hippo, I want the Lions to stay IN the Lion House,  I want a both Cat Yards with Cats, and in time when funding available, I want a Snow Leopard expansion like there was supposed to be, and I want a Jaguar expansion.  That whole end where Pygmy Hippo was, can feel a bit deserted.  It was like that for too long when Tucker Hippo left, and now again since Akobi left, and when Lions are in Yard A, and B is empty, it's sad.

Aerial of Cat Yards, Pygmy Hippo, 

Snow Leopard, and Jaguar (E).

No Pandas. ... Keep this area intact, populated and improve it.

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