Big Cats Gallery | Colchester Zoo

Big Cats

African Lion (Panthera leo)

Lion Rock

Area:

Africa, southern Sahara to South Africa

Status:

Vulnerable and listed on Appendix II of CITES

Encounter:

15:30

Quick Fact:

The lion has been characterised as fearsome, courageous and majestic, the lion’s strength and ferocity has earned it the title of ‘King of the Beasts’ in many cultures.

Big Cats

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

Leopards at Ussuri Falls

Area:

Russian far east and possibly north east China

Status:

Critically Endangered

Encounter:

11:45

Quick Fact:

Amur leopards are distinctive due to their pale coat and dark rosettes which are large and widely spaced with thick, unbroken rings. Our enclosure is home to our two leopards (one male and one female)

See if you can spot the leopards in their enclosures, or learn more about them at the daily leopard encounter during your next visit!

Big Cats

Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Tiger Taiga

Area:

Russian Far East

Status:

Endangered and listed on Appendix I of CITES

Encounter:

13:00

Quick Fact:

Much like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the same stripe pattern.

Big Cats

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Edge of Africa

Area:

Northern and central Africa and small areas of the Middle East

Status:

Vulnerable and listed on Appendix I of CITES

Quick Fact:

The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 87 kilometres per hour.

Why not learn more about the cheetahs at their encounter?

Big Cats

African Lion (Panthera leo)

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

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