The latest facility to be accredited by the FCF Accreditation Board is Jungle Encounters, owned and operated by Debi Willoughby. Jungle Encounters is an outreach wildlife educational service in Massachusetts.  The facility’s wildlife includes a variety of small mammals, like skunk, ringtails, marmosets, a couple species that can be petted or held by children, such as chinchillas and naked guinea pigs, a few reptiles such as lizards and iguana, and the crown jewels of the show are the cats.

Ron Young, one of the five members of the FCF accreditation board notes that whether the applicant houses one feline or dozens of big cats, all facilities are equal. Ron says, “You become part of the one voice that speaks for all.”  Ron welcomes this facility saying, “Jungle Encounters, with one wild cat joins the distinguished group of facilities that meet the FCF high standards of facility design and husbandry.”

Jungle Encounters is situated on eight rural acres with plenty of room for various outdoors enclosures that house pheasants, game birds, peacocks, even a pot bellied pig. All exotics are all safely confined behind chain link perimeter fencing.  The facility’s  spotted South American Geoffroy’s cat, gets along great with two hybrid domestic feline friends, so the trio shares an 8-foot by 16-foot, by 8-foot tall outdoor enclosure. The arched structure has a double door entryway for security, and the back half of the roof is covered to give protection from wind, sun, rain and snow. Plenty of platforms and ramps give vertical opportunities in their outdoor environment. The floor is sand and it covers a layer of wire laid on the ground to prevent dig out.

The cats also have an indoor room in her home and get to spend supervised time in the home with Debi and her husband Ed. Their indoor room is one of the home’s bedrooms. The window is covered with coated 2-inch by 2-inch wire and there is also a window fan to give the room fresh air. A variety of ramps and platforms are constructed for the cats as well. 

During Jungle Encounter shows, the geoffroy’s cat walks on a table and demonstrates his climbing and jumping ability on a scratching post with multi-tiered platforms.