“Rescued 14 species of cats!”
Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats. We are home to over 100 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars and other species most of whom have been abandoned, abused, orphaned, saved from being turned into fur coats, or retired from performing acts. Our dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.
As mentioned by others, you do have to call and make a reservation! Don't worry, it's not as awkward as it sounds. The volunteers who work here and very nice and extremely passionate! They truly care about the cats and their well being and you will notice this if you do take a tour. All proceeds goes to the sanctuary and the cats which is another plus.
They give you the back story on all the big cats and how they got there. As an animal lover I'm decently aware of the lack of legislation protecting them, but big cat rescue informed the visitors even more. They even inform you about a specific bill and provide the means for you to call your legislator and request a co-sponsor or for the bill!
Again I greatly recommend! For those who are anti-zoos, remember this is a sanctuary! They are fairly anti-zoos too and only keep the cats here that cannot be rerelease a into the wild.
Love this place! The cats have so much room to roam and life enrichments that you know the staff really care. The gift shop isn't crazy priced either.
Love this place! Make sure to visit their website to see what times the tours are. It is a true animal sanctuary. I've been there two separate times. I got to see different sections on both tours. It is this huge property that you would never know was there unless you were looking for it. It is clearly evident that the primary mission is providing a comfortable and enriching environment for the cats, which I love. I love all the different things the staff does to entertain the cats. You can also watch video footage on http://explore.org/live-cams/player/big-cat-rescue-vacation-rotation.
Love this place. They really care about the animals.
In order to visit you need to make a reservation ahead of time so check their website or give them a call!
Amazing place! Highly recommended.
No longer open to the public
Was hoping to call to make a reservation for my daughter and I to visit when we're there next month (March 2021), however, this is what their website currently says -
"We are located at 12802 Easy St. Tampa, FL 33625 and are not open to visitors. I have no delusions that we would ever be able to open to the public again. Even if COVID-19 is under control by the end of next year (and I think it will be at least that long) I don’t know if I would ever take the risk of allowing one deranged person who saw Tiger King and is from the #FreeJoeExotic clan to gain access. Even though our tours are guided and have a backup person to keep the group of 20 or less together, it would be just too easy for a pair or group to work together to distract our volunteers long enough to throw some poisoned treat into a cage for a cat to consume. It’s just not worth the risk." :(
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Big Cat Rescue
Hours
- Sun: 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
- Mon - Wed, Fri: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
- Sat: 9:00 am - 11:30 am
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Pets Allowed
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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