Tampa’s Best Kept Secret
Back To Press Room
Just across the street from one of the area’s biggest malls is Big Cat
Rescue, the world’s largest non-profit accredited rescue facility for big cats. These
exotic cats have found a safe and beautiful sanctuary at Big Cat Rescue which
is tucked away on 45 acres across the street from Citrus Park’s Westfield
Town Center. It is home to over 100 tigers, lions, leopards, cougars,
bobcats, lynx, ocelots, servals, caracals and more. Sixteen of the 35
species of wild cats, many of which are endangered or extinct in the wild,
live at the sanctuary. Some of these cats have been abandoned and some
have been abused. Others are retired from circus acts and others have
been saved from being slaughtered for their fur.
Big Cat Rescue is an educational sanctuary, with a dual mission to (1) give the cats the best permanent home possible while (2) educating the public in order to reduce the number of cats that suffer the fate of abandonment and/or abuse, and to encourage preservation of habitat and wildlife. This goal is achieved through educational guided tours, education programs for young people, and by maintaining a website (www.BigCatRescue.org) that is the world’s largest and best resource for information about exotic cats.
The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, Animal Planet, Oprah, Geraldo at Large, Dateline, Today Show, People Magazine, and Sports Illustrated have all featured stories on Big Cat Rescue. We are fortunate to have this world renowned facility right here in Tampa.
The sanctuary receives no government funding and relies on the generosity of thousands of individual donors and volunteers to care for and support the cats. Many opportunities are available to volunteer at Big Cat Rescue. In fact, 107 local people are volunteers and many more around the globe volunteer as AdvoCats. For more information on volunteer opportunities please visit the website.
Big Cat Rescue is open to the public Monday through Saturday for guided tours
conducted by educated and friendly volunteers, all of whom work tirelessly
on behalf of the cats. You’ll get to see the cats up close! Adult
Day Tours ($22 per person) for ages 10 and older are offered Monday through
Friday at 9am or 3pm, and on Saturdays at 9:30, 11:30 and 1:30, and last about
an hour and a half. A Family Tour ($12 per person) is offered on Saturdays
at 9am, and is the only tour permitted for children under age 10 along with
their family. It is about an hour long, and is geared towards children’s
interest. These tours do not require advance reservations, but do plan
to arrive about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tour.
After the tour, you’ll want to visit the fantastic Gift Shop with many animal-themed items at very reasonable prices. And the best news is—all the proceeds including the admission price goes towards the care of the cats. What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. It’s fun, educational, and for a very good cause, so take the family and go on over for a tour.
Please check the website www.BigCatRescue.org for the other tours such as Expedition, Feeding Tour, Photo Tour, Night Tours, Private Tours, Weddings, and Parties. These do need advance reservations and can be scheduled by calling (813) 920-4130 or emailing Info@BigCatRescue.org Big Cat Rescue is located at 12802 Easy Street.
Stats: 558 words
Author: Ann Canterbury, Volunteer at Big Cat Rescue 12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625 813.493.4564 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Click on photos for high res versions. Photo credits to Jamie Veronica, President of Big Cat Rescue
Get the code for the cool little photo badge below to display on your own site:
|
|
| Get code HERE |
It's a great way to support the cats at no cost to you!
Can you guess if this fur is tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar, or which big cat? |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Your donation is the gift of life, and a second chance for lions, tigers, cougars and more! | ||||||||||
