My husband surprised me with tickets to Big Cat Rescue for our anniversary recently and it was a great time that I'll remember forever. The tour was very informative and fun. Our guide and big cat caregiver, Alyssa, did a great job of telling us about the individual species and their personal histories why they were rescued. The cats were majestic as frack and magnificent. We went when they first opened and it was cooler so we got to see plenty of big cats being active, some even purred! I could have stayed for hours watching the big cats, they were beautiful and fascinating. They also foster housecat kittens that are adoptable, and they were adorable all bouncing around! The gift shop was fun and gifts were reasonably priced. All of the staff were friendly and helpful. This is a great charity where everyone there is passionate and caring with the big cats. Highly recommended!
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Love this place have been twice and can never get enough. Worth the money and time to go. Nice to see these cats have a great place to spend the rest of there lives.
Lived this place, my family call me the crazy cat lady and this was amazing. Saw the cats being fed which is awesome. Also it was very good and see them playing in their pools which is hilarious! Didn't want to leave.
Very interesting tour. We were kind of lucky as most of the big cats were awake and active. That is unusual as most are nocturnal and sleep through the heat of the afternoon. Very good informative tour.
If you have the opportunity to go to Tampa, go to Big Cat Rescue. These large cats have all been rescued from everything from roadside petting zoos to private owners. They are wonderfully taken care of here and its a joy to know that so many people care about them.
This is a Rescue, no breeding, trading, selling or Hands-on with the wildlife! Just a nice little place from these Wild Cats and other wild life to live their lives out! Please Visit if you can! The staff was nice, including the volunteers! We did the 90 minute tour and I Loved it! Some past sad stories but their future is in good hands! Their Facebook page also has some photos and videos. This place is worth the visit!
Got a private tour and really enjoyed it. Learned a lot from their knowledgeable staff while getting to see some truly beautiful cats. We even saw a lion roar!
I visited Big Cat Rescue and absolutely cannot WAIT to go again! These rescued animals are kept in as natural as humanly possible cat-a-tats > their natural habitat. Their first goal @ rescued animals is to rehabilitate them and return them to the wild. When that is not possible, the animals are provided with excellent nutrition, "enrichment" (aka play things) given special treats for holidays (turkeys for Thanksgiving, etc etc).
The care and love given to each of these animals is obvious when you look at their page and see the lengths to which they will go to save an animal. Hopeless? Not with BCR around. They'll do everything possible to save a life. Do they always win? No, but they win more than they lose, and without their help EVERY ONE of the cats they've helped would have perished.
Until you've seen the tigers running and playing, romping in their pools, the leopards lounging in trees just like they would in their native country, until you read about the heartwrenching losses...and believe me, they ARE heartwrenching because they love each of these animals...don't say this is a bad place.
Animals in zoos do not have it as good as the cats at Big Cat Rescue. Educate yourself. Don't be a do-do head. These people do marvelous work and will not let the cats become attached to humans in any situation, because they wouldn't do so in the wild. Their "wildness" is protected, the animals are VERY well cared for and no expense is spared to maintain their health.
Three stars? Well, OK, but I wish I could give them 5!
Cool place to go if you're into large cats. They have passion towards animal rights and treat them humanly. I personally did not like the way the tours are set up though and the first tour guide we had wasn't the best. I still recommend going though.
Very fun and entertaining for everyone. The staff seem to take very very good care of the animals and the enclosures are very clean and big and well kept. Would recommend the tour.
I did not know what to expect beforehand. This place is 67 acres and has bobcats, leopards, servals, a jaguar, a lion, and 8 tigers: about 60 cats total. The morning feeding tour was amazing. Our docent keepers were very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. BCR gives forever homes to big cats rescued from fur farms, roadside zoos, or that were otherwise seized from abusive or inadequate captivity. We learned a lot about why the cub petting trade is bad and how to help big cats by calling our federal representatives. I have so much respect for BCR and the endless work they do to care for these magnificent animals. They are fully accredited so their facility meets the highest standards of care. Well worth the time to visit and see these beautiful animals. Loved it!
They do wonderful work and if you want to ethically see big wild cats, then this is a great choice.
If you need assistance walking and are considering paying for the hold cart, then you may be disappointed. The trails aren't set up well enough for this as you will be far behind the group and unable to hear your guide very well.
This place is NOT A ZOO. They give the cats the option to hide if they do not want to be seen, if you are looking for a zoo, you will be extremely disappointed. I enjoyed our tour and our intern guide Vicky. My only complaint would be that they didn't have calendars in the gift shop, but it is September, so I understand why they didn't. Besides that it was an interesting tour and I would go back again (sometime when it is not so hot out)
My son, daughter and I (wife could not make the tour, broken foot) took the tour and were truly touched by the experience. Denny was our guide, and despite his many, many years of selfless volunteering, made our experience touching, fulfilling and special. Denny transmitted his love for the amimals and the Big Cat Rescue's commitment to the welfare of these beautiful animals. Thank you, Denny and the BCR for your warm heart! A must see!
These gorgeous creatures are treated with respect, dignity, and humanity. I was so impressed with the extent in which the staff go to ensure the mental health and well being of these big cats. I paid for a family of 5, and would gladly pay for us all again knowing that the proceeds go directly to the cats. What an amazing place to see these rehabilitated animals as well as become educated on ways to help prevent cruelty. Whole heartedly recommend to anyone traveling to or living in Tampa!
Awesome!! I had been her previously on a group tour but the private tour was amazing. I highly recommend it and will be back to do it again and again. Everyone I came into contact with was helpful and friendly. The cats are extremely well taken care of and have so much room to roam. Yes, it is sad they are in cages but that is the fault of where ever they came from, the careless breeding and buying of exotic and hybrid cats. At least they can come here to live the best life they can.
Fantastic experience! First time visiting the big cat rescue. We took the morning feeding tour. It started at 9am and all of the big cats were up and about and very active . It is far from any zoo experience you have ever had. Each animals enclosure is enormous with plenty of grass and space to run jump and hide. You will get to be within feet of the big cats, tigers, and a beautiful lion. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and outgoing and you could tell how much she genuinely love what she was doing and how much she wanted to teach our group. Tour groups are small and intimate so everyone gets the full experience! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Thank you Big Cat Rescue for all the work you do!
As an animal lover, I decided to visit BCR on my first trip to Tampa. It makes me happy to know that there's a place where these animals can live after being rescued. They trully care about the animals. The enclosures are large, but they also provide two bigger enclosures for "vacation rotation". I really love BCR educates the public about what we can do to end the trade of exotic animals. It is sad that most of our states do not have laws to protect exotic animals or have laws that are not adequate for the wellbeing of the animals. I have made my calls to my state senators and representatives and I hope they cosponsor the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Thank you BCR for being a voice for these animals!
Had a great experience here- I remember finding out about this place when I was 14 & I became a loyal follower & tried to fundraiser for them (didn t go so well lol). Finally 8 years later, for my birthday I just wanted to drive to Tampa and be able to see BCR. My boyfriend made it happen and it was truly amazing to finally see this place. We had a fantastic time on the Day Tour & will definitely be back for one of the private tours.
Take your family, your friends and learn about what good people do to fix what bad people have done to some very wonderful Cats. You will have tears from the sad stories and tears of laughter at what fun you see the Cats having now! Big Cat Rescue should be on your Big List of things to see!
Loved getting to see all these big cats up close and learn more about how to help these beautiful animals! We had a great tour and would highly recommend a visit if you're in the Tampa area
Our visit to Big Cat was an absolutely amazing experience. We got to make enrichment toys and watch the cats interact with them. Honey, the Master Keeper, shared lots of facts and interesting anecdotes about each cat as she was feeding them. If you ever the opportunity to take this tour, DO IT!
I first found BCR on YouTube, of all places. It was Halloween and they were giving pumpkins to all of the cats. They were hilarious video's...I never knew big cats would enjoy pumpkins so much. But that's not all I learned......I also learned about the cruel tiger trade that goes on right under our noses, in back yards all over the US. I then independently researched the tiger trade, and learned so much more about it. Thanks to BCR, this has become a passion of mine, ending the tiger trade. Unfortunately, it has also brought out a lot of the people that would prefer that we NOT know about the exploitation of these beautiful animals (but that's another story). :)
My point is, when you visit BCR, not only will you get to see many, many big cats in as close to a natural environment as you can get, but you will also learn about these cats.......and the things you will learn will stick with you, for most of you, long after your visit.
There's a few different kinds tours that BCR offers. The guided tour happens once daily and if I remember correctly, a few times a day of the week-ends. The tour guides are knowledgeable and give an impressive tour as well as an educational one. You get to learn about the plight of many species of cats. I think what struck me the most, though, is how many of these cats are there because of people that thought they would make good pets.
Don't get me wrong....I think a tiger is beautiful and majestic. It is undeniable. Just look at them. I just don't get how a person gets from here, to actually buying one and putting it in a cage in their backyard. It usually doesn't end well, which is why BCR exists in the first place.
There are so many things I learned from BCR, to many to list here. My suggestion is to just go. Next time I would like to try the enrichment tour, where we make things for the tigers to destroy (enrichment...LOL). That is what hooked me into this place in the first place, watching the tigers literally destroy the pumpkins was magical (glad I'm not a pumpkin..ha).
I give BCR 3 stars. I wish I could give them more....after all the work they put into taking care of these beautiful cats, and all of the campaigning they do to end the tiger trade, it's the least I can do.
In a nutshell, you will not leave disappointed. :)
I loved visiting this place and I love going back when I'm in Tampa. This is not a zoo but a place for felines who can no longer live in the wild. You will meet cats that used to be mistreated or were rejected by zoos because of their age/health. The only way to visit is with a guided tour where they will tell you the story of every feline living in the rescue. I loved how they have big areas to play and run. The volunteers do an amazing job here, they're very informative, and the cats look very happy. At the end of the tour, you can go visit the store. There is also an area where you can adopt one of the cats.
Great experience, plenty of cats out and some know too interact with the guides. The tour is only at 10 and 3, so plan ahead. The stories told are a bit strong on the advocacy side so come off as "look at how horrible humans and our government is".
I've been following BCR on YouTube and Instagram for many years and finally had the opportunity to go to the sanctuary in person! Such an amazing experience, even though it was raining during our tour we still got to see all of my favorite cats and had an amazing experience. All the staff was fantastic and you can tell they truly care about what they do. 100% recommend supporting them and if you have a chance to go see the cats in person do it!!
Brilliant. Well worth the money, and for a good cause. The guide was interesting and fun. You get very close to the cats, which was amazing, and a far nicer experience than a zoo. An eye-opening, memorable, and worthwhile experience.
My father and I wen't to the Big Cat Rescue. Everything was going good until this lady in back with the red shirt driving the golf cart was rushing us as we were taking pictures of the cats. We both love and in joy the wild life and we both had a good time expect for that lady rushing us. By the way, Jackie did real good on her first day tour and thank you for making our day fun!
My wife and I visited last week on vacation, and we were very surprised in the experience. This location specializes in providing the best care for wild animals. They are very professional in what they do, and they take great care to maintain the animal s wildness. This is not a zoo, but rather a facility that takes in wild animals from many poor circumstances, but treat them as they are; wild. They are not entertainment, but rather given the respect they deserve as wild animals. In our observation on the tour, each wild animal looked very healthy with great surroundings. You can tell they take great care to make sure the animals have the right habitat to thrive. All the people tending to the animals have great attitudes about serving the animals. Great tour that was worth the time and money! Recommend you visit, experience the thrill and support the effort.
We went to Big Cat Rescue today and unfortunately we were rather disappointed. The ticket was even more expensive than shown on the website. The price would have been ok if we had seen a bit more, but we saw a tail here and a paw there and maybe two cats as a whole. This still would have been KIND OF ok as we understand that those animals need their peace, but the fact that two of the staff members were pretty rude really disappointed us. We don't regret giving money to an animal sanctuary. We still think that the people who come to this sanctuary should not be treated like prison inmates by the staff. We didn't try to get over the fence and we didn't touch anything we weren't supposed to or anything like that. We just walked around like everyone else and took some pictures. It's not nice to be yelled at like this. All the best for the animals though!
SINCE person replied to my review below..I Don t know who it is but you must be very ignorant. I said it was a birthday gift. Don t know what list you expect me in and this was in April. I have pictures and videos to prove I was there as well. This place is always on the defense through these reviews which is pretty sad. I would never wish death on anyone and it s terrible the owner is going through that. But that s not of my business and nothing to do with what I EXPERIENCED. Whoever is answering to the reviews. You look like a fool ASSUMING everyone is out to get you. What a terrible thing. Maybe learn from what people are telling you!
ORIGINAL REVIEW Was a bday gift to attend this place. But couldn t enjoy taking the time to see the cats was a bit rushed. Told us it was an hour long but it took 40 minutes.. pricey. Was told to move a long If we looked on for a few more seconds. One lioness was OVERFED and huge. The guide even said she only slept all day because she s lazy and too big to move around. Then what really annoyed me was that none of these people have much knowledge on these cats other than their background/ where they came from..they are volunteers..weelll the tour guide tells us that they had just gotten a bob cat that someone hit on the road...then when they tried to feed her, only because she PLAYED with her food, which was a live rat or mouse, they thought she had become SPOILED and decided she couldn t be released back into the wild. Seriously? Also the male lion neutered because he was protective of the tigress. The story was that when they tried to separate them he would be aggressive towards the volunteers. Umm he s a LION! There seems to be a lack of education or knowledge of these cats and how to have a true/real sanctuary. Middle of tampa isn t a good place to be doing this. It s gets too hot for these cats and they are very much caged up.
Everyone should visit this amazing Sanctuary !!! Your purchase of ticket for tour helps feeds the cats Our tour guides were the best... It was a hour and half tour wellspent on a beautiful afternoon. Check out my photos .
We visited Big Cat Rescue a few days ago and learned so much and truly enjoyed getting outdoors in a very beautiful environment. We quickly came to appreciate the amazing work being done by some fantastic people who love these very 'COOL CATS'. We heard about the cats' diet, natural environment and specific details about the various kinds of cats. I appreciated the details and stories about the various cats. Our guide-Denny- was extremely knowledgeable, witty and passionate about the Big Cats. We also learned about the harm of owning and trying to have these beautiful animals as pets as well as the harm of supporting cub petting. It is just not 'Big Cat Friendly'. I hope others will arrange a trip to Big Cat Rescue so more folks can learn about the 'big cats' , enjoy the great outdoors, learn about 'cat abuse' and support their incredible work.
I love Big Cat Rescue! Unlike some so-called sanctuaries, they do not make their cats "perform". They allow the animals to exist as cats not entertainers. Definitely going to spread the word. Yes they are anti animal abuse. All of us should be! Fantastic place.
Love what they are about and what they do just sucked that the day we went it was cold so most of cats were bundled up but would love to come back on a warm day
Did the 9 am feeding tour. Watching the feeding was not as bad as I had imagined. We would go back for one of the other tours since it seems like there s lots of information to share and plenty of different cats to see. We only had 6 people on our tour, but we saw the 10 am tour as we were leaving and the group was much larger. The smaller group was nice because we all could see and hear. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. Overall, a very neat place providing a valuable service. Advice: bring bug spray, wear pants and long sleeves if possible, and wear shoes suitable for mud (paths are dirt).
We went a few years ago. They are doing great work. Though the cats are still caged, they are in waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger environments then they were before they came to Big Cat Rescue. Listen up people, these cats are not pets. Leave them in the wild, don't buy them for pets!
Very educational. Saw quite a few cats. Very sad to hear some of the animals' stories. The guides, Bridget, Kristen & Jeff, were GREAT!! Very willing to answer questions and very informative. I really liked having the audio stories as well. It's a must see.
My family and I visited the Big Cat Rescue yesterday and had an amazing time. We watched the feeder feeding the big cats and the little cats. The feeder was talking to the cats with so much love in his voice that you know without a doubt how much the staff love and care for these animals. They educated us on what has happened to these animals and many more like them, hearing the stories behind these beautiful animals was heartbreaking and lit a fire in us to tell everyone we can what we have learned here and make sure they come to visit. The cats were so active and curious to the coming people, a few of them walked next to us in their cages until they couldn't folow us anymore. One tiger was rubbing up against the fence looking for love!! I can't wait to come back again and again!
This place was not just incredible, but also very educational. The staff seemed very enthusiastic about being there for the cats not the people which means that they are hopefully well taken care of at the center. It is a good time for sure, but don't be surprised if you go and some cats are hiding since they are wild cats.
What a great experience to see these beautiful cats! They appear healthy and well taken care of. I forgot our tour guide's name. She was wearing a Trainee shirt. She was very knowledgeable. I was there the day before the 3 new tigers arrived from Guatamala. I will be back to see them. I have recommended Big Cat Rescue to my friends.
I wouldn't go here. I'm watching a documentary (king of tigers) that she's in. My question is this.... How can she say "big cats need X amount to roam and DON'T BELONG IN CAGES" then showed het big cats all in CAGES? Why is she saying one thing and doing another? She needs to rethink what she's saying beggars what she's actually doing. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for animals being treated right. But I wouldn't say no cages and then have them in cages. I'd have huge fenced pastures for them to roam. Or a place like The Wild in Ohio.
Amazing organization. Thank goodness this place exists. Was awesome to see these cats healthy and able to live out their lives instead of the horrible situations where they came from.
First off: Great tour, and I will encourage others to visit. But know this: This is truly a "rescue" facility, not a zoo. The cats kept here have been obtained from private locations where their lives and well-being have been endangered. Some come from individuals who mistakenly believed that a tiger, or an ocelot, or other, would make for a nice domestic pet - and for obvious reasons it doesn't work out that way, resulting in a horrible existence for the animal. Big Cat Rescue appears to be doing incredible and noble work in doing what it can to rescue big (and little) cats and provide them with a safe and comfortable life. None of these animals will ever be able to be released into the wild. The organization depends on donors and visitors to their location for their funding. The tours are well run and very informative. On my visit, our tour began in the middle of a rain storm (they provide ponchos - no umbrellas allowed), and despite the rain, our guide made it an amazing tour. Some cats are ok with rain, many not, but she worked it all in and made the day memorable. I strongly recommend going.
Lots of really nice big cats to see, long walk have to keep to faster pace for some. Cost is high but have to keep telling yourself it is for the cats. I was impressed with guide we had he was young but passionate plus he said they are all volunteers. Wow that is great.
Very enjoyable walk and tour around the cats. Educational and heartbreaking to hear what the cats have been through. But very wonderful job the Rescue and volunteers do to provide a home for these big cats.
Wow this place is so amazing! Obviously if we could return these wild cats to their native homes that would be ideal. But the best possible alternative is Big Cat Sanctuary. For those cats who have been held by circuses, or dummy owners who think they can domesticate a wild animal in one generation. This is a safe utopia where they can live out their remaining years. I cannot express how much I admire the people who made this place happen.
This is a great place for wild cats sanctuary. They really do take care of their wild cats that have been abused. Whether they were former circus performers, from people who think they can raise tigers, lions in their home then have gotten too wild or people breeding them illegally for private sales. These cats are well take care of here and can live out their lives in peace without abuse.
bigcatrescue.org
