Big Cat Rescue Reviews

A wonderful agency that protects injured and abused animals. Their program to release back into the wild animals that have been injured is fantastic.

I participated in the Keeper Tour at Big Cat Rescue and being able to hear the stories of the individual cats, asking our guide any questions we had, and getting the chance to experience the personalities of the different cats was AMAZING. Our guide, Honey, was funny, charismatic and very knowledgeable about the organization and the cats. I learned a ton and got some excellent photos of these beauties. I definitely recommend a visit to BCR to see the incredible work they're doing and if possible taking part in the Keeper Tour.

A must visit for any animal lover when in Tampa. I am so grateful to BCR for providing a home for these majestic animals and providing them with excellent care.

We loved seeing the cats so close. They all seem content. I feel that the staff genuinely care for the cats. It is a nice place for their forever home...especially after what many of them have experienced. I loved seeing the improvements they are making to give the cats more room to run. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about all of the residents. The money you spend on tickets and souvenirs goes toward helping the cats so it's a worthy cause and a fun time.

Such a great place for animal lovers. It's also an awesome experience to take children and show them that these animals are not meant for circuses or entertainment, they are meant to live in the wild. All the proceeds go to helping the animals.

Big Cat Rescue does awesome work educating people and taking care of abused and unwanted big cats. Check out their Facebook page. They have many tigers, servals, bobcats, and others. Excellent photos of the cats in their enclosures can be taken.

Nice setting on the outside. We did not know you needed to make reservations. Staff was helpful. Suggestion: staff should have signs as you're entering property that you must have reservations to see the cats.

This was an amazing experience! Thanks to our great guide, Fred, we've learned a lot about the big cats we've seen over there. This sanctuary (not a zoo) really puts their animals above all else. It is great to book a tour here, because you know that you support the animals there with it.

It also makes you much more aware about the current situation of privately owned big cats. The Big Cat Rescue is doing a great job fighting for the animals in need!

I love big cats l o v e
I live in wy I am 8 years old

I've been three times so far. Every tour was different. Big Cat Rescue is by far my favorite place to visit in Florida! You'll be amazed by what they do for the big and small cats. You won't regret going!!!!!!!!!!

I have not been to BCR in a few years, but I first found them on Youtube before I even moved to Florida in 2013. I am posting my review today after reading about the ordeal with Joe Exotic. I am sorry you had to deal with that man for so long, but I am happy to see that he has finally been stopped.
As a sanctuary for big cats, I found the conditions to be more than adequate. The cats have larger enclosures than many other places I have visited. Most of the cats were sleeping when I visited, but that was to be expected; it was the middle of the day in Florida - 90 degrees and sunny. Those that were awake seemed to be content and did not seem stressed. BCR also provides regular animal enrichment in the form of various toys, pumpkins, etc. to keep the cats entertained.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the cats and their personalities, which made it much more enjoyable for me. I was finally getting a chance to see the cats I had watched online for years! My only qualm is that I wish the tour had been longer and I could have had more time to observe the cats. I am one of those people that could sit and watch big cats for hours, even if they aren't doing anything particularly "exciting."
Yes, the price of admission may be higher than other places, but I know that my money is actually going towards helping big cats and not parading them around like other institutions in the area....
Overall, I had a great experience and those who have negative things to say clearly do not understand the mission of BCR, that the cats come first. I can respect that and I understand why they enforce the policies that they do.
Thank you, BCR, for providing a safe place for big cats! I am looking forward to visiting again soon.

We went there and brought the kids. The tour was amazing. The boys enjoyed listening to the young lady and seeing all the different big cats that were rescued. It was well worth the time and donations to help keep them open

Go see these cats! Each cat has such an interesting story. To see their beauty and personalities so close in distance is amazing. All of the volunteers and workers at the big cat rescue are passionate about the work they're doing and you can see it and feel it. I'm so happy that my husband and I fit this into our mini vacation.

Whether you're at BCR or not, the people there are awesome! Why? Because they rescue all these innocent abused big cats from the previous people who "took care" of them. I may want to come here someday to see all the big cats in person and how well the staff takes care of them :D

It is amazing to see an animal sanctuary that is both enriching and educational.

Great experience and very educational of what happens to these big cats.

This was so cool and informative. We absolutely loved it! Amazing to see these cats up close and to hear about their sad stories.

Did both the regular, Feeders and Keepers Tours and this is an amazing place! So different compared to a zoo. The animals here aren't kept for your pleasure, but to provide them a healthy and safe place where they can become old and aren't endangered by dealers, hunters or people who want to breed 'unique species'. We've seen tons of different cats, especially the cats getting to eat is impressive. If you love cats, you will certainly love Big Cat Rescue!

We had a very nice tour here and the animals have a very good life at big cat rescue! Their YouTube videos are also very fun to watch!

My fiance and I made arrangements to do the feeding tour in the morning. Our guides were absolutely wonderful and so knowledgeable. I am so happy these cats have a safe haven after all the abuses they have suffered, to live out their lives in peace, unlike some places that continue the abuse the big cats by allowing visitors to handle them for photo ops and swim with the cats. Yes that is a form of abuse! Please keep up the good work. Rest assured, we will be back again and again until the trade in large cats has ended. Thank you so much for all the good work you are doing.

Wonderful place, extraordinary animals. Highly recommend a tour and donating to this worthy cause

This place is truly fantastic. I learned so much and got to see these beautiful creatures up close. All of the animals are cared for very well and the guides have an obvious respect for these amazing cats and their true, core wildness. An amazing experience! We will be back!

A tour was an education in the exemplary care provided by a staff dedicated to the protection and provision of the grand cats....

I have personally visited Big Cat Rescue and have supported them for years. The people who reviewed and gave one star are clearly stooges of the evil groups who want to torture and kill big cats for profit. I wish I could do to them what they want to do to the big cats. People who want the "right" to abuse an animal are not human - they are a lower subspecies and need to be exterminated. There is just something mentally wrong with a person who sees nothing wrong with harming an animal.

There is nothing bad I could say about this sanctuary. There are so many cats, big and small to observe. It was very educational and the staff is extremely friendly. Helpful too, since they found a shirt in my size in their storage closet :) My family enjoyed it very much and hope to make another trip to Tampa again.

We are a huge follower on FaceBook and YouTube. The videos and pictures they post is amazing.

If you have not made it down there, you are missing out.

Thank you again!

Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We enjoyed our tour.

We had our wedding here earlier this month. Truly unique venue with great photo spots and fantastic coordination from the volunteers. We love this place and are thrilled that we could have such a memorable day while staying way under our wedding budget and giving back to the cats.

Great place was very educational staff was amazing answer all questions

Super cool place a must see if you love animals you'll never get this close to a wild cat Any Where else and they are a rescue facility.

Wonderful and well educated staff caring for abandoned and abused animals, I've never seen such passion. It inspired me.

After fighting huge crowds at the Orlando attractions, I enjoyed the small group tour BCR gave. We spent 2 hours leisurely walking the grounds & saw magnificent cats.

Knowledgeable tour guides with fascinating stories to learn from.

GREAT organization! They are SUPER friendly (the people, not necessarily the cats :P) and they care so much about their cause! I highly recommend getting a tour and learning more about Big Cat Rescue and their mission. It's a fun and educational way to get some light walking exercise outdoors, and to see some beautiful animals!

I don't know if I have the words for how much I love this place and what they do for these cats' lives who have (with a few exceptions) been rescued from horrible conditions. These cats have huge enclosures and the cats who choose to do so take turns going on "vacation" in even larger enclosures. The bigger cats vacation enclosure is 2.5 acres! You can watch the big cats' vacation enclosure 24/7 on explore dot org. Some people only see a small part of a cat's enclosure and think the enclosure is small. If it looks small, they went through a door or tunnel from a much larger area. The cats get enrichment (different sprays or spices on toys and treats) to help keep them from getting bored since they should be living in the wild instead of in cages. Because of the amazing care they receive, many of these cats live into their 20's when they would only live to be 10-12 in the wild. The cats couldn't be more spoiled or loved by the staff, keepers, and interns who go through very extensive training and are all really knowledgeable. The tours are awesome and given by volunteers so every bit of the money goes towards the care of the cats. BCR does so much to fight for big cats' rights, end the abuse, and would actually love to go out of business! They know big cats should not be in captivity and provide the best possible care and the most love for their cats who were born into captivity and therefore can never go free.

Loved it! Tour got cut short due to lightening but still enjoyed! Good cause

I can t say enough about our experience at the Big Cat Sanctuary. My boyfriend suggested we finally visit after years of talking about it, and it without a doubt worth the wait. We did both the Feeding Tour and the Keeper Tour.

The Feeding Tour was a small group just us two and one other person! Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable about all the cats and answered every question we had. It was awesome to hear about the cats diets and how each animal is looked after to its own individual needs. We got to see the lynx, bobcats, servals, leopards, and two of the tigers eat. We were able to stop and look at some of the other cats as well along the way. including the foster kittens!

The Keeper Tour was beyond my wildest expectations. Keeper Des and Keeper Jen were wonderful. We were able to create enrichment toys for the cats some of whom were interested and some of whom were not. It was nice to see the keepers let the cats be themselves and didn t force the cats to engage with anything they didn t want to. They did give the cats meat treats along the way to bring them around closer for us to see and photograph as we heard their stories. We were able to see a lot more of the cats on this tour and spend more time with each one. At the beginning, Des even told us if there was a particular animal we wanted to see, he would do his best to make it happen. It was obvious that all of the keepers love what they do, and the love the cats. I enjoyed hearing the anecdotes that each worker had about particular cats. Just like people, big cats have their own personalities!

Others on the tour were talking loudly so couldnt hear the tour guide very well. Didn't get to see all the cats as they were in hiding

I visited Big Cat Rescue back in the days when it was "Wildlife on Easy Street" and continue to visit to this day. I love having houseguests come to visit, because it gives me the opportunity to take them to Big Cat Rescue for the afternoon - and to go back to visit the cats myself! It's a perfect way to spend a day: beautiful environment, gorgeous animals, well-thought-out tours by knowledgeable guides and truly important opportunities to educate yourself (and your children) about the cats in general and each cat's backstory. Highly, highly recommended! Great affordable gift shop too!

I've been to big cat rescue 5 times. I highly recommend.

Big Cat Rescue today... was a very cool experience to see these majestic guys so close. They are very well taken care of, you can tell they are happy animals. We had no idea people trying to have exotic cats as pets was such a huge problem.

Never been there,but i went twice to see them in winston,loved chico have poster's of most of them that you all sent me for free,i love you all and those gorgeous cats bring tears to my my heart and soul.you all MEAN THE WORLD TO ME AND IF I HAD ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF INCOME I'D SEND YOU WHAT YOU NEED EVERY MONTH.

This place is amazing and worth visiting if you are in Tampa, FL. You can also donate anytime you like. Check out their live camera feeds and you can see the lions, tigers and kittens! They have kittens for adoption all the time too!

super healthy, caring place for cats to retire. plenty of room to move around, nap, hide and eat. amazing staff. its my dream to go there and I think I will in 2018 but for now I follow their channels closely and like all of them, and recommend them to any cat lover!

Excellent place to visit, they do a great service for wild cats

Beautiful at-risk big cats can live out their days here in peace and comfort. They are well fed and cared for and happy to be as free as they can be. Fun to watch them play. Wish we lived here and we could volunteer! You people are amazing. Our guide was a wonderful, interesting fellow who gave much information on the different cat's bavkgrounds. We will return!

We had a great feeding tour guide named Rebecca. She was informative , friendly and nice. The volunteers feed the cats as you walk around and learn information about the cats and take pictures.

Awesome! Really cool cats but there stories were incredible. Once you see the place you will wonder how the staff does it. We should be proud that Big Cat Rescue is part of the Tampa Bay community, I know I am.

Better than we imagined! These cats are big and beautiful, just like the park and enclosures they live in. The tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and above all, passionate about their mission. I was plain impressed.

This place does amazing things for these animals. The tour was fabulous as they walk you through each animal and explain their story on how they got there. These are the lucky cats! What a great organization.

The cats are properly cared for and loved by staff and volunteers, receiving optimal vet care from volunteer vets. A great place to visit when you visit Tampa, Florida.

The cats at this rescue sanctuary are very happy and healthy, and the animal welfare is the only concern for this facility. They are constantly adding new things to enrich the cats' lives.

The cats have large enclosures with toys and platforms for enrichment and dens and tunnels for privacy. We didn t see everyone, of course, because these are wild animals living their best lives at the sanctuary and are not there for the pleasure of humans. That's part of the fun-- Who will you see? We saw tigers, caracals, servals, bobcats, leopards, and my favorite, Manny the jaguar all victims of abuse via roadside zoos, private breeding for exotic cat ownership and cub petting, or, in a few cases, better zoos reorganizing and attempting to provide a better habitat for their big cats. Our tour guides were excellent. I thought I knew a lot about the issues facing big cats, but I learned a lot. I encourage fellow animal lovers to learn more about BCR. The work they are doing is amazing and important. This was the highlight of my trip and one of the most special experiences I have ever had.

It was great!! Friendly staff, amazing animals! Highly recommend a visit here. It's $39 per person over 12 and you need to set up the tour ahead of time.

Must visit place. Very informative and the staff is great. I really support what they ate doing.

Great experience. The animals are beautiful and well taken care of.

Fantastic/educational experience. Thank you for all you do guys! All volunteers in this amazing sanctuary.

It wasn't until about 2003 when I became aware of the horrible crisis our country has with exotic animals. I began to research what ever I could online and knew then that I wanted to be envolved with the mission of educating the public in order to one day end this crisis. Big Cat Rescue is one of two accredited wildcat sanctuaries in the U.S. I personally support today. I visited BCR many years ago to see exactly what they do for the animals in their care and to hear more about their mission. On my tour of the facility in Tampa, FL I witnessed how they provide wonderful care for the animals. They are provided with large enclosures filled with enrichment for the remainder of their lives. Many cats have been rescued from horrible conditions of neglect and abuse and many were surrendered by people who thought having an exotic cat as a pet was a cool thing but found they could not manage it once it grew full-size. There is no human contact allowed by the visitors and their volunteers. I observed their safety measures BCR has in place to protect their visitors and staff. BCR is not a place for entertainment. It is a place where many volunteers have dedicated unlimited time from their personal lives to provide good care for all the animals who live there. It is not a place to expect to see fun human interaction with the animals or staff. It is a sanctuary; a place for their residents to find peace and shelter from all of those that mean harm. And, most of all, it is a place for you to learn about the ongoning problems in our country and the ownership of wild animals, and to learn about the many ways you can help with their mission.

In my years of following BCR's activities I have found that they are a strong and determined non-profit organization that along with many other accredited organizations want to put an end to the wildcat crisis and I stand behind them 100%. Not only wildcats, but all wild animals do not make good pets for many reasons; the two major reasons are health risks to humans and safety risks to humans. I support BCR's mission by helping them educate the public and commend them on their lobbying efforts to put an end to the need for sanctuaries. It pains me to see these animals locked up and not living in their natural habitat. They did not ask for this, for they have no voice, the public needs to do a good service by speaking for them and to help prevent any more animals to be subjected to these conditions. If you are not able to personally visit Big Cat Rescue please visit their website; you will find many ways you can help with this growing crisis in our country. We need to end the need for sanctuaries.

Honestly I've never been their, but I always watch their you tube videos and this place has a special place in my heart. And the other day I saw a you tube video with people petting young tigers, and i told them off in the comments and reported it. Some day I would love to come here and maybe intern/volunteer in the future

I love love love this place! If in the area, please go!

WOW--AMAZING PLACE!!! I was visiting a friend in Tampa and happened upon Big Cat Rescue. I signed up for a tour (inexpensive) and enjoyed listening to the friendly tour guide (I forget her name-sorry). She was extremely knowledgeable about those beautiful cats, their environments, and background stories. I had a very good feeling walking around those grounds. They were well kept, VERY natural, and had a great energy about it. I was so impressed at the work these folks are doing I had to sponsor a cat. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND VISIT THIS LOVELY PLACE. You may even get to see some of these lucky cats in their new Vacation Station area being built. I will definitely go back when I visit Tampa again!

Amazing place!! Was the highlight of our trip :) Incredible Cats and such caring people...

So cool to learn the struggles and stories of these amazing creatures God graced us with.

This place is fantastic! It is a great place to see a variety of big cats. They treat the animals very well and the guides are super informational. Definitely check this place out if you have the chance!

My wife and I had a Great time. Highly recommend a private tour

This is a wonderful place! The animals appear happy and who ever said the cats are kept in small cages are wrong! These beautiful animals are released into a large open area on a regular basis for hours to exercise, run, climb and just be big cats! It is especially nice as visitors can get very close to see these beautiful creatures in their element. Also quite nice is the covered walkways for people to enjoy them even in the Florida sun!

I have been to Johannesburg, Africa working with South African Brewery. They took me on a tour to a national park which was a natural habitat for wild animals of Africa. It was fantastic. I know this is totally different from what you have, but still the conditions and size of cages and all the water??? I live in St.Petersburg, Florida and my wife ask if I wanted to go to Big Cat Rescue for my Bday 10\19\2016. So I went to the web via google search and clicked on the Big Cat Rescue Ad and clicked on see inside. I clicked on the pictures of the places they are kept and was quite taken back by the conditions. I double clicked on the picture of the cat cage and was taken to a BCR watch site and looked at pictures taken by a Juan Garcia Of BCR. I grew up on a 1800 acre cattle ranch and love animals. Everyday I woke up and had to ride horses to go check on different areas of the ranch. Our cattle pins were bigger than what I saw in these pictures and our cattle had cover to go lay down if it rained. Yes it was muddy in the lower sections of the pins, but cattle love mud just like pigs. From looking at the small cages and the looks on the animals faces we both decided not to go Friday. It made us so sad just to see the pictures that seeing this in person I would not have enjoyed it. I don't know who to believe after reading all these reviews, but just looking at the pictures and growing up around animals in the country I cant go. I know it may be better than what they may have had, but for people sponsoring these animals and the entry fee & seeing the future learning center, WOW, why don't you spend more money and make bigger cages that are more in tune to their real habitat. I really hope that what I read is true because the conditions of what you have these cats in, they look like they would be happier if you just put them to sleep. I am glad that you are trying to do something whatever that may be, but it is not human as far as this country boy sees it.

i can only say God will have His way > All will come to Light No matter relaxed you become

The best way to learn about big cats and how to help them. Well worth the trip

So, tell me. The story on Teisha, the Tiger. How much of it is true? I am starting to hear conflicts and that makes me sad. I what to believe your story.

Different from what I thought it would be. They had a screen room full of domestic kittens but its a no touch facility so they just dangle them in front of you not letting you play with them.

Fabulous rescue & forever home for many fur babes. Great Sanctuary.

The animals don't pace, and the cats are very comfortable and relaxed. I've never experienced anything like this at a zoo. I couldn't believe that these cats would just come strolling right up to us!

Wonderful job what they do for the wild cats. Pretty organized, very educational

Worth every penny of the tour and you help support a great cause.

Visiting Big Cat Rescue was one of my 'bucket list' items. I had been watching their dedicated service to helping big cats for at least 10 years before I had an opportunity to visit. I was traveling to Orlando for work and made sure I had extra time. I set up an all day visit to the rescue and it is one of the greatest things I have ever done for myself.

The passion of the volunteers and staff is evident when you walk in. The world they have created for the cats is amazing and the care given to each and every one of the animals is heart warming. Education is key, and it shows from the very first contact you have with the staff to the time you walk out the door to leave. I was able to confidently communicate the reasons for different legislative bills to the people back home. The ideas and stories I brought back with me has spread to people I have not even met yet. The activism you find at BCR is contagious and I hope it continues. It's in my plan to make it back there, if for no other reason than to hear Mac the cougar chat with his favorite people. Keep up the great work, BCR.

Fabulous place for our partners sharing this planet. A marvelous group of caring animal lovers making sure their time here is well spent.
Worth every penny.

While visiting Florida this past December I was fortunate enough to visit and tour Big Cat Rescue. The cats, many of whom have come from dreadful circumstances, are very lucky to have the care that they get. This past winter was especially cold in Florida and the cats were given special care. The volunteer staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommended to visit!