Our vision has always been a world where all wild cats live free. As we bid farewell to the last of our sanctuary tigers, we are filled with hope and determination to continue our work, focusing on conserving wildcats in the wild, where they truly belong.
Oil painting by Shere Khan
October 19, 2023: Twenty eight years ago, we embarked on a
life-changing journey here at Big Cat Rescue. Our very first tiger,
named , arrived, marking the beginning of a powerful mission to
rescue and provide sanctuary for tigers who had been exploited,
neglected, or abused. Up until then our residents were mostly
bobcats and lynx. Over the years, Big Cat Rescue has been a haven
for 40 tigers, who came to us from distressing situations like
circus acts, backyard breeding, and private ownership. With private
ownership is now outlawed and the faucets, of hundreds of cubs each
year for cub petting schemes, has been permanently turned off.
As we turn the page to a new chapter, we want to update you, our
cherished Big Cat Rescuers, on some important developments.
The Last Tigers Move to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
On September 28th, 2023, three of our tigers—Max, Simba, and
Kimba—were safely relocated to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
(TCWR) in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This week, we are moving the
last of our tigers, Jasmine, Dutchess, and Aria, to join their
friends at TCWR.
Bigger, Better, Happier
While our cages here ranged from 1,800 square feet to half an
acre—with one extraordinary 2-acre space and a vacation rotation
area of 2.5 acres—we are taking this opportunity to build even
better homes for our tigers. We have invested $1.8 million to
construct half-acre enclosures for each tiger at TCWR, and 2,000 sf
cages for our smaller cats, making every day feel like a vacation
for these majestic creatures.
Our Eternal Gratitude
We could not have come this far without the endless support from our
staff, volunteer keepers, and especially you, our generous donors.
Your contributions have made it possible to not only provide a great
life for these exotic cats but also to lay the foundation for our
future endeavors in wildcat conservation.
We are particularly grateful to TCWR and all the donors helping us
in this crucial transition. This move will allow us to consolidate
the overhead of two separate sanctuaries and sell our sanctuary
land. We plan to use our existing reserves and the proceeds of the
sale to fund our cats’ care at TCWR and to contribute to saving
wildcats in their natural habitats.
Our vision has always been a world where all wild cats live free. As
we bid farewell to the last of our sanctuary tigers, we are filled
with hope and determination to continue our work, focusing on
conserving wildcats in the wild, where they truly belong.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Together, we
are all ONE in the mission to make the world a better place for
these magnificent beings.