It's closed to the public now. All the signs are down. Pretty area a walk / bike path goes along one of the sides of the property but all you can see is what I posted in these pics.

We visited this place before the show came out. I haven't seen the show, but I've heard some baloney spoken by people who haven't been here and don't know anything. I'm no cat-ologist, but the people here are cat people and the cats here are relaxed. Relaxed cats are happy cats. Lots of room for them to play, good hiding places and they can stay far clear of people if they need to, no forced interactions. We visit all the cat places that we can, and this is one of the good ones. One thing to be aware of, it's a guided tour - you need to be on the schedule. We got lucky and stumbled in just before one started.

We had Kristen, Bridget, and Jeff as our guides. They were very friendly and made the experience educational yet enjoyable. They answered questions honestly and if they did not know the answer they did not pretend. As a whole Big Cat Rescue is so worth the money. You get a guided tour where you have a device and a fresh ear phone. When you pass by a rescue cat the guide will play a story through your ear phone so you understand what happened to and why the cat is now in a sanctuary. All of the habitats are large and truly enjoyable for the cats. This truly was an amazing experience that will touch your heart. They had said at the very end that if you call and read off the script (pictured) it is worth 100 signatures on a petition.

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.

Glad to hear they are closed. I hope it stays that way. I wouldn't recommend taking your kids to a place like this. Cedar Point kings island Disneyland and any of the above would be a much better idea. After watching a movie series This place put a bad taste in my mouth And I would never take my children anywhere near this place. You know Carol knows best for the whole United States. Lmfao what a joke..... Don't Waste your hard earn money or your time.

Big Cat Rescue is really great! They do amazing work there caring for big cats that would otherwise not have a safe place to live out their days. They are not a zoo, but an actual rescue. The cats always come first. Highly recommend a visit. You'll learn a lot.

Here me out, I have never been to Big Cat Rescue for a lot of good reasons, I will list my top three... 1. Their donations aren't for the cats. It's about the money, if they were spending it on the cats, the enclosures would look bigger and there would be more foliage and possibly more land. The sanctuary looks like it hasn't been redone in about 20/30 years. 2. They promote cub petting. Which is a cruel act against the cubs especially the mother. I understand if it's a smaller species of cat like a lynx or a caracal. But not cubs, especially tiger cubs who depend on their for at least a year or two. 3. For the people that have visited this sanctuary, if you want the better for the animals, stop visiting Big Cat Rescue and go to an actual zoo that takes care of their animals or visit one of the wolf sanctuaries in California, who are struggling financially and the state trying to take away their land. Visit Clearwater aquarium or Jacksonville zoo who rehabilitate animals and properly release them in the wild That's all for my review

Four of us were booked for a 9AM a private tour. We showed up 30 minutes prior to our tour at 8:30AM as directed by the email. When we got there the gate was closed. We called and no one answered the phone or retuned our call. We sat in the car in front of the gate until a few minutes before 9AM when someone finally came and opened it up. So if you have a 9AM tour, you don’t need to get there 30 minutes early. All the staff members were friendly and helpful. A pleasant surprise was that our private tour included a ride around the grounds in a large electric cart. Our guide was Ginny and she was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. She taught us a lot about the Big Cat Rescue and their mission to stop people from owning big cats and outlawing petting circuses. Which is all in addition to taking care of all the big and small cats along with managing their medical issues. We watch the BCR YouTube channel and the live webcams and know who some of the cats are and their stories. We all loved the tour and loved seeing all the cats we knew, it was fantastic! You can see and hear that the cats love it there and are treated very well. The smaller cats were purring and the bigger cats were chuffing. You get to be very close to them and most of them like the company. We live over 1000 miles away but the next time we’re in the Tampa area, like Clearwater, we will come back to see the cats again and help support the BCR. We recommend going to see the cats, it’s a wonderful experience.

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.

Truly amazing rescue. when the guides talk about each cat you can hear the sympathy in their voices and see the passion in their eyes. As happy as it was to see these animals happy, safe and VERY well fed, its still emotional hearing about where they came from and how many cats are still out there not receiving the care they need. We had a great guide named Tonya. She was very knowledgeable, very personable and cool as hell. She volunteers there most days out of the week. Shes there to make a difference, not for a paycheck. Everyone there is a special type of person. Also. They are working to get a big cat public safety act hr 1380 passed. You should call your local rep and tell them you support the act!

It so sad to see these magical animals kept is small cages. They are so bord that the ground is worn down where they pace back and forth. With all the money they have they should invest it to where the Cat could have Acres so that they could run. Our horses have more land to run in than what that cat has. I think is cruel it's just like being in prison. They see the exact same thing all day. It's sad that these rescue people end up being in just the same conditions as they were before they were rescued. The owner even admitted that she would take the Cubs away from their mothers at Birth to start socializing them and selling them. When I watch the movie I know that she did nothing but do the blame game on everyone and did not take responsibility for her own actions.

"I'm sorry you dinged us by two stars for being closed because unlike all the zoos that have opened and have had their cats contract and die from COVID we chose to lose over a million dollars a year in tour revenue in order to protect our cats." This is why I reviewed 1 star. You basically say "I care about the cats" but then again say "I've lost over a million dollars" I feel like its all about the money or it would've never been brought up.

Absolutely wonderful place that rescues big cats from bad situations and gives them a safe habitat and care. Such an amazing experience!!!! I would highly recomend visiting Big Cat Rescue. It was very clean. The cats looked and acted very well cared for. The guide Jennie was very informative and really sweet. Elizabeth the volunteer was a total sweet heart too. Everyone was great. Such an amazing experience!

Went on the keeper tour. We loved it and the work they have put into the rescue center is amazing. Staff are great and very knowledgeable. The 2 hour tour may have been a little long on my 10 year old, but the 12 year old loved it. For 2 hours it may be a little expensive but I think it's well worth it.

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.

Fantastic retirement home for the big cats - and some little ones, too! Just visited in May 2017, and was so impressed with the care these cats get. The Keepers are fabulous - the enclosures are HUGE and clean - there are wonderful dens for the cats to hide in during the heat of the day or if they don't feel like visitors - there are trees shading the enclosures and the paths, and soft sand in all the enclosures for the cats to lay on. Lots of landscaping so the cats can play "hide and seek." I'd go back in a minute - and plan to!

We made the mistake of driving to Big Cat Rescue without doing research. We just read it was a top attraction in Tampa and decided to go. Followed Google Maps to a closed gate then looked at website saying it was closed. I know they are doing much needed work with the cats and we hope to someday make it back to Florida and visit!

Do take your self, friends, family to this wonderful Rescue. You will learn so much about how these cats got there, through no fault of their own and cannot be returned to the wild. Most came from horrible places. Take the feeding tour..much value here and your money goes to help sustain these magnificent creatures who need our support. No where can you get so close and the cats are happy and healthy, they even have a vacation area to run and enjoy. Tigers have a portion of the lake to enjoy safely. Much thought went into this habitat for the cats. Become a supporter. This is a wonderful experience.

If income is a huge issue and since you had to let so many of your staff go then why not open back up?? Covid is no longer a health issue to the public and about 99% of establishments, including all other rescues have been open for over a year. Why complain about being understaffed on your website and losing so much income yet your staying closed?? Don’t even say cause of “Covid”… that was a reason in 2020, not 2022. FL been wide open, again all other rescues, exotic and all been open with no issues. These cats need proper care and without income, how does that happen?

Meh.., I vote for Joe Tiger King 😎

Shout out to CB. Passing thru your area, was hoping to meet you but looks like you’re closed. Can you recommend a good cut of meat at the Smokey Bones BBQ joint next door to your establishment? Smells really good.

The best experience, up close and personal with these majestic cats! We did the Keeper Tour which was great as the group was much smaller and it was a much more intimate experience. Our tour guide Dillon was great and knew so much that he was able to answer everyone's questions. Hands down amazing experience for myself and my family. Everyone should go and educate themselves.

Big Cat Rescue is a huge favorite of mine. I went once eight years ago and returned this year for my birthday. They take such great care of all of the cats and the tour guides know every single one's story. Their mission is noble and the education they provide is top notch. Being able to see these cats relaxed and peaceful is an amazing experience that everyone should get to have.

never been, but the fact they made the decision to close in order to protect their big cats is remarkable. it genuinely angers me seeing people get frustrated with such a decision, knowing they only care for the amusement park type aspect to it. probably the same people who didn’t wear masks or spread Covid due to no precautions. thank you for protecting lovable and deserving creatures, everybody on the team is definitely selfless and hard working people :,) <3

I Have Never Been There But I Follow Them Online. I Think It’s Wonderful What They Do To Protect & Care For These Beautiful Animals ❤️

From research and experience, very bad place. Replies to these reviews are repetitive and down right ignorant. I do not need to visit this place when I have interent access that gives me photos and proof on the life of these animals. Animals are in small spaces and need a bigger enviroment as well as different indoor and outdoor enclosures in order to give them their proper needs. The small cages for feeding are not acceptable and do not give the animals proper enrichment, they need to have dead animal body parts scattered round and possibly even different animal scents in order to give them the proper wild experience they lack. The cages as I said before need to be larger and they need an indoor enclosure as well that can keep them out of the rain and harsh weathers, America suffers from tornadoes and earthquakes so assuring there safety during those times building a shelter that can protect them would be helpful as well as give them another place to hide away from the people that visit your "rescue". You can be hands off with them and still go into their cages to give them everything they need and even if i was to watch your own spin off of tiger king on netflix i ensure i could point out so many wrongs in it. If you want to give them the best life up to death than please do it properly. And if the big cat that has seizures from loud sounds like helicopters is still alive, i would highly suggest building a sound proof indoor enclosure for them so if you hear a helicopter approaching it has a place to go to that will avoid this issue. And also please pay the people that work for you, they take time out of their day to do a job and get no pay for it and needs to be sorted out, if you was doing that in the UK you would be shut down for abusing employees. If your gonna copy paste your response like you did with everyone elses, dont bother responding. Just take what i say in consideration.

Visited long before the Netflix show came out and I am glad we did. Such a great place and we loved it. The animals looked very well taken care of. It’s a shame they closed due to the absurdity of people and honestly the safety of the owners. Once they reopen I will be bringing my other daughter so she can experience it as well. Note: the photo is from years ago when BCR had an exhibit in the mall. Been supporters for years!!

Big Cat Rescue's founder purchased many of her current feline residents as private pets And was denied AZA Accreditation I don't see this as a sanctuary at all because of it's vengeance against the AZA and It's Anger against conservation efforts to preserve leopards And other cats like the barbary lion. Please if you want to save and help animals realistically , Support places like the Center For Great Apes or Cincinnati Zoo

Never been to the park, so before you post your templates messages here, save yourself the time and do not. My one star is reviewed on the responses by real people caring enough to leave feedback to help advance the mission. I have never in my life seen such unprofessional responses to people voicing their opinions in google reviews by any company, ever. Constructive criticism is something all companies go through and should be be taken into consideration with respect. Not falsely claiming things about the individuals and attacking them. If this is how you treat human beings, on the internet for the world to see, I’m scared to know how you treat animals when the doors are closed. Shame on you

Although I have never been there because I live about 40 miles north of Tampa, they take fabulous care of all their cats. My favorite is Jinx who is older. I know they are closed to the public and understand why. I have seen Tiger King and am delighted that Joe Exotic is in Prison.

Visitied twice pre-covid and pre-Netflix. I'm very careful in what animal establishments I support and researched for days before visiting from Canada. Though it didn't start that way, this is now a true sanctuary. Its pathetic of humans that the cats even have to have this option but I'm glad they do. These majestic cats deserve better and the US should be ashamed for still allowing cub petting and exploitation in a modern society that discards these beauties. I'm eagerly awaiting reopen so I can show some friends who need to see Netflix was bias and that there's so much more to BCR than what they showed.

Extremely disrespectful people! Responses to bad reviews such as "I fear for your children" and "reconsider your life choices" are outrageous! Not everybody is going to enjoy visiting your establishment.. Learn some manners and common decency. Edit.. in response to your reply; I think you have proven my point beautifully! You have no guest list, if you did you'd see that I am on it.

Hypocrite Carole baskin loved criticizing others for making money off of owning exotic animals meanwhile she did the EXACT same thing & even manipulated people into free labor while she was profiting. Also she deserves to be in jail

Terrible place. Never again. And dont bother with you generic response. The name I used to visit was a different one to this

A little underwhelming but at the same time strangely satisfying. No trespassing signs were just intimidating enough.