About Us

Big Cat Rescue, one of the world’s most influential accredited sanctuaries for exotic cats, and a leading advocate in ending the abuse of captive big cats and saving wild cats from extinction.  We are home to tigers, jaguar, bobcats, servals and other species most of whom have been abandoned, abused, orphaned, saved from being turned into fur coats, or retired from performing acts.

Big Cat Rescue was founded in November of 1992 and is a non-profit 501(c)3 charity. The sanctuary is situated on 67 acres in the Citrus Park area of north Tampa, Florida.

The cats residing at Big Cat Rescue are here for a variety of reasons, including:

• Abandoned by owners who wrongly thought they would make good pets
• Abused by owners in order to force them to perform
• Retired from performing acts
• Saved from being slaughtered to make fur coats
• Rescued as babies after hunters killed their mothers.  See our Bobcat Rehab and Release work

Big Cat Rescue is:

• Accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries
• Certified by Independent Charities of America as a “Best in America Charity”
• Member of the World Society for Protection of Animals
• Rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (their highest rating) and has one of the highest scores of any animal based charity
• Part of a global coalition including HSUS, IFAW, WWF, GFAS, Born Free and other animal protection groups who are working together to end big cat abuse.