Big Cat Rescue/Amazing Exotics

[mrs]

Hello,
can anyone give me any information about the above places. Which one would you recommend? We have 3 days to fill where we aren't going to a park ( we are going in Sept for 3 weeks) and I have heard some good things about both places.
Anyone been?:grin:

[jad]

Never been to Amazing Exotics, but I have been to Big Cat Rescue, which I can recommend.
I'd recommend doing the normal afternoon tour, followed by a feeding tour to complete the day.
You don't need a whole day to visit the place - just allow an afternoon.

[W3LUM]

Never been to Amazing Exotics, but I have been to Big Cat Rescue, which I can recommend.
I'd recommend doing the normal afternoon tour, followed by a feeding tour to complete the day.
You don't need a whole day to visit the place - just allow an afternoon.

Where is Big Cat Rescue at? do they have a web site, any other info would be great. Thanks

[Cassie]

I have been to both. Big Cat Rescue is the place to go if you love big cats....although they have stopped the guests from feeding the cats now...you have to just watch the staff doing this. We were lucky enough to go before the new law came into force.
Amazing Exotics has about 14 tigers/panthers and one lion. There are lots of monkeys here and a bear, and a few meercats.

[jeanwales]

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

[Dolphina]

Thanks for posting about this - have just been on their website and it looks great. Am looking for different things to do this year other than the parks, and have added it to my itinerary.

[W3LUM]

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

Great site, wasn't going to drive to Tampa this year but if DW and DD sees this site i think our plans might change:confused2 :spin:

[Cassie]

Great site, wasn't going to drive to Tampa this year but if DW and DD sees this site i think our plans might change:confused2 :spin:

You won't regret it......although it is very sad how some of the cats were kept before they were rescued :(
They have a small shop but, if you want to buy anything, I would suggest you get it before the end of the day and put your goods in your car (car park is right next to the shop) because the shop was closed when we finished our tour!

[MattF]

Thanks for this - might have to add it to our week in Clearwater!

[ClaireB]

My parents went to Amazing exotics last year and my Dad loved it, hes always wanted to cuddle a tiger!,

There is a post on here from last year when a dibber went and wrote up a review . I'll have a search and see if I can find it

[eblondie26]

I have been to both. Big Cat Rescue is the place to go if you love big cats....although they have stopped the guests from feeding the cats now...you have to just watch the staff doing this. We were lucky enough to go before the new law came into force.
Amazing Exotics has about 14 tigers/panthers and one lion. There are lots of monkeys here and a bear, and a few meercats.

When did the new law come in?

[Cassie]

When did the new law come in?

Not sure of the date but, it does mention it on the Big Cat Rescue site, saying that the public are now no longer allowed to feed the cats. This is taken from their webpage......

"Watch our keepers feed tigers, leopards, cougars and more while you are standing just a few feet away. New USDA policies do not allow the public to be closer than three feet to the big cats."

[eblondie26]

When we visited in December we had to be 3 feet away (as per the rules) but we were able to feed the cats using poles.

[Cassie]

Why don't you drop them an email eblondie. I did this some time ago but didn't keep the response I got. They did say that the public were no longer allowed to feed the cats.
I would be interested if they have changed this around again.....I would make a return visit :grin:

[eblondie26]

I have just emailed them and will post here when I get a reply.

[Cassie]

Great. :thumbs-up
I hope you can feed them again....it was amazing.

[eblondie26]

Ive just got an email back tonight and things have changed. From February you are no longer able to feed the cats or stay over night in the cabins. It seems that their 'all day tours' are much shorter now - from 12noon till 5pm (with an half hour break). Im really not sure whether to go back now as I really wanted to stay overnight like we did last time.

[Doormatt65]

One of the main reasons that Big Cat Rescue changed the all-day Expedition is liability. Allowing guests so close to the animals is a big risk. And while no guests have been injured by the cats, all it would take is one person slipping or tripping and having a cat grab them. As for the ending of the overnight accommodations, the USDA and TAOS both frowned upon having unescorted guests on the property, especially overnight.

Our mission is to protect the cats, and this includes protecting the sanctuary from lawsuits. This is the United States and unfortunately there is no longer such a thing as personal responsibility. A guest could be told not to do something and sign a waiver agreeing to follow the rules. Yet, if they break the rules and get hurt, the sanctuary can still be sued. It's ridiculous, but that's the way things work here.

Another reason for not allowing close contact is that we don't want to look like the people/places shown here:

http://www.api4animals.org/a3b_exotic_pets.php

We all watched the video that is located on this page and agreed that they could easily have spliced in footage of our guests feeding cats and we could have been lumped in with these places that are not good for animals. Everybody wants to pet a tiger, but the places that offer that are not acting in the best interest of the cats. As a sanctuary, we decided that we need to be above reproach and lead by example in how we deal with our animals.

All of the guests have raved about the new Expedition and we have tried to make it as fun as possible. It's still exciting being close to the cats and watching feeding. I have been there 7 years and still find it amazing when I watch them eat.

Matt

[jeanwales]

Makes sense to me - Looking forward to the new expedition