biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
What’s the general vibe of this facility, particularly its exhibits? From what I can see on their Facebook and the few pictures on the Zoochat gallery, it seems to be mostly rather spacious (if not naturalistic) enclosures, but they also tend to focus their social media on their big cats, spotted hyenas, suids, and sitatunga so it’s hard to gauge how their lemurs, small cats, and other smaller species are kept.
I’m debating working it into my September Florida trip (at the possible expense of Jacksonville, which will be easier to visit in the future) but cat “sanctuaries” always leave me a bit leery. Their website does list the origins of quite a few of their big cats, but the fact that they’ve got some of the rarities that they do just leaves me with more questions than answers. In trying to do a bit of research on the place, the fact that they’re a part of the Feline Conservation Federation isn’t winning them any points with me either, given that not only do they not list their members but it also takes little effort to find that group’s connections with some unscrupulous individuals.
Basically I’d love to be able to add rusty spotted cats (plus jungle and Geoffroy’s cats) to my life list, but not if I’m going to have to support a place with subpar exhibitry or explicit shady ties.
I’m debating working it into my September Florida trip (at the possible expense of Jacksonville, which will be easier to visit in the future) but cat “sanctuaries” always leave me a bit leery. Their website does list the origins of quite a few of their big cats, but the fact that they’ve got some of the rarities that they do just leaves me with more questions than answers. In trying to do a bit of research on the place, the fact that they’re a part of the Feline Conservation Federation isn’t winning them any points with me either, given that not only do they not list their members but it also takes little effort to find that group’s connections with some unscrupulous individuals.
Basically I’d love to be able to add rusty spotted cats (plus jungle and Geoffroy’s cats) to my life list, but not if I’m going to have to support a place with subpar exhibitry or explicit shady ties.
