The Big Cat Habitat gets you close to lions, tigers, and bears? OH, MY!!!
This past weekend we had the pleasure to check out Big Cat Habitat in beautiful Sarasota, Florida. Big Cat Habitat was founded by Kay Rosaire and operated by the Rosaire family. She has been rescuing big cats since 1987. Big Cat Habitat is a nonprofit organization and sanctuary for exotic cats and animals giving them a forever home. It is not just a place to view these amazing animals but also a place of education.
Big Cat Habitat is home to bears, birds, primates, and close to 50 big cats including tigers, ligers, and lions. Their most famous animal is a 600 lb lion is named Handsome. He had a role in the 2013 Martin Scorsese film “The Wolf of Wall Street”. Clayton Rosaire, Kay’s son, has an amazing bond with Handsome that is incredible to watch. They also have a 900 lb beautiful liger named Brutus. There are many indoor/outdoor housing complexes with exercise habitats featuring swimming pools and enrichment toys to provide optimal mental and physical health for their animals. Their newest project is constructing caves made from rocks for the bear’s enclosures that also feature waterfalls into pools for them to take a dip in and splash around.
They also demonstrate 3 exciting educational training shows that are free with admission and take place in an air-conditioned arena. They all demonstrate positive reinforcement. There is a 20-minute show called Parrots in Paradise, which displays the bird’s intelligence and strength. Next, there is a show with Chance the chimpanzee, who also stars alongside with Handsome in his movie, during the show at Big Cat Habitat. Chance enjoys a game of basketball and flirts with the ladies in the crowd blowing them kisses and posing for them. The last show that they offer daily is called Big Cat Encounter; it is an up close talk displaying the intelligence, agility, and natural behavior of big cats. The show features Handsome the lion, a liger, and a white Bengal tiger.
They also have a petting zoo with llamas and goats. We were lucky to be able to enjoy time with some baby goats that loved to nibble on your hair and sit on your lap. They were so adorable! They also sell food for kids to be able to feed the animals in the petting zoo. During the weekends they even have pony rides for the kids!
Come hungry! They have food, snacks, and refreshments on site.
They are open Wednesday thru Sunday 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Adult admission is $18 and Child admission is $8 which goes directly to care and feeding of their animal residents. Big Cat Habitat relies on donations and volunteers to be able to keep expanding their sanctuary to be able to continue to make their animal happy and healthy.
Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota is definitely a unique place to check out these beautiful animals in their natural habitats!
Big Cat Habitat
(941) 371-6377
7101 Palmer Blvd
Sarasota, FL
To learn more about the Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota, FL visit their website here!
Jason Mayhew
My name is Jason Mayhew, and I am the owner of OFF On The Go. When not traveling with the website, I own my own marketing and PR company, J Mayhew Marketing. I have the best job where I get to travel the world and showcase the most amazing and unique experiences!
