Big Cat Habitat: A Beautiful Cat Sanctuary in Sarasota
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Big Cat Habitat is a popular non-profit sanctuary for big cats; it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Sarasota. In addition to cats, brown bears, black bears, chimps, zebras, camels, exotic birds, and tortoises have been rescued and offered a safe haven here. It’s great to know that none of these animals are taken from the wild – they are all rescued from abuse and/or possible euthanasia. Founder Kay Rosaire has more than 30 years of experience working with these beautiful exotic animals.
The staff provides the best refuge they can for these abandoned wild animals. Even though they do not have money for advertising, they do their best to raise money to keep and house as many exotic cats and other animals as possible. There are both indoor and outdoor spaces for each of the animals, and pools and shade for the animals to cool off in the hot Florida sun.
The cages are a bit small, however, hopefully they will continue to expand and provide the animals with the space they need. Finding a way to house the animals without the use of cages would probably be better. Some of the animals looked pretty bored and could use more space to run around. If you are able to donate, I recommend doing so as it will go towards creating a better space for these neglected animals.
Animal Encounters
The Habitat offers animal encounters which enable you to see the staff working one on one with the tigers and chimps. The staff uses positive reinforcement training to keep the animals interested. Staff informed us that mental stimulation actually helps these animals live longer. From what I could tell, the animals appeared to have a strong bond with their trainers.
We got to witness training of both a tiger who has only been at the refuge for 3 weeks and also an older well-seasoned cat. It was an interesting experience to see someone within such close proximity to a tiger. I would personally never risk getting up so close to a wild animal, but it was interesting to watch someone who seemed so comfortable with the risky experience.
These animals are very intelligent and quite interesting to watch. Donations collected after the show improve the sanctuary and enable them to take in more animals in the future.
We were lucky enough to see a special performance from a chimpanzee named Chance, who has starred in several Hollywood productions including “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Chance was extremely talented and put on a great show. He seemed to enjoy the attention and praise, both from the audience and his trainers, whom he seemed to absolutely adore. Unfortunately, Chance was pretty fast, constantly jumping around, so I was unable to capture a perfect shot.
Meet the Animals
After the animal encounter show, be sure to take a look at all the tigers and lions the habitat has rescued. The cats were not as active as the bears with the majority of them sleeping/relaxing.
One of the most interesting animals on site was a Liger, a cross between a lion and tiger. At 1100 pounds this cat stands tall as the largest in the world. You will never find a liger naturally in the wild. Sadly, people breed them for public amusement.
Being able to view grizzly and black bears up close was a fantastic experience. You will get a much closer glimpse here than you would at the zoo. Many bears were enjoying the day in the water, like the one pictured below. Most bears I see at the zoo are always sleeping, so it was really cool to see them walking around and being so active.
This last bear pictured is a Kodiak bear, the largest bear species in the world. They can reach a height of 10 feet and can weigh up to 1500 lbs!
You will also find a small petting zoo. You will be able to go inside and pet the goats and llamas if you wish. The staff was feeding this llama during our visit.
The habitat also houses a number of tortoises, which can live between 50-60 years in captivity (as opposed to 80 years in the wild).
This place was so crowded – there was not an empty seat in the house for the show. I hope all the money they are taking in is going towards expanding the facility and providing a better life for these formerly abused/neglected animals.
Location: 7101 Palmer Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34240
Hours: Friday-Sunday from 12:00pm-4:00pm. The habitat is closed Monday-Thursday.
Admission: $25 per adult, $10 for children, Parking is free. Pricing current as of 2025 and subject to change.
Add on experiences: Wild yoga, animal feedings, and VIP Experiences. Check with the habitat’s website for more details and upcoming events.
How you can help: Donations, adopting an animal, and volunteering your time. Please check with the website for full details.
