TAMPA, Fla. — Big Cat Rescue announced it entered a merger with Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and will be moving most of its cats to Arkansas. But the rescue corporation itself is staying in Florida.
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is an accredited sanctuary in Arkansas. In a statement released by Howard Baskin, he cited various factors that lead to Big Cat Rescue's decision to enter the agreement with Turpentine Creek.
Howard said over the past decade they've seen a decline in their cat population at Big Cat Rescue, with many of their cats over the age of 15. He also said the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have caused added financial stress. Howard also said he and his wife Carole are thinking about a transition to younger management, with Howard being 73 and Carole being 62.
Howard told ABC Action News they're speaking with potential buyers of the land where the rescue currently sits but he said it's not under contract. He added that Big Cat Rescue Corp. will stay in Florida and will continue as a nonprofit, focused on funding critical projects around the world to save big cats from extinction.
"This has always been part of our mission; now it will be the entire mission," Howard said.
Big Cat Rescue and Carole rose to prominence in 2020 when the Netflix show "Tiger King" debuted. Since then, both have been in the spotlight, which allowed them to highlight their efforts and work on the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
Big Cat Rescue was founded 30 years ago and occupies 67 acres in Tampa.
Construction on the new enclosures at Turpentine Creek has begun and is expected to take six months. Big Cat Rescue will move some cats there as soon as July 2023.
