Florida Wildlife Sanctuaries

Where Wild Animals are Rescued, Rehabilitated, and Homed for Life

Florida hosts several important wild life sanctuaries for Florida wildlife and other wild species. These include the Big Cat Sanctuary in Jacksonville that is home to lions, tigers, cougars, and other large cats and the Chimp Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL.. The sanctuaries listed here are visitor oriented in addition to providing rescue, rehabilitation, and habitat for wild animals. Florida Zoos also provide wildlife rescue such as the sea turtle rescue program at the Brevard Zoo.

Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary for Big Cats Jacksonville, FL

Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. “Our mission is to provide a safe, loving, forever home for endangered big cats, and to educate the public about their plight in the wild and captivity." Our primary focus is in the rescue of cats from serious situations. Once an animal is taken in at Catty Shack Ranch, they have a loving forever home for life.
We do not breed, sell, or trade any of our animals. Our current residents include tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, bobcats, servals, caracals, and foxes. 
Night Feeding Tours: Night feedings are held for the public on Friday and Saturday only. Self-guided tours start at 6pm and the feeding starts at 7pm. Admission for feedings is $45 for adults (age 12 and older), $20 for kids 3-11, and free for kids 2 and younger. Our cats wake up and get excited about feeding time – so be prepared to hear them roar and see them play with each other and their toys.

Save the Chimps Fort Pierce, FL

Save the Chimps is one of the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world1. Save the Chimps provides lifelong care for chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, the pet trade, and the entertainment industry. The sanctuary offers spacious, naturalistic habitats where the chimpanzees can live out their lives in a safe and nurturing environment.

The sanctuary spans over 150 acres and offers spacious, naturalistic habitats where the chimpanzees can thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. The sanctuary is not open to the public, but can ve visited through several ticketed events that are oulined on their website, Save the Chimps.

EARS Citra, FL

EARS stands for "Exotic Aninmal Rescue Society" and specializes in caring for previously malnourished, abused, and abandoned big cats and other exotic animals. Animals include Lions, Ligers, Tigers, (Orange & White) Bears, Leopards, Bobcats, Cougar, Monkeys and more! Visitation at EARS is limited to scheduled tours on the first Saturday of each month. This is a slow moving guided walking tour on 35 acres of land. We educate the members on how the animals came to EARS and information about animal habitat in the wild. PLEASE NO PHOTOGRAPHY! See EARS website more details.