Big Cat Rescue: Walking on the Wild Side of Alabama
Because it is so expensive to travel out of the country with children and clearly I haven’t hit the lottery so every summer the kiddos and I pick a state that borders Tennessee to explore and have family fun. Nearly every weekend the hubby and I pack up the kids and we explore a different city within that state.
This past summer we focused on all things Alabama and one of our first stops were Harmony Safari Park which is a drive-through zoo. After visiting Harmony Safari Park and Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Al I found out about Tigers for Tomorrow.
Who doesn’t love Big Cats?
My daughter Madison is a huge Big Cat Lover and spends most of her days watching Big Cat videos on youtube. I had previously researched Big Cats Sanctuary and thought the closest one was in Florida but to my surprise, there is one right in Northern Alamba!
The primary reason I started my series “Exploring your own backyard” is because there is so much to do right where we live if we just took the time to research. Google is your friend and you don’t have to travel across the country to have experiences. Let me get off my soapbox and back to Tigers for Tomorrow.
Tigers for Tomorrow is a Wild Animal Preserve and Educational Center, home to over 160 animals including tigers, mountain lions, African lions, bears, wolves and black leopards. They are Located on 140 acres in Dekalb County, Alabama, Untamed Mountain, home of Tigers for Tomorrow, is open to the public daily.
We live in Murfreesboro which is right outside of Nashville so we packed up the car and decided to surprise Madison and Camille with a trip to see some Big Cats! Yall know I was mommy of the year.
Once we arrived we were told to stay in the car and do not get out and wander around without a guide. Can you say scary! Make sure you wear appropriate clothing and shoes because the facility is not a showplace like most zoos. Big Cat Rescue / Travel Blogger / Tennessee Travel Blogger
The paths are on an incline and have loose rock covering them. If you and the kids are goofing around you might just fall and hurt yourselves so you need to be really careful because I am sure they don’t have money to reimburse you if you fall and you want to blame them because you were not following directions.
I wouldn’t wear flip-flops or open toe shoes and bring plenty of bug spray because the bugs look like they are from the jungles of Costa Rica and they will take a big chunk out of your butt if given the opportunity.
Please remember this is a nonprofit facility taking care of damaged and unwanted exotic animals.
Its primary purpose is to take in animals and provide them with care for the rest of their lives. It is not meant to look or feel like a zoo. Big Cat Rescue / Travel Blogger / Tennessee Travel Blogger
After we were given a brief history about the preserve and told what not to do which is DO NOT take any photos with your cell phone and know they will be watching very closely and to stay with the group. The preserve has very good reasons for not allowing photos. Mostly because past guests were disrespectful to the animals and were idiots (my words NOT theirs).
The animals are amazing but you really will not see them unless you arrange for an escorted tour which is what we paid for so we could have a more personal experience. We learned the backstory of each animal and saw them in a much more intimate way. There are tigers, black bears and grisly, mountain lions, leopards, wolves, foxes, a hawk, great horned owl, peacocks, a camel, a zebra, African lions, a python, goats, a cow, sheep, chickens, a pig, and more. Big
The kids were able to get within about 3 feet or so from the animals and when the lions and tigers roared the ground actually felt like it moved and the expression on the girls’ faces were priceless. One of the lions got a little agitated by all of the people surrounding his cage and charged at the fence. It was scary and amazing at the same time. Needless to say, we understood and he didn’t have to tell us twice to leave him alone. It was truly amazing. These animals are so big and majestic!
Plan at least an hour and go with your quiet voices!! $15 adult and$7.50 for under 12. All money goes to take care of the residence of the refuge. Big Cat Rescue / Travel Blogger / Tennessee Travel Blogger
Did you know there was a Big Cat Rescue in Alabama? Toyota Avalon Hybrid / Tennessee Travel Blogger
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