Where To See Cats
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In the United States there are two families of wild big cats: The big, elusive mountain lion (Puma concolor) and the smaller, more common bobcat (Lynx rufus).
The mountain lion (also known as , cougar, puma, panther) can be 6-8 feet long and 60-190 pounds and bigger the farther north it goes. It is one color. This cat used to cover the continent, but because of predator eradication programs was beaten back to the west and brought to the classification near extinction. Now it's making a comeback, seemingly migrating back to its old eastern haunts with sporadic sightings and other proof of this elusive cat. The Cougar Network meticulously tracks these sightings and has put together a terrific map showing that while established populations end in Wyoming and Colorado, mountain lions have definitely appeared all the way to Chicago, with another population center in Florida and other cats (perhaps coming down from Canada) into Maine, New York and Massachusetts.
The Florida Panther is the most endangered with only about 70 in the wild, the Florida Panther Society says. The White Oak Conservation Center rehabs injured Florida panthers and studies the population. Recently one of the wild cats made it all the way to Georgia--unfortunately, the way we found out about that was it was shot dead.
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is much smaller, resilient and spotted. It has 12 subspecies, mostly based on geography, and has a dozen subspecies a n there's the generally smaller lynx.
Outside of the United States
TIGER Tigers live only in Asia, althought they are largely stripped from China by poachers. Vladmir Putin, who sees the Siberian Tiger as a national emblem, is working to save it.
LION About 30,000 to 50,000 lions are left in the wild, mostly in southern Africa. Only a few hundred live in India.the IUCN lists the African lion as vulnerable, saying its population has been cut by 30% in 20 years.
JAGUAR The big cat of the Americas, also known as the Otorongo, is near threatened, the IUCN says. Its biggest home is the Amazon in Brazil, but it lives from Mexico to Argentina.
LEOPARD Classified as near threatened by the IUCN red list, various subspecies are under pressure from sub-Saharan Africa to Russia, China and Java.
You're highly unlikely to see a cat in the wild in the United States. You're better off trying just of find sign-- like tracks or scat.
BEST PLACES TO SEE CATS
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Midwest - See other animals in the Midwest |
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Noah's Lost Ark
Noah's Lost Ark gives permanent shelter to ltos of big cats that survived the exotic pet trade. Cougars, bobcats, lions, servals and even one caracal live here.
Bonus animals: lemur, bear, monkeys, donkeys Open for tours in summer only 8424 Bedell Rd Berlin Center, OH |
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Butternut Farm and Wildcat Sanctuary
Butternut Farm and Wildcat Sanctuary is a non-profit sanctuary for rescued wild cats. The Sanctuary hopes to dissuade the public from getting exotic cats as pets. Many former pets--including lynx, mountain lion and serval--live here. Call to make an appointment to visit or volunteer.
13740 Blamer Rd., Johnstown, OH |
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Northeast - See other animals in the Northeast |
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Popcorn Park Zoo
The Popcorn Park Zoo is a little like a throwback to zoos of the 1950s. You're allowed--encouraged even--to feed the animals unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. And boy do they know you have it. And it has ...
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Plains -- See other animals on the Plains |
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Exotic Cat Refuge and Wildlife Orphanage
The Exotic Cat Refuge and Wildlife Orphanage rescues cougars, tigers, jaguars, lions, bobcats and leopards that have been confiscated by state agencies from people who were not caring properly for the...
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Little River Zoo
Little River Zoo isn't a traditional zoo, but more of a refuge for unusual animals that people mistakenly thought would be good pets. You can pet porcupines (here or in some of their traveling petting...
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Texas - See other animals in Texas |
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International Exotic Feline Sanctuary
Tour the International Exotic Feline Sanctuary, which shelters bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions (often ill-conceived pets). 100 S Ewing St., Boyd, TX (940) 433-5091
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South - See other aninals Down South |
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Carnivore Preservation Trust hopes to ensure key species survive from threatened/endangered ecosystems. Thebig cats--jaguars, leopards, tigers--are rescues. The smaller animals--binturongs, kinkajous, and civet--were bred. The trust offers lengthy guided tours and has a special tour at dusk when the animals are most active. |
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Chestatee Wildlife Preserve
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Cooper's Rock Mountain Lion Santuary
The Cooper's Rock Mountain Lion Santuary provides a permanent home to four cougars on 170 acres just outside of Morgantown, WV. You can call to set up a school or group tour. RR 1 Box 332-K, Bruceton ...
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T&D's Cats of the World
T&D's Cats of the World gives a permanent home to 60 big cats (lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, bobcats, servals, and jungle cats) that somebody let down by trying to keep them as a pet or amusement....
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Tigers for Tomorrow
Tigers for Tomorrow takes in lions, leopards and cougars and other ill-conceived exotic pets and gives them a safe, permanent home on 140 acres. To teach about the dangers of having a wild animal as a pet, the center gives tours on weekend in the winter and all week in warmer weather.
Bonus species: kangaroo, bear, turtle, coati, agouti, camel and just about anything else that needs help. 708 County Road 345, Attalla, AL |
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Florida - See other animals in Florida |
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Peace River Refuge & Ranch
Peace River Refuge & Ranch has given a home to tiger, cougar, leopard and other failed exotic pets. You can see their big cats, bear, wolf, bat and bison by appointment only on the two days a month they give tours. $15
2545 Stoner Ln., Zolfo Springs, FL (863) 735-0804 |
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Wildlife Rehab of Hernando
Wildlife Rehab of Hernando started out with native animals like raccoons, possum, alligator and fox. But they were overwhelmed by the need for a sanctuary for failed exotic pets. So they've taken in lemurs, lions, kinkajou, coati, lynx, python and a wallaby from state officials that bust illegal pet owners and dealers. 360 Suncoast Blvd., Spring Hill, FL You get close to the animals in your personal visit. $17.50 for adults, $8.50 kids.
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Big Cat Rescue An accredited animal sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue takes in abused or abandoned big cats. They are the ones who clean up the growing problem of people who try to keep exotics as pets. They're very smart about tours, with many options for close encounters with animals. The regular day tour is $20 (free if you show you've neutered your pet), $21 for a night tour, $50 for a feeding tour, $100 for an all-day tour. Private group tours, parties and wedding available, too. |
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The West - See other animals out West |
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Mt Rainier National Park Cougars
Mount Rainier National Park gets lots of cougars, though they are generally elusive and shy and it's rare to see one. You may have better luck looking for sign.
There are enough cougars to warrantwarnings: generally they're pretty safe, but don't wander off alone, especially if you're a kid. Bonus species: elk (360) 569-6036 nps.gov/MORA |
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Jaguars in Arizona
Jaguars have been spotted by motion-detector cameras in Arizona near New Mexico and the Mexican border since 1997. In February 2009, Arizona wildlife officials captured and collared a 118-pound, 15-ye...
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Yellowstone Bobcats and Mountain Lions
Bobcats and mountain lions live throughout Yellowstone National Park, but are hard to see. Only about 20 mountain lions live in the park but the number is increasing; still there are only about that m...
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Tensleep Preservie - WY
The Nature Consverancy's Tensleep Preserve may have the highest concentration of mountain lions in Wyoming, which some think has the highest concentration in the country. Or it was until Wyoming start...
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Animal Ark Sanctuary
The Animal Ark Sanctuary takes in native and exotic animals that don't have the skills or physical ability to survive in the wild. Residents include black bears, wolves, foxes, owls and many big cats (cheetah, bobcat, tiger, lynx, leopard).
1265 Deerlodge Rd. Reno, NV (775) 970-3111 |
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Rancho El Aribabi
Rancho El Aribabi, a conservation ranch about 30 miles (45 minutes) south of New Mexico in the Mexican state of Sonora, is a popular spot to watch birds. The ranch is working with the Sky Alliance to ...
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Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
The last holdout of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Only about 50 of these small, spotted cats still survive in the US.A captive ocelot makes an appear...
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National Elk Refuge
Mountain lions den on Miller Butte in the National Elk Refuge. The Butte is on the east side of the refuge and you can see it from Elk Refuge Road. Bonus: bighorn sheep, elk Visitor Center 532 N. Cach...
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California -- See other animals in California |
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Hawaii --- See other animals in Hawaii |
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Canada -- See other animals in Canada |
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Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Yukon Wildlife Preserve started as a family operation in the 1960s and in 2000 became a non-profit 700-acre, educational wildlife reserve with caribou, elk, Alaska Yukon Moose, ground squirrel, lynx, ...
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BC Wildlife Park Kamloops
The BC Wildlife Park Kamloops takes in injured, orphaned and sick local wildlife. Those that can be released are at the appropriate time and place. Those who can't make it in the wild stay and teach t...
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Latin America -- See other animals in Latin America |
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Panatal, Brazil
The Panatal (wetland) in Brazil is the biggest freshwater wetland in the world and has one of the highest concentrations of jaguar. (There are nearly 7 adult cats per 100 km² (Soisalo and Cavalcanti 2...
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Europe - See other animals in Europe |
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Doñana National Park
Doñana National Park (Parque Nacional de Doñana) in southern Spain is one of the last hold-outs of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardina), the most endangered wild cat in the world. There are only 100-200 le...
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Africa |
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Drakenstein Lion Park
The Drakenstein Lion Park, a half hour outside Cape Town, takes in lions from around the world that have been bred and misused in captivity and now have nowhere to go. For R45 ($6) you can visit--even...
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Paperbark Bush Retreat
The Paperbark Bush Retreat, near Kruger National Park, is the base of the Ingwe Leopard Project, which raises money by teaching you how to track animals. The lodge also has other ways to see animals w...
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Asia |
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Russian Academy of Sciences biological research reserve
A small group of the endangered Amur Tigers live in an enclosed woods at the Russian Academy of Sciences biological research reserve in Gaiveron (Gayvoron) Village in Spassk country. Victor Yudin, hea...
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Panna National Park
Panna National Park, once famous for its tigers, became infamous in 2009 because all the tigers were gone, killed by poachers. A quick effort was made to move in some breeding cats. India has 1,400 ti...
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Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has one of the highest concentrations of tigers in the world. The national park is home many lodges and the White Tiger of Rewa.
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Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park used to be where the Maharaja of Jaipur would hunt tigers. Now it's a national park and one of India's 9 tiger reserves. Bonus species: leopard, sambal, wild pig, gaur
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Ussuri Tiger Reserve - Putin's Tiger
Ussuri State Nature Reserve is where Vladimir Putin hopes to save the Siberian Tiger from poachers. The Russian Prime Minister famously loves tigers, tracks them on his website and considers them a to...
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Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary - Asiatic Lions
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the last holdout of the Asiatic lion because they've been protected here since 1947. ResponsibleTravel has tours that visit. You will need a special permit ...
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Corbett National Park - Bengal Tiger
Corbett is India's oldest national park and where Project Tiger started in 1973. The Bengal tigers here live in the Himalayan foothills. The park has one of India's 9 tiger preserves. Tours sometimes ...
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Altai Snow Leopard Project
Snow Leopards travel through the remote Altai region of Russia on the border of Mongolia. Researchers here let animal tourists come along and help track the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and the world...
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SitaMata Jungle Wildlife Sanctuary
SitaMata Jungle Wildlife Sanctuary near Dhariyawad stretches over a wide area, has safari tours and is home to four-horned antelope, panther, flying squirrel, pangolin, wild boar, hyena, jackal, jungl...
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Lazovsky Nature Preserve
Lazovsky Nature Preserve is one of a handful of sites where Russian scientists are tracking the rare Amur Tiger and hoping to save it from poachers. This site says that in the Khabarovsk territory liv...
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Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park
Iriomote-Ishigaki is Japan's southernmost national
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Tiger Temple
The Tiger Temple is a popular tourist spot, but it has a controversial controversial reputation. The Buddhist monks are supposed to be caring for tigers orphaned by poachers, but a 2008 investigation ...
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Arabian Leopard Study
Only about 100 Arabian leopards are left in Oman because of poaching and pest control. You can go on a $2,200 expedition to look for the cats with the Omani Diwan of Royal Court.
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Australia |
