Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Accredited Non Profit Big Cat Sanctuary, Founded 1992. One Of The Largest Refuges In The United States For Rescued Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Cougars And Bears, Operating As A True Sanctuary It Does Not Breed, Sell, Trade Or Offer Public Contact With Its Animals. · Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Turpentine Creek takes in big cats that people should never have owned. It began in 1992 when a family took on a tiger a private owner could no longer keep, and it has grown into one of the largest big cat sanctuaries in the United States - lions, tigers, leopards, cougars and bears, most of them rescued from roadside zoos, cub-petting operations and private homes, living out their lives in large natural habitats on several hundred acres of Ozark hillside. The distinction that matters is that it is a sanctuary rather than a zoo: it does not breed, does not sell, does not trade, and does not let the public touch or pose with anything. Every animal here has a case history, and the guides tell them, which turns a pleasant walk past enclosures into an argument about the exotic pet trade. You can also stay the night on site, within earshot of lions roaring, which is the thing visitors talk about afterwards.

239 Turpentine Creek Lane, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 72632, United States

Open daily on daytime hours year-round, with the last admission well before closing and reduced hours in winter; closed on a small number of holidays. Admission is ticketed. Guided and self-guided options run through the day and the guided tour schedule is posted at the gate. On-site lodging, from safari-style lodges to cabins, is booked separately and directly. Animals are least active in the heat of a summer afternoon and most active in the early morning and at feeding time. Confirm hours before travelling.

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