Tampa Bay’s Big Cat Rescue

by Adrienne Wilson on

It was an easy breezy Saturday morn when I set out from my home with a close friend of mine to check out Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. The animal attraction is only a good five miles away from my place and after three plus years of living in the area the perfect opportunity finally presented itself and I took the bull by the horns or in this case I should say the cat by the tail, or wait whiskers… Bad joke, guys. In all seriousness, please don’t grab any cat by the whiskers.

The Big Cat Rescue is a sanctuary for wild cats and I believe one of the worlds largest. The BCR provides a permanent retirement home for more than 100 lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, servals, caracals and sand cats to name only a few exotic felines. Most of the cats come from a turbulent past of cross-breeding, circus stages, and other sad tales which I’ll touch on later.

When we pulled up into the unpaved lot of the rescue leaves were blowing everywhere and there were several cheery volunteers up early waiting for each visitor’s arrival. Before entering you have sign off on a few simple rules. For instance teasing the big 400 lb. tiger is not advised and getting too close to the smaller servals could result in a nice bath of feline perfume. Follow the rules and you’re bound to have an enjoyable trip through the grounds. Our guide for the day was Denny, a volunteer who had been with the BCR for quite a while and a passionate animal lover. He jumped right into leading us through the path of the sanctuary. He described each cat like they were one of his grand-children and told the rest of us how we could get involved volunteering with the organization.


The group walks down the path to check out the next big kitty on the property.

If I’m not mistaken this would be Nikita and if I have the right cat then Nikita’s story is just the beginning of several horrific animal abuse tales Denny shared with us. To say the least, Nikita was found chained to a wall in a crack house during a drug bust in Tennessee.
I’ve never been a huge cat lover to be honest. I’ve lived with cats on occasion, but never by request really. Seeing all these beautiful animals, I could easily understand why someone might want to own one for show, but would imagine they’d be hell to take care of once they gain three times my weight and their teeth and paws grow into mighty fangs and claws. Denny revealed that a good many of the abused cats came from wealthy homes with owners that didn’t know what to do once the cats got a little bit bigger. There were some stories of cats being starved to keep them from growing so that they could be used in photographs with people and children. Our guide was also packed with information on what happens when animal and man interact when they very well shouldn’t. Most stories ended in a human being killed and the animal accused of murder though it was only doing what came natural. I could go on here, but I wouldn’t be nearly as good as our guide Denny or any guide leading the tours at the Big Cat Rescue, which is why I suggest if you’re in the Tampa, FL area to pay a visit to this attraction and sanctuary. Here are just a few more photos from my adventure in and out and details below on how to make your own day trip down.

Meet Cloe, a snow leopard with a very unusual away of saying hello or perhaps she is warning us to get away. My friend found her behavior very, very odd.

This African Lion, Cameron relaxes with his back turned to our group. He turned his head occasionally so that we could get a glimpse of his beautiful side profile, but otherwise stayed put.

Zabu is far to lazy to strike a pose for us during our visit, but after hearing the story of this white tigress I can happily excuse her for being so bored with our presence and cameras.

My memory fails to remind which bobcat this is exactly. I want to say Raindance, but in any event check out the BCR site to read the stories of this bobcat and the others. From escaping being slaughtered for their fur to departing owners that couldn’t tolerate their urinating on the floor they are as heart-wrenching as the rest.

Again, I can’t recall the name of this tiger. There are many at the BCR that come from the circus.

If you can’t make it to the Big Cat Rescue in person, start by paying a virtual visit to their website. It is loaded with pictures, information and more importantly ways to contribute to the organization and how to adopt one of the cats. Join them during one of the feeding tours or experience the animals during a night tour when almost all of them to come out. The night tour is one that I’m hoping to take part in one of these days on my next visit and sounds like a real treat as mentioned by my day guide, Denny. To find out more about the various tours, programs, hours, prices and how to get to the Big Cat Rescue click here.

One Hundred Very Angry U.S. Cities

by Adrienne Wilson on

Why this list of angry U.S. cities makes me laugh – I don’t know? Could it be that Orlando, the very home of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Mickey Mouse ranks number one for some bizarre reason? Maybe it’s because my city (Tampa, FL) ranks 12 and the near by St. Petersburg, FL comes in second? So my first question is this – what’s up with all the anger Florida?

World Hum points readers to a fine piece from Men’s Health focusing on 100 very angry U.S. cities. The ranking was based off factors like percentage of men with high blood pressure, FBI rates of aggravated assaults, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers on workplace deaths from assaults and other violence in addition to road rage. Whew! With all those ugly factors and Orlando placing tops on the anger totem, some of you may be a little afraid to see where your place of residence ranks. Others may not be so surprised.

Tampa Bay’s Latin Quarter & Centro Ybor

by Adrienne Wilson on

No trip to Tampa, Florida is ever complete without one tour down the historic streets of Ybor City. So while my gal friends from Jersey were in town it was only natural that a good day and a half would be spent strolling the streets, shops, restaurants, and a night of all out debauchery at a dance club or two. They had the time of their life and though Ybor may not be for everyone depending on which time of day you choose to go, it’s always worth a glance. Being a tour guide wore the life out of me these last couple of days which is why I will provide you all with a couple pointers on your next trip to Tampa. It saves me a hell of a lot of gas and the wear and tear of playing tourist along with you.

Many will want to start with Centro Ybor. Being the center of the 7th Ave strip, it sets the mood. I recommend a visit in the day time first so the quiet streets can charm you a little. You’ll find several small shops where cigar aficionados can build their own smokes or buy some premium goods to take back as a souvenir. Other small shops include Ybor Ybor, a good places for cheap gifts, Marble Slab Creamery, which helps tremendously on the hottest of days, and La France, a must for the ladies and men that love antique and vintage clothing. Take in a movie at the beautiful Muvico theater, visit the International Bazaar, or stop in to take a personality test with the Scientologists.

Restaurants such as Fresh Mouth, Dish, Adobe Gila’s, and Big City Tavern can be found easily and all provide delicious menus. However, it is the Columbia Restaurant a little ways down the strip that is a must visit. The food, service and atmosphere all make it the top place to dine as well as the live flamenco shows in the evening. I’ve blogged about the restaurant before in its own entry and suggested the Palomilla steak, but I’d also like to add the “Cayo Hueso” Mahi-Mahi which I recently clamped my jaws on.

As the sun sets and evening turns into night young and old come out for drinks, music and more. Ybor can seem a bit rough around the edges at night as many young ladies come quite under dressed with tiny pieces of clothing on ready to dance and the fellahs become frisky. If you go at night I suggest clubs such as Prana, Code, and Green Iguana for a nice mixture of people and music. The Castle is also great place for industrial and 80’s sounds. When all is said and almost done stop into the Bistro and have a yummy crepe for the road. (They have an endless menu of crepes.)

No matter which way or time of day you decide to head to the Latin Quarter there’s no denying a promising and perhaps rewarding visit. Everything you almost need to know can be found here.