Tiger King’s Carole Baskin Is Closing Her Big Cat Rescue Center

Carole and Howard Baskin, stars of Tiger King, are closing their Big Cat Rescue center in Florida and relocating its residents to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas. This move comes in response to the passing of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which aims to end cub petting and private ownership of big cats. The Baskins plan to focus on fighting big cat extinction in the wild moving forward.

The Baskins campaigned for the BCPSA for over a decade, alongside other rescue centers like Turpentine Creek, to prevent private ownership of big cats and stop cub petting. The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is preparing to accommodate new feline residents from Big Cat Rescue on its 459-acre site, with plans to expand habitats. The Baskins will continue to financially support their former residents at the new location while redirecting funds to conservation efforts for wild big cat species.