They even rescued some of the big cats from Joe Exotic’s sanctuary.
Welcome to the Wild Animal Sanctuary, home of the biggest number of carnivores in Colorado, from wild cats to bears. With 3 different locations (two in Colorado and one in Texas) they encompass a whopping ten thousand acres combined! And thankfully so, as big cats and carnivores need a lot of room to roam.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary currently has over 650 carnivores ranging from bears to wolves to lions and tigers. And if you remember all the hype around the crazy documentary, Tiger King, during 2020, you’ll know there was a massive seize of wild cats from their sanctuary. 127 of those carnivores have been rescued and re-homed here to live a better life.
If you’re curious about how you could visit the park or how it works, there are elevated walkways (over 1.5 miles of them) that take you across the undisturbed acres of land that the wild cats inhabit. This means an experience less like a zoo, as the cats will not be forced to be active or in a certain area upon your visit. But you can be in for surprises as you walk across the walkaways safely hovered above the cats to watch them play, eat, and explore their territory. Day passes for non-members cost $50 and the park is open from 9am to sunset each day, though cooler hours are recommended for visits considering the animals are usually asleep during the hotter parts of the day.
If you’re curious about and want to be educated on issues like wildlife care and protection, you should absolutely pay the Wildlife Sanctuary a visit. They’ll teach you all about ways you can help out big cats here and around the world, and you’ll get to be enjoy being around some happy big cats in their own territory. Check out the website for more information on tickets and memberships.
Where: 2999 County Road 53 Keenesburg, CO 80643