Thirty big cats will soon move from Cocoa to a larger space in St. Cloud. This includes tigers, lions, leopards and cougars. Central Florida Animal Reserve CEO K. Simba Wiltz said their cats are older, averaging 13 years and have geriatric problems.
“We’ve got arthritis and we have to watch out for cancer and we have to be very cautious about introducing things that could make them sick,” said Wiltz.
The reserve is raising $25,000 for veterinary care to help make sure the cats are healthy enough to move by the end of summer.
All of the big cats were born in captivity. The reserve said they will never be released to the wild because there are fewer places for them to go and poaching makes it dangerous.
The intent is to have private tours for educational purposes at the new facility in Osceola County. Its price tag was just over a million dollars. The money came from private donations and grants.
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New facility for Central Florida Animal Reserve, Inc.[/caption]