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Review:
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a 459-acre sanctuary in Eureka Springs for abandoned, abused, and neglected big cats, mostly tigers. The Jackson family started with two of their own lions in 1978 but soon acquired a large number of animals from illegal trade that were living in horrendous conditions. At the time, there were very few sanctuaries of the kind, and the number of people who owned exotic pets that grew to be unmanageable grew rapidly.
Today, they offer lifetime sanctuary for those animals that cannot be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Their spacious ranch offers spacious natural habitats for the large exotic animals that now number 130, among them lions, cougars, black bears, bobcats, tigers, a monkey, a coatinumdi, a grizzly bear, and a serval. The refuge is licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture and depends on donations for its funding.
239 Turpentine Creek Ln, Eureka Springs, AR 72632, Phone: 479-253-5841
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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