Are you looking for an up close and personal look at some lions or tigers? Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, NC is the place! You are literally 3 feet from some of the biggest and most ferocious animals in the world!
From the outside of the facility it doesn’t look like much, but inside there are dozens of enclosures filled with big cats. I’m personally glad there’s a second fence around the area for security, but it does look a little ominous when you arrive!
Office and Gift Shop
Once you enter the gate, there’s a picnic shelter to your left and the main office to your right. You will need to check in and sign a waiver and then go back outside to wait for your tour to begin. Inside there is a small gift shop and a restroom if you need it.
The Tour
Before your tour begins the staff will give you a rundown of the rules. You must stay together as a group at all times, so this isn’t like your normal zoo where you can wander around. They also ask that you stay somewhat quiet in order to not upset the animals or cause them to hide. This was difficult for a group of preschoolers and toddlers, but the guides didn’t scold us for it. We did upset the lioness when we walked by though, and she snapped at us, so I recommend trying to stay as quiet as you can.
My kids were definitely enthralled at being that close to a big cat, but our tour guide stopped frequently to give us facts about the animals so the kids got a little antsy after a while. It’s a 1.5 hour long tour and we went right before lunch time so after about 45 minutes we were DONE. The bad thing is that since you’re supposed to stay together, we couldn’t just leave. Eventually we got back around towards the entrance and I asked if we could just slip out. The second tour guide had to escort us out, but I wasn’t the only one who decided to leave a little early so I didn’t feel too bad.
Bring a stroller for young ones
The tour itself isn’t that bad of a walk. I chose not to bring the stroller, but I wish I had. My almost 2 year old got really hot and decided he wanted to be held the whole time instead of walking. We were all a sweaty mess by the end. There is some shade on the trail, but a lot of it was in direct sun and we went on the hottest day in September. I would definitely exercise caution if you plan to go during the summer!
Double Fenced for your protection and theirs!
The animals are fully enclosed in their own fence, but then three feet back from that there is another half fence to keep people back away from the animals. In order for the cats to have their space, they ask that you do not lean over this fence or even put your arm over to take a picture. I’m very glad that extra space is a requirement because I can just see my kids poking their fingers through the fence and getting it swiped at by a tiger! We saw one of the tigers get upset at a staff member for refilling it’s water bowl and when they pounce at the fence it sways enough to knock you over if you’re leaning on it! I wouldn’t want to be within their claws reach!
No physical interaction with the animals
Interestingly enough, Carolina Tiger Rescue does not have any physical interaction with their cats at all. Even the staff will herd a cat out of it’s pen before entering to clean, so these cats are not ever petted or touched by humans. I had heard of other tiger facilities allowing you to pet the animals, but you won’t find that here for good reason.
The staff also try to provide daily enrichment activities to keep the cat’s minds active since they are not doing the things they would normally be doing in the wild. This can include encapsulated treats that they must sniff out and retrieve, or new scents and textures like pumpkins or Christmas trees after the holidays.
White Tigers
One of my favorite animals was the white tiger. We learned that this kind of Tiger is specially bred to be white and they aren’t natural in the wild. They wouldn’t be camouflaged well, and since they are inbred they have a slew of health problems, which means they can’t ever be released back into the wild.
These white tigers are usually used in show business, which means they must be made “safe” to be around people. This animal had been declawed and defanged, which is actually really bad for them. Filing down their teeth leaves the root exposed and can cause a lot of pain and leaves them unable to catch their prey. The process to remove their claws removes the tip of each toe, and since tigers actually walk on their toes the animal is then forced to completely change the way they walk, which leads to arthritis.
Other Big Cats
In addition to lions and tigers, Carolina Tiger Rescue also has a serval and a bobcat. Did you know that it’s completely legal for anyone in North Carolina to own a lion or tiger, but not a bobcat? 🤯 The rescue ran into more issues and paperwork trying to save a bobcat than they did with any of their other big cats.
Why all the vultures?
While walking through the grounds be sure to watch out for fire ant hills and vultures. Since the cats are fed with raw meat there are vultures GALORE around the area. They didn’t bother us, but it’s just another reason why you’re not allowed to bring in any food!
Did you know that vultures are an endangered species? If any birds are injured they have to take them to a special vulture vet to nurse them back to health. 😂 AND since Carolina Tiger Rescue has such a large population of the vultures, this is where all the rehabilitated birds are released back into the wild. They won’t be getting rid of them any time soon!
Cat Adoption
Another thing that sounded pretty awesome was that you can adopt a cat for an annual fee. You are allowed unlimited visits with your animal and they will train you in how to interact with your cat from a distance. Some cat adopters will come and sit with their animal during the day and play classical music for them! If you’re interested you can find out more information here.
Plan your visit
If you’re interested in visiting the rescue, they have public tours on Friday at 10am, and Saturday and Sunday at 10am and 1pm. Tours are popular during the holidays, so you will want to book well in advance during those times.
They also offer twilight tours for adults only at limited times throughout the year. The cats are more active at twilight so children are not allowed during this special time.
For our visit we booked a midweek field trip with a group of preschoolers, so that’s an option if you want a private experience.
Ticketing information can be found here.
If you’re looking for other zoo animal experiences, try the NC Zoo or Aloha Safari Zoo!