This week my book group visited the Big Cat Habitat on the outskirts of Sarasota. We were discussing the book (which will soon be a movie), “Water for Elephants,” and decided this would be a great place to add to our repertoire of circus stories. Kay Rosaire, a member of a nine generation family of circus performers, started this awesome place. It is a non-profit sanctuary for retired, ill, or unwanted circus animals and other animals shelters will not take and is almost completely run by volunteers. They have tigers (including several white ones), lions, ligers (had never heard of this but it is the result of breeding a lion and a tiger), bears, leopard, monkeys, goats, birds, camels, and even a Clydesdale horse!
One of the habitat tigers playing.
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they present some kind of animal show, and once a year they do a one ring circus, just to keep the animals active and connected to their past. Kay had a famous big cat act, and her sister, Pam, and father worked with horses. While we were there, we all enjoyed Kay and Pam’s stories and the antics of “Chance,” a two year old chimpanzee who acted just like a human in the “terrible two’s!”
Pam Rosaire Zoppe and "Chance"
The Habitat is located at 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34240. Many times as you drive up, you can hear the lions and tiger roar! When my grandchildren were visiting two years ago, I scheduled a private tour (which you can do for a donation), and that was one of the highlights of their visit. You can read the animal’s stories, see pictures of them or make a donation at www.bigcathabitat.org. If you are an animal lover, you will want to visit and support Kay’s mission to care for unwanted and unloved animals. At the Big Cat Habitat they have a home for life!
To learn more about Barbara and her work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.
