Not Many Know About This Exotic Animal Sanctuary Near Nashville
By Meghan Kraft|Published April 07, 2017
×
Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
Did you know that Tennessee is home to a big cat sanctuary? As in, we have a home for lions and tigers and all SORTS of big cats, but no bears. Sorry to interrupt the old adage… Located in Kingston, Tennessee, it’s the closest sanctuary to Music City, and the privately funded non-profit does some beautiful things for these big cats. Care to see?
Founded in 1991, Tiger Haven has been serving Tennessee for over 25 years. It is home to 265 large cats, including cougars, leopards, jaguars, and tinier cats like the bobcat and the lynx. Each animal is given a home for life, and with a no-visitors rule are not subjected to gawkers.
The University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center provides fabulous medical care to each of the cats in their new own. They are each served a balanced diet, as well, to make sure that their time in their new home is healthy and enjoyable.
As you can see here, the Tiger Haven takes up a good chunk of land. It takes up seventy-five acres of wooded property, and forty-five of them are taken up by multiple enclosures. Nope, there has never been an escape - a perimeter fence surrounds all living quarters. There's also a roadway that runs between each of them, created a sense of ease regarding feedings and maintenance.
No cats at Tiger Haven have been taken from the wild. As a matter of fact, each one was given sanctuary from a life of captivity, providing a low-key way to live out the rest of their days.
Tiger Haven lists on their website that they have cats from, "Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, and Kansas." They're doing good work, folks!
Visitors are not permitted due to certain legal and licensure restrictions, but that doesn't mean you can't help out. You can donate and "adopt" a cat from afar, although you won't be taking one home! Their all-meat diet includes 70% beef chunks and 30% chicken leg quarters, with supplements on the side. We can't keep that kind of diet up...
Tiger Haven represents an underrated but so very necessary need in the animal community today. We've included a link to their website below, in case you want to take a look.
Check out Tiger Haven right here, and find a way to help out this fantastic team of folks. They’re helping some of the most beautiful animals on earth, and it’s a wonderful thing.
