Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge -Eureka Springs Review

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see lots of big cats up close.  There's lots and lots of cats, predominantly tigers, some cougars, bobcats, lions, and other big wildcats.  There's also a handful of other animals like a monkey, a badger, bears, etc.  But it's really all about the the cats.

Turpentine Creek is a rescue facility.  They take in big cats that have been seized by the authoritys or abused or abandoned or otherwise in need of being taken in, get them healthy if they need to be treated, and display them. Admission fees help to pay to take care of the cats.  They're not a for-profit animal show.  They don't raise or purchase the animals.  They don't teach them tricks or anything.  It's a non-profit, almost educational experience.

Lots of the cats are housed in big cages where you can see them really up close.  You get to really look at them in detail.  I've seen tons of cats on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet and such and in circuses and the like, but it's not the same as seeing them the way you get to at Turpentine Creek.  You get to really see the details and the scale of the animals that you miss on TV or at the circus.  The caged compound area is self-guided.  You can spend as long as you want looking at whatever animals you want. 

The  other cats are housed in bigger, more natural type habitat areas.  Though I'm sure the animals like the grassy habitats (That's the plan for the whole refuge eventually.  It will all eventually be converted into that type of areas instead of having the cages), I actually liked the cage compounds better.  Some of the animals are hard to spot and farther away in the natural habitats.  I see how tigers are such good ambush predators.  I knew I was looking into an are with tigers and still couldn't spot them, so I can totally see now how unsuspecting prey would never have a chance.  There are guided tours lead by the animal keepers that go around to the natural type habitats and talk about the animals and the keepers are all around and on hand at the park to answer questions any time.

I recommend going around 4PM.  5PM is feeding time.  I arrived around 3PM, and many of the cats were taking their afternoon naps.  They were so calm and tranquil.  It was nice to see them like that.  Then around 4ish they started getting up and around again and you could sense the excited anticipation of dinner time on it's way.  Then at feeding time, the excitement really came to a peak.  Some of the animals calmly waited on their food and quietly ate it, but others were really riled up.  Some snarled and to ward off the other animals and onlookers.  It was really exciting.  I was shocked what a physical response humans instinctively have to the growl of a lion or a tiger.  Even knowing that they were behind cages and of no real danger to me, my heart raced at the sound.  One particular vicious snarl even made me jump.