Big Cat Rescue sells large portion of Hillsborough property for $19.5M
TAMPA, Fla. - Big Cat Rescue, the Tampa animal sanctuary that was featured on the Netflix series "Tiger King," has sold a large portion of its Hillsborough County property.
For decades, Big Cat Rescue spanned nearly 70 acres in Hillsborough County near Citrus Park Town Center Mall. But, that land is about to enter a new chapter, owner Howard Baskin told FOX 13 on Tuesday.
"Looking at areas that I used to drive by, and a tiger would come up to look at the car, and they're not there, I would have to confess that there's a certain emotion associated with that," he said.
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The Tampa animal rescue announced it was closing its doors back in 2023 and moving its cats to a sanctuary in Arkansas, which is roughly six times the size of Big Cat Rescue.

"It's been wonderful to see them there," Howard said. "And, you can tell looking at them and watching them that they're very happy."
With cats no longer on the property, he said they began the process of selling the land a while ago. Last month, property records showed a big chunk of the land was sold to a developer for $19.5 million.
"That area will become something like 280 townhomes," Howard said.
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As for the remaining 11 acres on the north end of the property, he said another developer is expected to buy them soon to build 300 apartments.
"For us, the important thing is what the use of the proceeds of the property will be," Howard said.

Howard told FOX 13 that he and his wife, Carole Baskin, will use that money in their fight to keep wild cats from going extinct and to pay for the care of their cats in Arkansas.
"Well, the overall picture is a win-win-win," he said.
The couple will still continue their mission in Hillsborough County with a focus on funding for felines around the world. The sale of the Big Cat Rescue property represents a step in accomplishing their goals.
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"This is really just a shift in emphasis," Howard said. "We have always had a three-part mission: Take care of the cats, stop abuse in captivity, and avoid extinction in the wild."
Over the years, the Baskins worked to get the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed in 2022, which shut down the cub petting industry and put new restrictions on the breeding and possession of certain big cat species.
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