Central Florida Animal Reserve, located off U.S. Highway 441 east of St. Cloud, is located in the eastern part of Osceola County, which would have received the hardest hits in the county from Hurricane Dorian had the storm edged farther west on its path. But, the storm spared the county any serious damage, and the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars housed at the big-cat conservatory are safe and well as the hurricane has mostly passed the area.
The facility weathered the storm well and the resident cats are “safe and happy,” CFAR said.
Conservatory staff will assess the public parts of the facility this week, and public tour activities should return this weekend.
The CFAR houses those big cats who would otherwise not have a home, and engages those animals’ world through compassion, conservation and commitment.
The facility seeks and encourages donations and memberships in order to meet the cats’ needs. In the future, CFAR hopes to be able to construct and offer an air-conditioned indoor visitor hosting center with restrooms (all visitor areas are currently outdoors) that can host presentations, fundraising and educational programs, interactive displays and a permanent gift shop.
Since opening in November 2017, CFAR has hosted some 1,800 guests and those upgrades, along with increased presence and exposure and a more enriching experience of seeing the big cats, the society expects that number to increase.
Through those donations, CFAR hopes to build a veterinary hospital to meet the ongoing medical needs of the resident cats and provide compassionate medical services for the survival of the species.
For information on how to visit, or donate to, the big cat conservatory that is located 45 minutes from downtown Kissimmee, visit www.cflar.org.
