On a cold a rainy day we decided to visit one of the largest big cat sanctuaries in the United States: The Exotic Feline Rescue Center (EFRC) near Bloomington, Indiana. The EFRC is a 502c-3 nonprofit that is home to over 200 exotic cats including lions, bobcats, leopards, lynx, cougars, servals, and a small species of wildcat called a Geoffroy’s cat. All of these cats were confiscated or surrendered by owners from all kinds of situations, everything from being a pet owned illegally by gangsters, to a police officer who fostered a cougar and then surrendered her to the EFRC.

Joe Taft, the founder of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center

The founder of the EFRC, Joe Taft, took us into a large building where two tigers just arrived from a rescue operation. We walked around the corner, and there they were. Just sitting there calmly. It was strange, nothing has a presence like these majestic animals. There was something about these tigers that was more visceral, more personal, and more mesmerizing because unlike a zoo or circus, there were no screaming crowds here.

In fact, it was nearly silent. Just us and two 500-pound tigers. There are so many stories about how big their paws are but seeing them for ourselves was another story. These giant cats can literally take down a water buffalo, and full-grown salt water crocodiles that weigh thousands of pounds.

There are viral videos of tigers even leaping 15 feet into the air on top of an elephant’s back. All that ferocity and power just resting peaceful and quiet. We could see their age, one had a slight glaze in his eyes and they were both underweight. It was easy to tell they lived hard lives, but it felt good they were here in a place that would appreciate and care for them now. Joe told us the three species of tiger that still exist have much stronger protections from the Endangered Species Act and are almost always held in accredited zoos and sanctuaries.

That means most tigers kept as pets are hybrids that have no conservation value so they don’t have any real protections like their wild kin. 80% of the 200 cats at the EFRC were tigers. After our first close-up meeting with the 2 adults we made our way with Joe to the backside of the sanctuary.

As we walked through the cold and drizzle, we realized we had the whole place to ourselves. The EFRC was large, it encompassed at the very least 15 acres. We saw all manner of different enclosures and cats in each one; some housed one feline, some had multiple. Something interesting we noticed was that tigers have a friendly way of greeting each other.

It’s called “chuffing” and you can hear it in our video. It sounds like a soft sneeze. Almost every tiger enclosure we came up to we heard this unique sound, and shortly after a tiger would rub up against the fence.

It was easy to see why people would want to reach in and try and pet them, but we knew, just like sticking your hand in a box with a house cat, if we did the same with a tiger, you can guess what the result would be. Even if they were just playing. The EFRC also had an extremely strict no-touch policy.

Another cat that left an impression was the leopards. They are no bigger than a Labrador Retriever, but their coat was striking. The leopards here were in perfect physical condition and were a striking contrast to the dull colors of the Indiana countryside.

As we continued on, Joe filled us in on each cats story, and we kept asking questions about the laws of keeping big cats across the US, how he got started, and how they run this operation successfully. He was completely transparent and willing to answer any and all questions we had.

We learned that it is illegal to keep big cats in many states, but some loopholes still exist that allow ownership to come by rather easily. He said some states require permits, but that they are incredibly easy to get. What surprised us the most was how many of these cats came from cub petting operations, where people breed tiger cubs for photos, and once they grow up, they end up in places like this.

On a more fun note, as we made our way out of the areas off limits to most of the public, Joe told us that if we listened carefully we could hear the cougars make their classic high-pitched scream. Sure enough, they did. They weren’t distressed, they were just hungry! Cougars are the largest cats that can purr, and when we approached their cages, you could hear it loud and clear.

They would also let out surprisingly small meows since they were anticipating the food truck. During the main tour, we saw even more cats, lynxes, bobcats, and cougars, that all greeted us near the front, whereas toward the end, we saw lions and even white tigers.

We also learned that all white tigers came from a single tiger years ago, and that they are so inbred now that many have genetic abnormalities. The ones we saw had shortened tails and crossed eyes.

We were also lucky enough to see the staff come around in a Polaris 4×4 loaded up with cuts of meat ready to feed all the cats. They were impressive to watch. Like a well-oiled machine, they would go in pairs to deliver the food, safety was paramount, the enclosures were designed with multiple sections.

The first step was to get the cats inside a smaller part of the enclosure where a door or gate was closed. Once in, the keepers came in through a separate gate and would lay down the meat and start cleaning up the area. Once the meat was placed and everything cleaned up, the keepers left, locked the gate, and then let out the big cat. The entire tour lasted about two hours for us since we had the place all to ourselves.

We saw cats from all walks of life and met the dedicated and compassionate people willing to step up to help out these huge predators. We all left feeling grateful we got such an amazing private tour and will definitely be back in the future!

If you ever find yourself near Bloomington, Indiana, visit the EFRC, pay the modest admission fee, and see the cats for yourself!

Visit the EFRC website here:  https://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org