Staff Writer
The “big cats” are coming to Osceola County — but they’ll have plenty of room to roam and won’t be taking a stroll down anybody’s street.
Submitted Photo
The Central Florida Animal Reserve is moving its refuge of over 40 lions, tigers, cougars and leopards to a facility under construction at Forever Florida near Holopaw.
The organization has been in the middle of a capital fund drive to pay the $1 million it costs to build the facility and move the animals to it by March 2015. Working since October, the reserve is more than halfway toward raising that goal to build a 10-acre spread on U.S. Highway 441 about eight miles south of U.S. Highway 192.
Kevin “Simba” Wiltz, CEO and vice president of the all-volunteer organization, said Brevard County asked the reserve to move after 18 years because of zoning laws that changed. “They’ve been working with us for a couple of years, as long as we showed progress finding a new facility they’ve let us work on our schedule,” he said.
Many of the cats were rescued from people who mistakenly thought a tiger would make a good pet, or lions retired from performing acts. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission send some
to the reserve. “We also serve as a repository for law enforcement,” Wiltz said. “Some small sanctuaries have closed, and zoos can’t take certain species. Ten years ago, there were more tigers in captivity than in the wild. Now that has flipped.”
The money raised through the reserve’s website and an online fundraising challenge is all going toward building the facility for the displaced cats. Infrastructure improvements, sewers, roadways, wells and pumps, new habitat enclosures for the cats, food freezers, a storage and preparation building, a wellness and medical building for the care and treatment of the cats and other supplies needed for the daily care of the cats. A veterinary facility is among the future plans.
Wiltz said the build out is progressing quickly. The maintenance pole barn has been built, power lines were moved underground for safety and a colony of protected gopher tortoises were successfully relocated. “We are very excited to soon call Osceola County home to help nurture and take care of our large cats and other animals in 2015,” he said. “We really need to raise some additional dollars and materials to move our cats, but also to maintain our new facility and care for our cats, which is our number one priority. Donors should know that this isn’t going to something abstract, all the donations are going straight through to the project. It is imperative that he general public convert their interest into a donation. It’s an exciting time to be on the ground floor of this.”
In addition to money to fund the build, the CFAR has a wish list of materials it needs and would also accept as a donation, including: 3,000 feet of 8-foot, 11-gauge perimeter fence plus gates, Schedule 40 steel posts for fences and cages, 4-gauge hog/livestock panels, “no float” cypress mulch, native trees and shrubs, fiberglass shower unit to add to modular office, cabinetry and stainless steel commercial-size double sink for the food prep area, a single sink for medical unit, metal shelving for food prep and maintenance areas, concrete for slabs and setting fence posts, PVC pipe for water lines to individual cages, pressure treated lumber for enclosures, pasture grass seed and Bahia sod for cages, commercial grade hoses, 20 “street” light fixtures, telephone poles for utility pads, commercial grade trash cans, benches for tour path, and flagstones of all sizes.
In addition to its efforts at its website (www.cflar.org), the reserve is participating in a national Online Holiday Fundraising Challenge (www.crowdrise.com/cflarholiday), and was fourth out of nearly 1,000 groups going into Christmas week.
Companies or individual would like to donate funds or materials for the reserve move can contact them at contact@cflar.org.
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