2023: Palm Beach

Sanctuary City

April 1

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It was our last day in Palm Beach; there had been a lot to see and do here. Today we planned to visit two different wildlife sanctuaries. First up was Panther Ridge Conservation Center, home to animals representing nine different species of big cats. This place provides a permanent home for ambassador animals who help educate visitors about endangered and threatened big cats. Tours are by appointment only, and you can choose different types and lengths of tours. We opted for only one hour, so that we could visit a second place on the same day.


The 11:00 group was ushered onto the grounds promptly, where we got a short lecture on the group's history, purpose, and protocols.

Our first cat was the serval, a smallish cheetah-like cat from Africa. The keeper got them going for us with a treat.



We moved on to the jaguar cage, which contained a gorgeous black fella. I really wanted to hug him, except for those claws.





There was also a more traditionally spotted cat in the jaguar cage.




We passed by the cage of a clouded leopard, a tree-climbing cat from Asia, but all we could see was a face lolling in the doorway of the dog, er, CAT house. This kitty was having a serious nap.


We moved on to the caracal. Resembling a slender lynx with its tufted ears, this small cat is found in Africa, India, and parts of the middle east. This was the first cat so far to have "not threatened" in its description. He was also the most cooperative for photo ops.





Up next was the Asian fishing cat, a water-loving kitty that dives after fish in the wild. Our keeper did her best to get him to demonstrate, but as she said, he was having a "light morning". Anyway, I took a bit of video.







The cheetah was just a big pussycat looking for a head-scratch.




I loved the ear-tips of the lynx, but it was hard to get a decent photo thru the fence.


The ocelot was shy and hard to photograph. The African leopard came out to play/eat, but his eyes and his spots really blended into the chain-link.


Ocelot. Leopard.

Our last big cat was a beautiful puma, or cougar. He was extremely photogenic and seemed to know it.


Our visit wouldn't be complete without a visit to the gift shop, where I found a nice t-shirt and a new pet to take home.

As we left, I had mixed feelings. While I'm sure these people take very good care of their charges, this place is really just a nice zoo. It made me sad that these magnificent cats will never know a bigger world than their cages, where some pace endlessly back and forth. I wonder, does a cheetah raised in captivity pine for the open spaces where she could sprint at 70mph? Or does she never know the difference because hunting is unnecessary? Maybe it's better not to ask.

We moved on to our next destination, McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary. This place had a wide assortment of abandoned exotic birds and animals, including a few big cats. The grounds were much bigger than Panther Ridge, and beautifully landscaped.

It wasn't easy to photograph through the cages, so I didn't get everything we saw. Additionally, I was pooping out part way through the tour.

Kinkajou. Kookaburra. Lynx.  . Red fox.

Liger. White tiger. Leopard. Tourista poopia.

Last stop on the tour was a small reptile and arachnid house. Before going in, our tour guide offered the kids an opportunity to fondle an alligator.


The reptile house had quite a few snakes in terrariums, but the big thrill here was the chance to hold a tarantula. I couldn't resist. It surprised me how prickly the thick hairs on its legs were.