Groups of animal lovers exploring The Oldest City will definitely want to schedule a special tour of the St. Augustine Wild Reserve, a non-profit corporation and wonderful rescue center for unwanted, abandoned, neglected and abused exotic animals. Frequently, parties obtain an exotic pet, only to realize the animal’s wild nature doesn’t fit into their routines as they expected; the Wild Reserve steps up and rescues these creatures from sadly unfortunate domestic situations and gives them back their lives in a safe haven designed to properly meet their requirements and ensure happier, healthier futures while in the protective custody of caring and attentive individuals who cater to the special needs of wild animals in captivity. Mountain lions, tigers, an African lion, wolves, leopards, and a menagerie of smaller mammals including several cervals, a bobcat, a bushbaby, a caracal, a Siberian lynx, a jungle cat, an assortment of birds including fancy chickens and geese and even a Madagascar Hissing cockroach call the Wild Reserve home. All eight of the Reserve’s beloved tigers are treated to luxurious, weekly bubble baths, providing the big cats clean, pest-free coats and hours of necessary enrichment. Guests are given “no-cameras-allowed” guided tours of the seven-acre compound by experienced wildlife professionals who introduce every species and share each animal’s biography; they meet and enjoy close interaction with many of the resident exotics, including precious Onyx, the Reserve’s beloved black leopard who beat cancer but lost a leg in the process, gaining star status when Ripley’s Believe it or Not featured her fascinating story on their national television show.
