Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue to sell off Tampa property
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 29, 2023

Tampa's Big Cat Rescue, which rose to international fame after the 2020 Netflix series "Tiger King," will sell its property in suburban Tampa.

The rescue said Monday that it has entered an agreement to merge with Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, an accredited cat sanctuary in Arkansas. Big Cat Rescue will fund the construction of the enclosures its cats will occupy in Arkansas — an endeavor that's expected to cost $1.8 million.

The cats could move as soon as July, potentially paving the way for one of the most significant suburban land deals in the Tampa Bay region in years. Howard Baskin, who owns the rescue with his wife, Carole Baskin, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal he is in discussions with "a few developers."

The Baskins do not plan to retain a broker to represent them, he said.

"I doubt if there is any other property this size anywhere near this close, so it is quite unique and desirable," Howard Baskin said. "The proceeds should let us do an enormous amount for cats in the wild."

The rescue's property spans 67 acres in Citrus Park, some of which abuts The Plaza at Citrus Park, a shopping center across the street from Citrus Park Town Center. It is situated between Citrus Park and Westchase and would likely be targeted by residential real estate developers for both single-family and multifamily projects.