Big Cat Rescue Corp.

What Big Cat Rescue Corp. does

Big Cat Rescue Corp. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1992 that funds wildcat conservation projects and supports lifetime care for rescued big cats through partner sanctuaries. Originally operating a physical sanctuary in Odessa, Florida for over three decades, the organization transitioned between 2023 and 2024 into a conservation grantmaker following passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in December 2022. All sanctuary cats have been relocated to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, and the Florida property was sold in 2024, with proceeds funding lifelong animal care and ongoing conservation work. The organization holds Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating and is led by founder Carole Baskin and President Jamie Veronica.

The organization distributes donations to in-situ conservation projects across South America, Asia, Africa, and North America, addressing threats including poaching, trafficking, bushmeat hunting, and habitat loss. Its technology footprint includes the BigCatCams.com live streaming platform (powered by Explore.org since 2010), the Big Cat Rescue VR educational game launched on Oculus and Steam in June 2020, a third-party fastbots.ai-powered chatbot for website Q&A, and cryptocurrency donation acceptance. It has built a 5 million-plus social media fan base across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X with hundreds of millions of cumulative views.

Revenue is generated primarily through individual donations, monthly recurring giving, merchandise sales, and cryptocurrency contributions. The organization consistently holds Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating and reports no institutional investors or venture funding. Customer segments include individual donors (primary), partner sanctuaries such as Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, and downstream conservation organizations and working groups coordinated through partnerships with the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation and Wildlife Conservation Network.

Name

Big Cat Rescue Corp.

Legal name

Big Cat Rescue Corp.

Website

https://bigcatrescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Cat Rescue Corp. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that funds in-situ wildcat conservation projects globally and supports lifetime care for rescued big cats via partner sanctuaries. Revenue derives from individual donations, merchandise, and cryptocurrency contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response (BPAGAIAB), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation
• Big cat rescue
• Animal sanctuary
• Conservation funding
• Wildlife advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Odessa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue source through individual donations, monthly giving programs, and fundraising campaigns. The organization consistently receives Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating for financial responsibility.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sales of merchandise and donated items. In 2024, over $250,000 was raised through sales while items were donated to other sanctuaries.
3. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts cryptocurrency donations bridging conservation funding gaps.
4. Conservation Project Funding: Funds conservation projects globally protecting wild cats from poaching, trafficking, bushmeat, and habitat loss.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Cat Rescue Corp. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife conservation organization that funds in-situ conservation projects protecting wild cats globally from poaching, trafficking, bushmeat, and habitat loss. Following the 2022 passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, the organization transitioned from operating a physical sanctuary in Florida to funding partner sanctuaries (notably Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge) for lifelong care of rescued big cats, while also driving advocacy, education, and donor-supported conservation initiatives worldwide.

Product overview

Big Cat Rescue Corp. is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary and conservation organization (1992-2026) focused on protecting wild cats. The organization does not operate a traditional SaaS or technology product platform. Its offerings center on animal rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation education rather than technology products. The named offerings include Big Cat Rescue VR (educational virtual reality game), BigCatTV.com (video content), BigCatCams.com (live streaming webcams), and an Ask Me Anything chatbot feature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Cat Rescue VR A standalone virtual reality educational game available on Oculus and Steam stores that teaches players about tigers in the wild and conservation efforts through gamified, incidental learning. Targeted at VR gamers and conservation education audiences.
• BigCatCams.com A standalone live webcam streaming platform providing 24/7 live video of rescued cats, featuring low-light capacity cameras operated remotely. Targeted at general public, conservation supporters, and educational audiences worldwide.
• BigCatTV.com A standalone video platform hosting short educational videos and previous walkabouts featuring the sanctuary's cats and conservation work. Targeted at conservation education audiences and general supporters.
• Wild Cat Conservation Project Funding Program A grant-making program that funds in-situ conservation projects protecting wild cats globally from poaching, trafficking, bushmeat hunting, and habitat loss. Targeted at conservation NGOs, working groups, and frontline conservation organizations.
• Merchandise and Branded Goods Sales Sales of merchandise and donated items to support wildlife organizations. In 2024, over $250,000 was raised through sales while items were donated to other sanctuaries. Targeted at individual supporters and conservation donors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Big Cat Public Safety Act passed December 2022, ending private big cat ownership in the U.S.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Turpentine Creek Wildlife RefugeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023GFAS accredited sanctuary in Eureka Springs, Arkansas that has received all of Big Cat Rescue's sanctuary cats. BCR continues to fund lifelong care for relocated animals. The partnership enables BCR to sell its land, providing funding for ongoing conservation efforts while ensuring cats receive quality care in larger enclosures with more keepers.
• Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation (SWCCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCR funds SWCCF projects protecting small wild cats globally. SWCCF coordinates working groups for species including fishing cats, ocelots, margays, and other small felids. The partnership includes internship programs for underrepresented tribal students.
• WCN (Wildlife Conservation Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with WCN-SWCCF enables internship programs and supports conservation efforts for small wild cats. WCN provides infrastructure for wildlife conservation initiatives.
• Explore.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides live streaming webcam infrastructure for Big Cat Rescue's cat monitoring. Explore.org's cameras have been capturing cat behavior since 2010, generating millions of views and enabling remote veterinary consultations.
• Other Wildlife SanctuariesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBCR donates items and funds to other sanctuaries including Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Shizzy's Wildcat Sanctuary, Peace River Wildlife Center, and others as part of asset redistribution during sanctuary transition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Global nonprofit addressing wildlife trade, animal rescue, and habitat protection. Comparable in combining rescue, advocacy, and international project funding across multiple species including felids.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Largest global wildlife conservation nonprofit; big cats are one program among many. Overlaps with BCR on wild cat conservation, donor-base competition, and policy advocacy, but at far greater scale and broader mandate.

Direct peers

• Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN): Existing BCR partner that channels donor funding to wildlife conservationists worldwide. Similar venture-philanthropy-style funding model for field conservation, making WCN a directly comparable peer.
• The Wildcat Sanctuary: Minnesota-based nonprofit sanctuary rescuing and providing lifelong care for big cats and other wildcats. Closely comparable mission and donor-supported operational model to the sanctuary operations Big Cat Rescue phased out.
• Panthera: Global nonprofit dedicated exclusively to wild cat conservation, funding in-situ projects for tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, cheetahs, and other wildcat species. Highly comparable as a wild-cat-specific conservation funder.
• Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge: GFAS-accredited big cat sanctuary in Eureka Springs, Arkansas that now houses all of Big Cat Rescue's relocated cats and receives continued funding from BCR for lifelong care. Directly comparable as a nonprofit big-cat rescue operating partner.
• Shambala Preserve: California-based big cat sanctuary operating under California Wildlife Center; offers permanent refuge to surrendered or rescued big cats. Closely comparable rescue/sanctuary operating model.
• Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation (SWCCF): Direct BCR partner that organizes working groups for species including fishing cats, ocelots, and margays. Comparable niche wildcat conservation focus and working-group funding structure.

Regional players

• The Corbett Foundation: India-based wildlife conservation NGO (and BCR grantee) operating in South Asia. Comparable as a regional conservation partner receiving BCR funding and addressing human-wildlife conflict mitigation.

Others

• Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS): Accrediting body for legitimate animal sanctuaries that accredits Turpentine Creek (BCR's primary partner). Highly comparable as the standards/credibility infrastructure underpinning both BCR's partner and the broader sanctuary ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigcatrescue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bigcatrescue
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigcatrescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigcatrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-cat-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Cat Rescue Corp.