Sarasota's Big Cat Habitat says guests are confusing them with Carole Baskin's closing place

Big Cat Habitat officials said guests are confusing them with Carole Baskin's famed Big Cat Rescue in Tampa that's closing.

The Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary at 7101 Palmer Blvd. has been open for 37 years, but recent confusion with the closure of Baskin's sanctuary has affected business. Baskin and her zoo became popularized following Netflix's famed "Tiger King" show.

"People think we are closing, and we need to let them know we are here to stay," a representative said. "Our commitment since 1987 has been to provide a home to our animals for the rest of their lives, and we plan to continue honoring that commitment. The land will never be of more value to us than the animals. Every animal here has a name, gets our love and attention, and receives the best physical care and enrichment we can provide.”

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Howard Baskin announced in March that the Big Cat Rescue would be combining its animal population with the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Rescue in Arkansas. He said it was due to financial constraints and a decline in big cat population.

Far from closing, the Big Cat Habit in Sarasota has recently expanded onto 10 acres that it purchased in October 2018 to make room for its 300 animals, including 50 big cats and 12 bears.

Founder Kay Rosaire told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in December 2018 that she constantly receives offers from developers to buy the land.

“I get offers all the time to sell, even dating way back to when we bought the property," Rosaire said in 2018. "But I won’t. We’re going nowhere."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Big Cat Habitat sees slowdown with Carole Baskin zoo closure mix-up