FL Vacation/Big Cat Rescue Pics

[ugaimes]

Hi all

,
I went to FL for a long weekend with my best friend, Elizabeth. The highlight of our trip was definitely the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. We also had a great time at a shopping/entertainment district in St. Petersburg known as The Pier and, of course, the beach!
Without further ado....pictures!
The Big Cat Rescue was the first destination on our trip.
This photo is of a lion with an interesting story. He shares his enclosure with a white tiger. Now, normally tigers and lions would not live together in the wild. But these two came from a roadside zoo that raised the two together in hopes of breeding white ligers

The zoo went belly-up, but the pair are such good friends that they live together to this day!

And here's his partner in crime (she wouldn't come out of her cave)

Got some GREAT shots of their two snow leopards! Here are a few

This leopard put on quite a show for us! In the 2nd shot, he's auditioning to be a part of TTP. Whaddaya say Susie?


What's that up in the tree? It's a bird! It's a plane! It's....a bobcat!


Here's Elizabeth and I posing with a tiger (from a safe distance!)


This is one of my favorite pics from the trip. This is E and I at the helm of the HMS Bounty. This ship was used in the movie "Mutiny On the Bounty." We got to tour it while it was docked at The Pier.


Look very closely at the left side of this squirrel's head and you'll notice he has....3 ears! He followed us around this park, so I had to take a picture of the 3-earred squirrel!

Here it is, my favorite shot of all....a beautiful Florida sunset. Aloha!

If you'd like to see some more pics, click here for My Photobucket
Hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of the sunny Gulf Coast!

 

[vespacat]

Great pics, Amy!

Looking forward to seeing more (esp. the Florida sunset!) later on. I love big cats.

Thanks for sharing them.

Your friend Elizabeth really is about as fair as me, and I imagine she has to slather on the sunblock like crazy too.

 

[ugaimes]

Originally Posted by vespacat

Great pics, Amy!

Looking forward to seeing more (esp. the Florida sunset!) later on. I love big cats.

Thanks for sharing them.

Your friend Elizabeth really is about as fair as me, and I imagine she has to slather on the sunblock like crazy too.

Thanks Jenn

Yes, she wore SPF 35 the entire trip. She escaped FL with a slight tan and NO BURN! It's definitely not an easy place for the fair-skinned!

 

[okeefecl]

Great pictures! The big cats are beautiful and the squirrel

. Not many three-eared squirrels out there!

 

[ugaimes]

OK y'all, I updated the pictures to include that sunset shot. Hope y'all enjoy

 

[fwan]

wow i wanna go to florida now!

hey i cant view your photobucket?

 

[lovemycodygirl]

Awesome pics Amy! I love the snow leopards...they are such beautiful animals. Sounds like you guys had a blast. And a 3 earred squirrel...who would have thought!

Thanks for sharing!

Susan

 

[ugaimes]

Thanks y'all

Yeah, that 3-eared squirrel was a trip! He was so docile and kept real close to us...we were afraid he was rabid!

Fran, try my Photobucket now. I didn't realize I had to click somewhere to make it public

 

[katspixiedust]

Originally Posted by fwan

wow i wanna go to florida now!

hey i cant view your photobucket?

Well just hop a plane on over here and you can stay with me!

 

[rosiemac]

Amy their brilliant pictures

Thanks for showing them to us

 

[ugaimes]

You're very welcome Susan

Knew cat lovers would appreciate pictures of these pretty babies!

 

[katspixiedust]

Great pics Amy!!!

Thanks for sharing them! So many beautiful cats in those pics!!

Oh, and that pic stating not to molest the alligators gave me a good laugh as well.

I'm really glad you guys had such a great trip! It looks like a blast.

As a side note, I have to tell you this story (thanks to your freaky 3-eared squirrel)! At UCF the squirrels are NOT afraid of people anymore, and honestly, I think it's a problem. I've seen squirrels do some crazy things there because they aren't afraid. I once even saw a squirrel get hit by a bike, do flips in the air, land, and then run off (ok so that doesn't show how used to people they are, but it was a pretty funny situation)! So one day I'm eating some Wendy's fries on this patio type thing behind the Student Union with my friend Stephanie. Suddenly, I feel something on my lap and I KNEW it was too big to be a bug. Nervously I begin slowly looking down. What do I see? A beady-eyed squirrel sitting on my LAP staring up at me!!!!!!!! I screamed and knocked the sucker off!!!! Even after I knocked him down he kept trying to come back over to me. It was like from then on out the squirrel and I were having a showdown. It really freaked me out!! So, I'm glad the funny but weird 3-eared squirrel didn't get TOO fresh with y'all!! Just had to share that story...since now I'll never look at squirrels the same way again!

Thanks again for sharing Amy!!!!!

 

[halfpint]

Oh those are wonderful, I Love the big cats there just beautiful, Thanks for sharing

 

[kellyyfaber]

Yay!

Thanks for sharing the pics! Looks like you ladies had a wonderful time!! The squirrel was a cute little fella (unlike the varmits that keep eating out of my bird feeder

). I liked all of the big cat shots, too--especially the lion and tiger shackin' up

. Also, I liked the sign about not molesting the gators

Couldn't they have just put "Don't bother the gators??? (wouldn't have been as funny, though). I wanna go to Big Cat Rescue now!!!

 

[katspixiedust]

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

I wanna go to Big Cat Rescue now!!!

Welllll...Amy, Kelly....you girls know what we need to start organizing!!!!!

 

[ugaimes]

Oh Lordy Katherine, that squirrel on your lap story was too funny!

Think he wanted your fries???? Wonder if he would have been as interested if the fries were from Burger King?
Hehe, I was waiting to see if someone would comment on the "Do Not Molest the Alligators" sign

Maybe they were put up in case Michael Jackson paid a visit? OK, sorry, bad joke

We went to this park (same place we saw the squirrel) and those signs were all over. We actually saw a big alligator (about 6-7 ft) in one of the ponds (around which there are NO barriers) and he sort of followed us from the water. Kind of freaked us out. I took some pictures of our alligator stalker, I'll post 'em on here later.
And yes, Katherine....Kelly.....Big Cat Rescue would be a GREEEEEEEEEEEAT place for a Southern TCS-er meetup......*in ominous voice* More on that to come....

 

[kellyyfaber]

Originally Posted by katspixiedust

Welllll...Amy, Kelly....you girls know what we need to start organizing!!!!!

For sure!!! We do need to organize a meetup!! I'm all for it!! I wanna see that little three eared squirrel, too

I promise, i WILL NOT molest the alligators if we go there

 

[coolcat]

Dear Amy...

...
Thank you so much for Share!

this is a good place to visit!!!

Yay, I´m glad for you for you has a beutiful time!!!!

and you´re a nicely person for share your personal photo album to continue the visit!

Thank you, Thank you!

 

[kellyyfaber]

Hehe, I was waiting to see if someone would comment on the "Do Not Molest the Alligators" sign

Maybe they were put up in case Michael Jackson paid a visit?

 

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

For sure!!! We do need to organize a meetup!! I'm all for it!! I wanna see that little three eared squirrel, too

I promise, i WILL NOT molest the alligators if we go there

What a cool Idea Chicks!

Can I go with you in "Spirit"?

...

...

just be sure if you make a reunion, please bring us a bunch of PICS!!!!

..

...

Good luck with your´s new project!

I´ll going to send good vibes to you!