Since 2001
Preserving with DIGNITY
Our History
EARS – Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary was founded in 2001 with one clear purpose: to offer a safe, compassionate, and permanent home for abused, neglected, and abandoned exotic animals, especially big cats who had nowhere else to go. READ MORE
Located in Citra, Florida
EARS operates as a not-for-profit organization fully dedicated to the ethical care and lifelong protection of animals who have suffered at the hands of humans. Every resident is treated with respect, love, and individualized care in a peaceful, species-appropriate environment.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
At EARS, our mission is simple but powerful:
To provide lifelong sanctuary, love, and enrichment for exotic animals in need while expanding and enhancing our habitats to give every resident the space and dignity they deserve.
We are not open daily like a traditional zoo. Instead, we open once a month for the public and offer private tours by appointment to limit stress on our animals and provide a more meaningful, educational experience.
Expert staff
Ears is maintained by experienced volunteers who have put in 100s and in many cases 1000s of hours working alongside our animals, learning from daily experience, overseen by our senior staff.
Why EARS Exists
The exotic pet trade and entertainment industry are not just dangerous, they are often deadly. Tigers, lions, ligers, cougars, and primates are frequently bred for profit and used as pets or photo props. When they grow too large or costly, many are abandoned, abused, or worse.
We started EARS because:
These animals deserve better! Freedom from confinement, healing instead of punishment, and a future supported by honest education about wildlife care and conservation.
Our History
Founded over two decades ago
EARS was born out of love and necessity.
Many of our first rescues were animals discarded after being used for profit or surrendered by private owners who could no longer manage the enormous costs, legal responsibilities, or ethical consequences of keeping wild animals in captivity.
Some animals arrived malnourished, others emotionally broken. All arrived needing sanctuary. From the beginning, we committed to:
- Never buying or selling animals
- Offering each resident a forever home
- Constantly improving enclosures for comfort and enrichment
- Providing top-quality food, care, and veterinary oversight
Today EARS remains as one of the few privately owned, still operating independently.
We believe in private ownership and feel it is very important for the public to see animals up close so they can truly understand and want to care for the species. Being up close (at a safe distance) to a tiger, lion, leopard, bear, or primate will change most people perspective. Captivity done right does that and ensures the future of these animals and hopefully ignites a passion in that human on one of our guided tours to want to work alongside of and protect all of these animals from extinction.
What Makes EARS Different
- We’re Not a Zoo: We do not exist for entertainment. Our tours are guided, intentional, and small-scale to maintain peace for our residents.
- We’re 100% Nonprofit: All donations and fees go directly toward food, care, medical treatment, and habitat upgrades.
- We Say No When It’s Right: We never take in more animals than we can responsibly care for.
- We Preserve Dignity: Our animals are not performers, they may have come from several other places before us, some have gone through a lot and deserve peace, quiet and sanctuary. That is our promise to them as well as full bellies, vet care and the same faces who care for them daily, year after year.
Join Our Mission to Protect and Preserve
Since 2001 EARS stood as a beacon of hope for animals Some discarded by a system that may not have had their best interest. Your support keeps this mission alive.
We invite you to:
- Schedule a tour to meet our residents
- Become a monthly donor
- Sponsor a specific animal
- Volunteer your time or expertise
- Share our work with your community
Join Our Mission to Protect and Preserve
Since 2001, EARS has stood as a beacon of hope for animals discarded by a system that never had their best interests at heart. Your support keeps this mission alive. We invite you to:
- Schedule a tour to meet our residents
- Become a monthly donor
- Sponsor a specific animal
- Volunteer your time or expertise
- Share our work with your community