Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Arkansas Eureka Springs Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
AO Edited

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

This mountaintop refuge rehabilitates tigers, lions, bears, and more from illicit wildlife trade—and offers overnight lodging.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Added By
Luke Fater
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
A tiger named Kiara plays with her scratch ball during enrichment time.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Tigers, like BB King pictured above, love playing in big piles of leaves.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Turpentine Creek offers overnight lodging where guests can hear lions caroling to each other through the night.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Golden tabby Tigger playing with a cardboard box.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Tanya plays with a boomer ball in the snow.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A golden tabby named Tigger and an orange tiger named Floyd play in a pile of leaves.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
The refuge is also home to hyenas, like Rambo pictured here.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
White tiger Tanya playing in a bubble bath.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A white tiger named Glacier and a lioness named Ungowwa spending time together.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Two white tigers bathing a man-made pool.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Kizmin playing with his scratch ball during enrichment.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A grizzly named Bam Bam plays with a scented ball of twine.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A white tiger named Frankie plays with a ball during enrichment.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A grizzly named Bam Bam plays with a scented ball of twine.   Courtesy of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The illegal wildlife trade ensnares around 200 million animals in the United States alone, despite a handful of federal laws aimed against it. It can be difficult to extract these wild animals from the trade, but facilities exist to help survivors live out the fullest lives possible once rescued. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is one such facility. 

One of the most respected and accredited rescue operations in the country, Turpentine Creek is a 460-acre facility cresting a wooded mountaintop just outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It’s home to about 100 animals including lions, tigers, and bears, but also servals, bobcats, hyenas, and hybrid species. Once fodder for an illicit trade, these majestic creatures are now free to laze about in freshwater pools, play with oversized toys, and groom each other in between meals—and visitors are able to witness it all up close while supporting their rehabilitation.

With no set entry times, guests can spend as little or as much time as they’d like meandering Turpentine Creek’s sprawling property. Each animal resident is given a name and housed individually (with the exception of siblings who were raised together and can safely cohabitate). A major facet of the facility’s rehabilitation philosophy is enrichment, which gives animals an approximation of the mental stimulation and exercise that they would have in the wild. It can take different forms depending on the animal and season. Tigers, for example, love crashing through big piles of leaves; lions love to tear apart pumpkins; acorns are scattered about the bear enclosures so they can “scavenge” for snacks; they all seem to love perfumed or scented playthings as well. From wading pools to giant chew toys to rope ladders, the animals are provided with engaging elements to keep them active and happy. 

While animals come and go, Turpentine Creek is currently home to brown bears, black bears, and grizzly bears; bobcats, cougars, leopards, jaguars, and servals; and while, of course, there are lions and tigers, the facility is also home to a number of artificial hybrids including ligers (lion father, tiger mother), tigons (tiger father, lion mother), ti-ligers (tiger father, liger mother), and li-ligers (lion father, liger mother). Perhaps the rarest animal on-site is a set of “Strawberry Tigers,” or “Golden Tabbies,” who are the children of one white tiger (another artificial species) and one orange tiger. 

The animals here have come from private ownership, zoos to which they never fully acclimated, or outright abandonment. In fact, the refuge got its start after rescuing 42 big cats packed into several abandoned cattle cars by outlaw Catherine Twiss in 1991 (more recently, 18 big cats came into the refuge’s ownership directly from the infamous Joe Exotic of Tiger King fame). Animals often arrive in bad health from malnourishment, poor breeding practices, declawing, and other ailments. The staff of an on-site veterinary hospital treats and monitors each animal resident for the duration of their stay. To avoid sedation, which can be dangerous to the animals, new residents are trained to hold out their paws (for inspection), to sit and stand (to assess joint and bone health), and to present their flanks (to make injections easier). In fact, if visitors show up before opening time, they’re able to watch this training live. 

If visitors want a round-the-clock experience, that’s also on the table. Turpentine Creek offers several lodging options, from a primitive campground, to glamping, to air-conditioned lodges with back decks looking out onto big cat habitats. Overnighters may, for example, hear a pride of rescued lions—who boast the loudest call in the animal kingdom—caroling to each other throughout the night.

Related Tags

Sanctuaries Mountains Tigers Animals Wildlife Wildlife Sanctuaries

Community Contributors

Added By

lukefater

Published

November 8, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.traveleurekasprings.com/turpentine-creek-wildlife-refuge/
  • https://www.arkansas.com/eureka-springs/attractions-culture/turpentine-creek-wildlife-refuge
  • https://www.turpentinecreek.org/about/meet-the-animals/
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
239 Turpentine Creek Lane
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 72632
United States
36.309966, -93.755631
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Quigley's Castle

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

Basin Park Hotel

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

The Grotto Wood-Fire Grill

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs

Arkansas

Places 9

Nearby Places

Quigley's Castle

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

Basin Park Hotel

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

The Grotto Wood-Fire Grill

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs

Arkansas

Places 9

Related Places

  • Determined

    Eminence, Missouri

    Wild Horses of Shannon County

    It's as if the herds walked straight out of a fairy tale into the Missouri wilds.

  • A lion at The Wild Animal Sanctuary, Keenesburg, Colorado.

    Keenesburg, Colorado

    The Wild Animal Sanctuary

    The world's largest carnivore sanctuary is home to over 450 meat-eating rescues.

    Sponsored by Visit Denver
  • Stillwater marshes, with Stillwater Range beyond.  Looking east.

    Fallon, Nevada

    Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

    The sump of the landlocked Carson River is a haven for wildlife.

  • A bird at Zealandia

    Wellington, New Zealand

    Zealandia

    The world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary is a haven for New Zealand's rare and endangered species.

  • The Slough in late afternoon.

    Dallas, Oregon

    Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge

    A haven for wildlife amid the farmlands and development of the Willamette River Valley.

  • Bison herd grazing.

    Bluffton, Indiana

    Ouabache State Park

    Home to some of Indiana's last bison herds.

  • A golden lion tamarin at Pouca das Antas

    Silva Jardim, Brazil

    The Golden Lion Tamarins of Poço das Antas

    These small, spectacular monkeys are making a comeback after deforestation destroyed much of their rainforest habitat.

  • David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

    Nairobi, Kenya

    David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

    This wildlife trust is dedicated to orphaned elephant rescue and conservation.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.