Photos (bottom left clockwise): Cat Haven creatures– Lion; Jaguar babies; Cheetah named Tango; Snow Leopard, Tizzy; Bobcat, Serval; and Jaguarundi

The next time you visit Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park ( Saturday, September 29, 2012 is free admission to national parks) to gaze at the world’s biggest redwood trees, there’s a nearby attraction you also should see. Located just 15 miles west of King’s Canyon NP at an elevation of around 2500′ is Project Survival Cat Haven, home to amazing wild cats the public is invited to photograph and learn about. For a small admission fee (under $10) you can take a walking tour around a 100 acre facility, wandering on paths beneath oaks and manzanita, to see majestic lions, jaguars, leopards, servals, bobcats and and other wild cats from around the globe. Cat Haven says its animals come mostly from zoos, and the facility does not act as a rescue facility for unwanted animals.

Open for tours daily (except Tuesday, Wednesday and major holidays,) this incredible, hidden gem is a nonprofit organization founded by a former airline pilot, Dale Anderson, who has a passion to save wild cats through education and conservation. See: cathaven.com