Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is home to several different species, but where would their homes be if they were in their natural habitats? Sadly, the animals that call Turpentine Creek home have come to us from places like roadside zoos and people’s homes, leaving them too habituated by people. They no longer have the skills to survive or hunt on their own, so a true sanctuary is the best place for them to spend the rest of their lives. But if they were in the wild, where would they call home?
Tigers
Tigers are native to habitats such as temperate and tropical forests, grasslands, savannas and swamps. They live throughout Asia and are found in 13 different countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Russia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Lions
African lions live in Sub-Saharan Africa in habitats like savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, and scrublands. There are Asiatic lions that live in Gujarat, India. This smaller population of almost 900 is protected in Gir National Park.
Leopards
Leopards have the biggest geographic distribution of the big cats, spanning across 62 different countries throughout Asia and Africa. Because they are highly adaptable, they live in diverse environments like rainforests, deserts, grasslands, woodlands, and mountainous regions.
Jaguars
Jaguars are the only big cats not found in Africa or Asia. They are located in parts of Central and South America, but Brazil may be home to about half of the wild population of jaguars. Their preferred habitat is the rainforest, but they can also be found in wetlands, deserts and scrublands.
Cougars
Cougars, or mountain lions, are found all throughout North, Central, and South America, having one of the widest ranges of any cat. They’re found in a variety of habitats, but prefer forests, deserts, and mountains. They had a larger historic range, but today they currently occupy about 28 countries.
Servals
While they primarily dwell in Sub-Saharan Africa, Servals can also reside in small, isolated populations in North Africa. They live in habitats such as grasslands, wetlands, savannas, and forests.
Caracals
Caracals live throughout Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and Northwest India, finding homes in scrublands, semi-deserted areas, woodlands, and savannas.
Fishing Cats
Because they are completely at home near and in water, fishing cats frequent wetland areas like marshes, mangroves, and swamps. Their range is sporadic, but they live in parts of Southern Asia today.
Bobcats
Bobcats live all throughout North America. They inhabit every state (except Hawaii), southern Canada, and northern Mexico as well. Because they live in so many different areas throughout North America, bobcats are highly adaptable. They can find homes in all sorts of habitats like mountains, forests, swamps, scrublands, and deserts.
American Black Bears
Found throughout various parts of the North American continent, American black bears live in places like Canada, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Midwest, parts of the southern U.S., Appalachia, and northern Mexico. They have a wide range of habitats, but they mostly prefer trees and wooded areas.
Brown Bears
Brown bears are the most widely distributed bear in the world, and they can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia. While their favorite habitat is usually forest areas, they can also be found in mountainous, semi-desert, tundra, and coastal regions.
Spotted Hyenas
Spotted hyenas live south of the Sahara Desert in Africa in savannas, grasslands, woodlands, swamps, semi-deserts, and mountains.
Come out to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to learn more about all the wonderful species that have found a forever home here.
Sources
https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/
https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/latest/blogs/where-do-tigers-live/
https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2025/0521/1514063-india-asiatic-lion/
https://panthera.org/blog-post/where-world-do-leopards-live
https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/caracal
https://felidaefund.org/learn/cats/fishing-cat
https://bear.org/bear-facts/black-bear-range/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/american-black-bear.htm
https://www.ifaw.org/animals/brown-bears
*Published by Sara Edwards on 09/06/2025*