Here I am pictured with Bashii, one of the Sumatran Tigers available to meet and greet at Australia zoo. Photo care of Ben Manns, Director, Experience Oz
Ever wondered what it would feel like to be sitting beside a real live tiger? Better still, what it would feel like to touch and pat the coat of a tiger? Stop wondering and make a booking with
Australia Zoo's Tiger Photo Encounter so you can experience it for yourself.
The Tiger Photo Encounter at
Australia Zoo in Beerwah offers you the chance to befriend one of the zoo's resident Sumatran or Bengal tigers, both of which are critically endangered. Whilst meeting and having your photo taken with the big cat, the keepers talk to you about the different tiger species making for both an exhilarating and educational experience.
Tiger keepers guide you in to a special encounter area where the large cat sits awaiting you on a platform. At this moment you may want to turn and run as fast as possible in the opposite direction, but I encourage anyone game enough, to face their fears and walk closer to the waiting jungle giant. At closer inspection, the tiger is restrained to the platform but caution is still needed as the tiger is able to stand up on all four legs at any moment should his or her mood change.
After being shown how to carefully approach the tiger, you are guided to walk up and sit behind the animal. This is the part where you feel extremely small, insignificant and as though you simply cannot move a muscle. You are then allowed to pat the tiger, so long as you pat it firmly. The keepers explain that if you pat too lightly, the tiger can think you are a fly and given the tigers tail weighs around a hefty twenty kilograms, its not something you want swatting at you.
I had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Bashii, a 3-year-old male Sumatran tiger, who weighs in at 97.2 kilograms. He didn't seem too phased by my stunned nature and took to keeping occupied with the treats his keepers were providing him at the time. Keepers ensure the tiger is entertained with plant fronds to nibble on and also a tasty tiger treat of frozen milk and water. The sound of the tigers tongue licking the frozen milk block sounds like sandpaper scratching across a rough surface. According to the keepers, the tigers tongue is so coarse that if the tiger were to lick human skin 3 times in the same spot, blood would be drawn to the surface. Its no wonder the tongue sounds like sandpaper. At this point, I'm somewhat glad and relieved it's the icy treat the tiger is licking, as opposed to my hand.
Having encountered this experience first hand, you dare not leave without photographic evidence that you have in fact sat beside and touched a real live tiger. After all, you need to be able to prove to all your family and friends that you have got the guts!
At $400 for 3-4 guests or $300 for 1-2 guests for the photo encounter itself; it may be a little expensive for the average weekend. However, keep in mind that the funds raised from the Tiger Encounters are directly injected into further tiger conservation, to ensure people are able to experience such a thing for years to come.
I can positively say that whilst the voice in your head (or wallet) may be hesitant, this truly is one of those once in a lifetime moments (excuse the platitude). Attempting to find words to describe such an experience was quite a task and simply cannot do it justice. You need to feel the beads of sweat dripping down you own forehead in fear to understand where I am coming from. See my excitement at Australia Zoo in this
video, care of
Experience Oz For more information on how to book a Tiger Photo Encounter session, visit the Australia Zoo
website. Bookings can be also be made via the Experience Oz
website.
