Made a recent visit and took some notes: *Asian Small-clawed Otters are the most recent addition to Busch Gardens. One group is housed with the gibbons in Jungala and a second group is housed in a former crocodilian pen by Curosity Caverns. *The Sable antelope have returned to the pasture behind Jungala and can only be viewed via Train...animals were removed during the attraction's construction.
2 female gorillas have arrived from the Gladys Porter zoo, they are mother and daughter. Maybe it is the pictures or the light, but they are the brownest gorillas i have ever seen. New Gorillas on Habitat for Guests to View | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Yes the color does look odd, and the grass and rocks look about right so maybe the photo is accurate, but maybe not. Seems unusual they would both be this way. Maybe someone has already mentioned this on ZooChat and I missed it, but I am surprised I have not seen anyone ranting about the sale of Sea World and Busch Gardens to Merlin a few months ago.
They were sold to Blackstone, the company that owns Merlin. Busch Entertainment and Merlin are now sister companies owned by the same entities, so Merlin does not "own" Sea World.
Interesting how the corporate world works eh?For years Merlin were anti-cetaceans and large sharks in captivity [purely on an economic not moral stance] now they too are owned by the same company that owns Sea World! Wonder if all the signs spouting utter nonsense have been removed from Sealife Centres?By the way was at Sea World San Diego a couple of months ago and staff there told me that nothing as yet was any different under the new owners[and of course Sea World has had a few different owners].No free beer at Busch now,thats for certain!
Applicant: Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL; PRT-22130A. The applicant requests a permit to import six live captive-bred female cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from South Africa for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species and conservation education.
The last time I was there (it has been almost a decade) they did not have a cheetah exhibit. Do they have one now, or are they going to build one?
I am trying to fish out which black rhinos still reside at Bush Gardens in Tampa. They used to have 4.2 in there. Cow Jumatomo seems to have died in 2007, the other female I do not have a clue ... which is which now. Any idea on the breeding male (Bwana Chai or ... other)????
I'm at Busch Gardens today and I talked to the park attendant about why the gharials aren't there. She said that the gharials used to be on exhibit in Jungala but are no longer; they probably shipped them to another zoo.
Here are a couple links to info about the new cheetah exhibit and coaster. I wonder if the roller coaster will affect the cats? I suppose after a few days they will get used to it and ignore it, just as the animals at my zoo all ignore the loud fighter jets that fly over daily to the nearby air force base. If you look at the "photos" (actually artist conceptions) on the official site, there is an interesting one labeled interior view (I think it's the second of the four). Very heavy overgrown jungle temple theme. I am not a fan of this anywhere, but seems really out of place for cheetahs. Not to Be Outdone, Busch Gardens Tampa Will Put a Roller Coaster Above a Cheetah Enclosure || Jaunted Rides, Roller Coasters, Tourist Attractions - Explore Busch Gardens
Actually, I find it interesting as the "jungle temple" detailing you speak of, actually to me, looks very Indian, bringing in another interesting element of the story of cheetahs.
Since all six are being imported from South Africa, any chance one (or more) of them is a king cheetah???
The renderings of the ruined temple viewing area for Cheetah Hunt look nicely detailed, but I am skeptical that this theme, which is quite Indian-appearing, will fit in with the African themes that surround it. Even when Jungala was designed, located across the park from this and featuring non-African animals such as tigers and orangutans, they were careful to detail it in a unique way rather than a cultural-themed one. I am still skeptical about the whole addition and convinced that this thrill ride will taint much of the atmosphere of what was a calmer and satisfying animal-focused area of the park.
While I agree with you about the overall atmosphere potentially being at risk here, I was looking at the map and I think the cheetah viewing area may be accessed through the Timbuktu area of the park, so perhaps the theming is meant to be more North African/Arabic?
Gharials We asked one of the herpetologists on 11/23 , and were told the gharials were off display to encourage their breeding, but that they were still with the facility.
When I came back here at Busch Gardens, I still do not understand why they got rid of the gharials. Can anyone explain why?
Busch Gardens Africa - Cheetah Hunt Media Day -If you scroll down you can see pictures of the new cheetah exhibit.
Thank you for posting. The cheetah exhibit itself seems a bit bland - not bad - but nothing outstanding either. I noticed there is a long dirt track running along the top of the exhibit - is that for a cheetah chase at certain times of day? The best part of the whole thing may be the large carved cheetah statues at the ride entrance. Also, not exactly animal related, but the ride looks like a lot of fun. I have not ridden any roller coasters in years and some of the new mega coasters look like a bit too much for a middle-aged guy like me. This one actually looks enjoyable without being ridiculously tall or 90 degree steep.
Hmmm... Maybe if the Stanley Falls flume ride would cease operations in the future, then they would expand Jungala with new animal species including Malayan tapirs, anoas, Visayan warty pigs, siamangs, sun bears, clouded leopards, binturongs, and, returning to the park, gharials. Plus, the former gharial exhibit would be a new home for Asian small-clawed otters, originally from Jambo Junction, and the two otters at the gibbon exhibit would be replaced by two Indian crested porcupines. Don't you think?
