Tigger Tale

So finally we came to the day the kids have been looking forward to since we first left Australia – Tiger Kingdom!  Why you ask?  Well because at Tiger Kingdom you don’t just sit in the grand stand or watch from behind glass or mesh – you get to go inside with the tigers! 

Your choices are – smallest 3-6 months old; medium 6-12 months old and big cats, which turned out to be just over 12 months old. 

We did see this huge male tiger in a cage next to the babies and he was massive!  I have seen quite a few tigers in zoos etc but never one this big.  It’s hard to see just how big he was in our photos but take it from me, if you saw him while you were walking in the jungle you would soon be sprinting in the opposite direction!

If you don’t buy a pass to go in with the tigers you cannot enter the tiger areas so Paul reluctantly bought a pass to the big cats because it was cheaper.  Otherwise, he would have had to sit outside while we went in for a play with the tiger cubs.  (Those of you who know him, know that animals are not a special interest!)

Typically, when we got to our turn to go in with the cubs, the keepers ushered all 6 of us in, so Paul got to do both babies and later went in with the big cats!  All the rest of us were crying foul – how totally unfair!

There were 2 cubs and when we first went in, one was asleep and had absolutely no intention of waking up so we turned our attention to the livelier one.  The keepers told us that we were not to run or make any sudden movements and you also are not to touch their heads or make like you are playing – only because when the tigers try to play, they get a bit rough.  This is particularly the case with the bigger ones.

They won’t allow small children in with the big cats because they like to play with them apparently (sounds like a good story!).  When we were standing on the other side of the fence when Paul went in (very slowly I might add!), the tigers immediately locked onto Michael and just kept looking at him (I think they thought maybe it was lunch time?)  Anyway, the keepers said to us to stand back from the fence as the tigers will jump at the kids.  He had only just said this, when one of the tigers right in front of us suddently jumped right up the fence from lying down!  Scared the wits out of us!

It was quite funny while we stood there watching them – one in particular who had locked onto Michael, acted exactly the same as our cat at home.  Let’s just say that her and Michael do not have a friendly relationship (ie she will attack him whenever he gets close enough!)  Michael was chatting away to the tiger who was only centimetres away through the mesh – I said to him -look out, he’s got his ears back just like Puddy does when she’s going to attack you – the words were barely out my mouth when the tiger launched itself straight at him!  Michael has decided that cats are not good pets and he would like a snake!

Previously, he thought crabs would be good because there are crabs everywhere all over the beaches here and he spent hours following them and investigating them.  On the way out of Tiger Kingdom, there were 2 men promoting tours to the Snake Farm which is nearby.  They had a baby Siam Python which we had draped all over us.  I’ve seen 100’s of snakes before and have never been particularly interested to be honest, but he was kind of cute and they do feel nice to touch.

So we are gradually ticking off our wildlife ventures.  Up next – the Elephant Nature Park.