Busch Gardens just opened a new animal exhibit called Jungala. Its a Southeat Asian themed exhibit within the African themed park...its all one big jungle in there. Animals include Orangutan, Tiger, White-cheeked Gibbon, Tomistoma, and Malayan Flying Fox (new bloodlines, not of the Lubee kind). This exhibit is supposed to be very interactive between guests and animals (playing tug-of-war with the tigers, etc). Jungala also has two rides (one of them is a zipline, becoming somewhat popular in US zoos) and a huge jungle gym playarea for children. Rumor has it that this is supposed to replace Busch Gardens' other playarea that will become room for a new attraction or animal exhibit.
Busch Gardens Tampa Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- Thread starter okapikpr
- Start date
ericnielsenpdx
Well-Known Member
Hi, do you know if they are exhibiting tomistomas or gharials? On the Jungala site it mentions one species one place and another elsewhere - and I know they have both in their collection off exhibit. I was there a month before the exhibit opened and I heard that some of the species to be exhibited were uncertain, as they were trying to find the right fit.
Eric
Eric
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Busch Gardens is, well, Busch Gardens.
Have a look:
Theme Park Review :: Photo TR: Jungala Media Day at Busch Gardens Africa
Another view of the same media event: Jungala - Jungles of the World - Opens at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa) (Linda Mac's Orlando Adventures)
Lots of pictures
Have a look:
Theme Park Review :: Photo TR: Jungala Media Day at Busch Gardens Africa
Another view of the same media event: Jungala - Jungles of the World - Opens at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa) (Linda Mac's Orlando Adventures)
Lots of pictures
This fact sheet says that it is gharials. White-cheeked gibbons and flying foxes are also mixed with them...
They have tomistomas...commonly they are known in the US now as Malayan Gharials. The reason for the name change from false gavial is that it was harder to raise money for and conserve a "false" animal - at least that is what they told me at St Augustine Alligator farm.
Busch Gardens in Tampa is tough to categorize, as it's similar to the Seaworlds that dot the American landscape. Disney's Animal Kingdom is another zoo/theme park, and the mixed reviews that these establishments get conflicts with many visitor's perception of captive wildlife. How can someone contrast rollercoasters, amusement rides and safari excursions with traditional zoo elements? Installing ziplines near Asian-themed exhibits seems bizarre, and yet similar rides are all around similar theme parks.
When I visited San Diego's Seaworld the place was jam-packed with people and loud, annoying rides. The sheer number of giftshops was overwhelming, as was the food outlets seemingly along every pathway. However, it was still cool to see killer whales, manatees, sharks swimming overhead, polar bears and an assortment of undersea life. But the splashing, noisy rides taint the overall experience.
When I visited San Diego's Seaworld the place was jam-packed with people and loud, annoying rides. The sheer number of giftshops was overwhelming, as was the food outlets seemingly along every pathway. However, it was still cool to see killer whales, manatees, sharks swimming overhead, polar bears and an assortment of undersea life. But the splashing, noisy rides taint the overall experience.
There are some good ideas in the exhibits, but I'm not sure what they do with all of those tigers. Perhaps they rotate the 12 big cats throughout the day, but it was odd to see at least 3-4 in an exhibit together like that. The overhead glass walkways will more than likely be a big hit with visitors, but the enclosure looked too neat and tidy to be realistic. I would have rather seen tall grassy sections instead of the nicely manicured lawns that are in there. Do the tigers mow the grass themselves? Haha
The orangutan exhibit, like just about every single orang enclosure on the planet, simply does not contain enough climbing structures for an ape that suppposedly spends up to 85% of its life brachiating in the trees. Huge, neatly trimmed lawns also dominate in that exhibit, and the mockrock backgrounds dominate the views for visitors.
The orangutan exhibit, like just about every single orang enclosure on the planet, simply does not contain enough climbing structures for an ape that suppposedly spends up to 85% of its life brachiating in the trees. Huge, neatly trimmed lawns also dominate in that exhibit, and the mockrock backgrounds dominate the views for visitors.
This exhibit reminds me of the Tiger Island exhibit at Dreamworld in Queensland...and why is it that tiger exhibits at theme parks always revolved around a 'Ancient Ruins' theme like at Animal Kingdom?
The Orang enclosure looks quite hideous too...with the mock rock as the background and those ugly painted towers, looks like they too spend most of their time on the ground.
The Orang enclosure looks quite hideous too...with the mock rock as the background and those ugly painted towers, looks like they too spend most of their time on the ground.
Sun Wukong
Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting the links. In my opinion, terrible exhibits. This looks a lot like a relapse to those many sterile and unnatural exhibits that had their prime in the 1960-80s, designed by architects who didn't know and didn't care about the needs and demands of the animals having to live in those horrible exhibits for decades.
It seems as if Hediger's zoo biology approach to that subject never existed-the only difference is that instead of plain concrete, fake rocks are used.
I have recently been to Heidelberg; the little local zoo there achieved to create a much better exhibit (yet way from perfect) for their tigers-probably using only a small percentage of the costs of the one at Tampa. I wonder how hot and hostile both of these artifcial exhibits at Busch Garden's (whose lawns remind me of a golf course-just like Munich Zoo's lemur islands in the early 1980s) can become due to direct sunlight-which will especially be a problem for that white one's eyes...
And the orangs-poor fellows.
They're supposed to have a nice big Tomistoma male there at Tampa-wonder how he's doing and integrated in that plan.
It seems as if Hediger's zoo biology approach to that subject never existed-the only difference is that instead of plain concrete, fake rocks are used.
I have recently been to Heidelberg; the little local zoo there achieved to create a much better exhibit (yet way from perfect) for their tigers-probably using only a small percentage of the costs of the one at Tampa. I wonder how hot and hostile both of these artifcial exhibits at Busch Garden's (whose lawns remind me of a golf course-just like Munich Zoo's lemur islands in the early 1980s) can become due to direct sunlight-which will especially be a problem for that white one's eyes...
And the orangs-poor fellows.
They're supposed to have a nice big Tomistoma male there at Tampa-wonder how he's doing and integrated in that plan.
Found this too on the review site, is this for real?
Theme Park Review :: Busch Gardens Announces Worlds of Discovery Resort in Dubai
Theme Park Review :: Busch Gardens Announces Worlds of Discovery Resort in Dubai
Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is eventually going to be the # 1 destination on the planet for excess: shopping malls, theme parks, amusement rides, aquariums, etc.
Yep, Busch is going to build a Sea World, Busch Gardens, Aquatic, and Discovery Cove on an Orca shaped island.
Is it not great! Just do not mention the environmental damage to beaches, dune formations, island ecosystems and marine life in the Dubai waters. I really am very concerned for the marine ecosystem along this stretch of Gulf coastline.
The picture is quite different in neighbouring Abu Dhabi as stringent environmental legislation, EIA requirements and the establishment of 2 prime large marine protected areas under scientific monitoring and management preclude mega developments as seen in Dubai. Incidentally, these waters contain 1 of the most important dugong populations in the entire world. Furthermore, the myriad of island dotted along the Abu Dhabi coastline are full of marine nesting birds, e.g. terns, gulls, Socotra cormorants and several of the larger islands are veritable Arabian wildlife conservancies with a huge number of endangered species being bred.
Those pictures did seem to really show any of the exhibit, mostly the viewing areas. I agree with the lack of vegetation, that's what you get when the brewmeister is in charge of animal exhibits. But Disney and Miami's tiger exhibits are just as manicured. I think most of the tigers were given to busch by a private owner and they have lived with each other their whole lives, so Im sure they all live together. There are two enclosures for the tigers and I think the orangs have the same. As for the ugly climbing structure for the orangs....why? The National Zoo's O-line structures are just as unnatural but better-looking and serve the same purpose...probably cheaper too.
Anyway I have a tour setup for this saturday, hopefully I can post pictures of the exhibits and see what the place is really like. It would be a shame that they didnt take examples from Myombe Reserve, their wonderful gorilla/chimpanzee exhibits.
Anyway I have a tour setup for this saturday, hopefully I can post pictures of the exhibits and see what the place is really like. It would be a shame that they didnt take examples from Myombe Reserve, their wonderful gorilla/chimpanzee exhibits.
@okapikpr: a comprehensive, detailed review please. Pretty please, as I want to learn how those lawns look so well manicured...haha. But seriously, for the amount of money that was invested there must be some positive aspects to the new exhibits.
Here's a note of information gleamed from my visit:
The Tomistoma died prior to the opening of Jungala, they now exhibit 2 gharials in a mixed exhibit with Malayan Flying Foxes