Mogo Wildlife Park Encounters

[Tiger Taylor]

I have recently won a free up close and persnal encounter at Mogo Zoo and am finding it hard to deciede on which encounter to do. It's a toss up between the "Lemur Island Cruse", the "feed a white lion," and the "feed a tiger," experiences.

Could I please have as much info on each as possible, with as much detail as possible, and even some pictures of peoples experiences.

Thanks

 

[CGSwans]

I don't know that anybody here has done a Mogo encounter. They are both off the beaten track and rather expensive when it comes to doing encounters, which is why my very encounter-philiac girlfriend didn't do one when we visited. However, we did see someone doing the red panda one and it looked good. I would go with that or the lemurs. Feeding a big cat will involve using a pair of tongs to feed them through the wire of the enclosure, and might be a little disappointing? Generally, encounters with smaller, rather less deadly animals will be much more hands-on and, at least in my opinion, more memorable.

 

[nanoboy]

I have recently won a free up close and persnal encounter at Mogo Zoo and am finding it hard to deciede on which encounter to do. It's a toss up between the "Lemur Island Cruse", the "feed a white lion," and the "feed a tiger," experiences.

Could I please have as much info on each as possible, with as much detail as possible, and even some pictures of peoples experiences.

Thanks

With a name like 'Tiger Taylor', I can guess your preference.

I agree with CGSwans comment that you will have a more hands-on experience with less deadly animals like the lemurs. I have fed lemurs, a tiger, and lions, and each experience has its merits.

Lemurs are just plain old cute and cuddly, but those live worms that they give you to feed them are not for the squirmish. You are bound to get an adrenaline rush when feeding the lions and tigers (despite using a pair of tongs, but would you really want to use your fingers anyway?). I think that our entire group was astounded at how large the tiger was when standing less than a metre from it; that in itself was memorable.

My suggestion would be to use your voucher for either the tiger or lion (i.e. to feed a big cat), and pay to do the lemur encounter.

 

[Hix]

those live worms that they give you to feed them are not for the squirmish.

Mealworms. They're not too bad with salt.



Hix

 

[nanoboy]

Mealworms. They're not too bad with salt.



Hix

They are live worms.

They crawl around your hand and fall all over your shoes and clothes.

They tickle your palms - it's a weird feeling.

They are alive in your hands, and the next moment they are dead in the lemur's stomach.

Not for the squirmish!

Despite paying for two encounters (lemurs and meerkats were both fed the worms) my wife was contented to just take pics of me feeding them.

I've never tried them myself; I'm no Bear Grylls.

 

[CGSwans]

Anyone who wants to keep parrots, insectivorous birds, lizards, small primates, small carnivores or dasyurids should probably come to terms with mealies. They're like lollies for them - great fun to feed.

 

[nanoboy]

Anyone who wants to keep parrots, insectivorous birds, lizards, small primates, small carnivores or dasyurids should probably come to terms with mealies. They're like lollies for them - great fun to feed.

I'm fine with it, but not everyone will be.

I might as well mention, for the benefit of Tiger Taylor, that the lions and tigers are fed chunks of raw meat dripping with blood. Keep it in mind if you are vegetarian or hate the sight and smell of raw meat.

We fed a brown bear once, and half the group refused to get their hands pasted in mushy fruit for the bear to lick. Same goes for when we fed mice to kookaburras and owls: despite wanting an animal encounter, not everyone has the stomach (no pun intended) to handle animal food.

 

[MRJ]

They are live worms.

They crawl around your hand and fall all over your shoes and clothes.

....

I've never tried them myself; I'm no Bear Grylls.

Not worms but a beetle larvae - think beetle caterpillars. They taste like macadamia nuts and are quite safe to eat. When we have students in there will always be one or two willing to eat them, and they are used in those "dare" TV shows where people plunge into a vat of worms.

 

[zooman]

Hi Tiger Taylor,

I did the primate island tour earlier this year.

It was brilliant!!
Loads of information on individual animals.

The boat docks at an island and the primates are straight onto the boat, scent marking and giving you the once over.

I was allowed to go onto the Ring tailed Lemur Island and sit and have them neat out of my hand, yep the mealworms are scream worthy! [Another story LOL]

The Island with the black and white ruffled lemurs was also an opportunity hand feed as they climbed a branch.

Load of photos and l will upload them one day soon!

On a side note only at Mogo Zoo have l experienced so many keepers actually saying hello to me, they do-not avoid eye contact as they do at other zoos. All the keepers at Mogo genuinely seem to enjoy talking with the public.

There is allot of plans for Mogo Zoo ATM and l would suggest it is one of the fastest growing zoos in Australia.