Busch Gardens Tampa Questionable future for Busch Gardens?

okapikpr

Well-Known Member
Now that InBev has purchased Anheuser-Busch, it has also announced plans to sell off AB's non-beer related endeavours including a recycling program and the company's theme parks: including Busch Gardens and Sea World.

Basically the entire future of these very important facilities in North America are now threatened. What exactly is at stake:

-The only true successful breeding program for Orcas
-The future of (non bottlenose dolphin) cetaceans in North America
-$1000s of dollars in funds for in-situ conservation
-very important marine mammal (including manatee)/sea turtle rehabilitation centers
-largest? collective captive population of Antarctic penguins
-ongoing progressive assited-reproductive research

While many may just shake off these parks as another theme park. These places are much classier than your average theme park, but very much more commerical than your normal zoo. Despite any of your feelings about Busch Gardens/Sea Worlds, they have always been a leader in conservation, research, and important facilites in the evolution of captive animal management.

The Sea World parks have been sold a few times before, however Busch Gardens (Tampa) is the original and has always been a major part of the A-B company. A-B as a company has been a great supporter for conservation, they will be sorely missed.
 
Sale of Busch Entertainment, including Busch Gardens and the Sea World parks, may occur sooner than later...

Theme park sale may be imminent -- VAGazette.com

I wonder what Busch Gardens Florida would go for? I apreciate after reading the article that they will probably be sold all together.

Gets me to thinking about there gorillas of course. I wonder how many gorillas are in being housed by companies! Rather than goverment or charitable organisations.

Better start a new thread or will hear from zoobeth ;)
 
is blackstone related to merlin? or does it just own some of merlin's tussauds?

Blackstone owns Merlin Entertainments and now Sea World/Busch Gardens.

This doesn't mean that Merlin will be given any input into the operation of Sea World re: keeping cetaceans in captivity. Investment bankers do not spend $2.7bn and then get rid of the prime assets of the business, i.e. the biggest attractions at Sea World: the whales and dolphins.

Blackstone buys into the world of American theme parks | Business | guardian.co.uk
 

"We're calling it a restructuring," said Fred Jacobs, vice president of communications for the company.

From personal experience that's a catch-all for lot's of different things within companies. ;)

Mind you it comes as no surprise as I stated above SeaWorld are now owned by private equity firm Blackstone and having also worked for companies owned but people like this it is very predictable. NB: Blackstone also own Merlin. I wonder if their due for a bit of "restructuring". :rolleyes:
 
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