Busch Gardens Tour: Saving A Species

We were met by our guide, driver and official photographer, who would be accompanying us. There were certainly plenty of staff to go round for the small number of people who would be taking the tour and we were made to feel like VIPs. As we headed on to the savannah, our guide pointed out animals to us - many of them known to her by name. It was clear that not only did she love her job; she has a lot of affection for the animals she comes into contact with.

We learned about the ostrich that's joined a herd of kudu and is now not only convinced that she belongs with them, she also scares off any animal that threatens the herd! Then there's the pair of grey crowned cranes that can't be parted from each other - and if that happens, they will literally die of a broken heart. It was truly like being taken into the heart of Africa and entering the community that lives out on the savannah.

However, this was only the start, with the highlights still to come. Our first came when we met Dolly, one of the oldest giraffes on the plains. It soon became clear that Dolly is a real softie and I suspect has played a big part in their tours for a long time, as she knew exactly how to pose for photos with us and how to seek out the people with lettuce, which we had been given to feed to her. Everyone had plenty of time to hand feed her, stroke her and get their photos taken with her. There was even the opportunity to get a giraffe kiss by holding a piece of lettuce in your mouth. Not something that I was interested in, but my husband, along with a few other brave souls, was more than happy to give it a go!

The experience with the giraffe is perfect for children, even if you have young ones who may be apprehensive. There was one child in our group and she was easily persuaded to have a go at feeding Dolly and seemed to really enjoy it, which didn't surprise me, as Dolly was one of the most docile creatures I'd met and she's probably less likely to scare youngsters than many other animals. Our tour then continued through the savannah, before we were taken to an area in the middle of the plain to meet Forest. He's a black rhino and I must admit I was a little skeptical about how close we would actually be able to get to this great beast. Surely there would be glass between us or fences? Nothing like that. Instead, we were greeted with the sight of a trench in front of us, where one of the keepers was feeding Forest by hand, while another explained all about him and his species.

I'm ashamed to say that I don't remember a word of what we were told, but in my defense, there's good reason for that. I was just totally captivated by the sight in front of me and couldn't take my eyes off Forest. All my concentration went into watching what was going on. Again, it was clear that the keepers had excellent relationships with the animals in their care and had both the deepest respect and affection for them.

About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!

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Reader Comments:

That is a fabulous tour. Brought back great memories. Thanks for sharing

     jimmymac on May 1, 2008 @ 12:38 pm

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Updated 4/10/2008 - Article #168 

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