Busch Gardens Jungala Insider Tour Is A Must

Jungala Insider Tour Review

 

 

As a regular visitor of Busch Gardens Tampa, I see a lot of shows and get to know a lot of the animals by name and actions. I could not tell you the number of times I have visited Jungala to see how Bzui is doing with her young ones, see how mischevious young Rukayah is being that day, or wonder if King is gonna give me the stare down that morning. Of all the years I have gotten to know these magnificent animals, I have yet to take the Jungala Insider Tour. Well, that was corrected the other day.

The tour starts by meeting up with the group in Jungala inside Tiger Lodge, in the viewing area overlooking the tigers. After the rules we went to the Orangutan housing. There are two groups of Orangutans at Busch Gardens with a total of five. Craig led this phase of the tour by explaining behaviors, answering questions, and even feeding the animals while we were able to watch closely. The orangutans are very curious and friendly and came to the glass for us to get a good look at as they posed for some memorable pictures.



The best part of this this phase of the tour was where we got to meet Luna, as Craig dubs, is the most intelligent animal at Busch Gardens. It was evidenced by a lot of the behaviors we were able to see. There were demonstrations on how they do medical checkups, teach them to handle the equipment themselves, and even to brush their own teeth. Luna really impressed me and I look forward to seeing her more.

Next we were off to the underground to see the tiger housing. Busch Gardens currently has 10 tigers; Four Malayan (including three cubs) and six Bengals. We learned how rare Malayan tigers were and how lucky the park was able to have the three cubs currently. We also got a demonstration by Bzui (the mommy of the cubs) and Erin (one of the handlers) on how they bring them up to a chute to draw blood for the
vet. While down there we were delighted to be able to see young Rukayah and Cintar. We also were able to see the feeding and behavior demonstrations of the brothers Zahra and Sohan. I really am a tiger lover and love how Jungala was built to view these amazing animals. These cats also get a lot of love, like any other animal at Busch Gardens and that is evidenced of all the toys you see as you leave the area. This tour was, in a word, AMAZING and something that should be on your bucket list at some time when you visit the park.




The Jungala Insider Tour was a very reasonable $29, with your discount if you are a passholder. Busch Gardens, like most theme parks is structured that you cannot see everything in one visit. That is why it is necessary to take advantage of their passholder promotions. Currently you can get a yearly pass starting at only $13/month with no down payment. Do rollercoasters one day, shows another, or just visit your favorite animal (like the tigers for me).




Keep up to date with happenings at Busch Gardens, live tweets in the park, and my first-hand review of Falcon's Fury when it launches. Be sure to follow me on twitter at @TampaAmazeMe or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com for any questions about the park. I will do my best to answer or find an answer for you.

David "Thrills"