Carlos & Siran Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 I recently procured some day passes to Zion wildlife gardens and we went today, thought we'd share some pics. these are fat little Barbary lions, I think the fulla said they came from Kenya(I might be wrong) but they are extinct in the wild now This is a black leopard, gorgeous colours when the sun was on him. This poor old girl was on her own, she is an ex-circus animal. She's over 15 and a bit slow and arthritic, loves crystallized pineapple I knew these guys where fast but did you know they can reach 60kph in 2 seconds?, man that's fast There's something about being this close to animals as powerful as this and finally this is Zion, who was Aslan in the Narnia movies. What we found really unnerving was the Lionesses especially paid very close attention to the kiddies, the fulla doing the tour said it was because in the wild they instinctively go for the smallest most vulnerable prey. And there was a white Tiger male who loved trying to spray us, he seemed to get a real kick out of it. It was an interesting morning, though I'm glad we got the passes for free because it's normally incredibly expensive, though I guess being a private park it would cost a small fortune to run. Anywho, hope you enjoy the pickies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze-dragon Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Very nice. The always look board to me though. I would like to see the cats in bigger enclosures Were all the animals looking nice and happy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted August 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Yeah, we were saying that this afternoon, that their enclosures should be bigger and more natural looking. They were happy though, lazing in the sun, just soaking it up, yawning, stretching, shifting possies etc. The guide was saying that when they put their food in the enclosures, they hide it to make them look for it and at other times they also put scents on big balls to make them exercise etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 I would like to see the cats in bigger enclosures I'm sure they would too, but who is going to pay for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze-dragon Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 well maybe thats why normally only zoos bring these animals in to the country, because they have the money and the brains to figure out "hey, if we bring in 40 big cats to this small lifestyle block, we are going to run out of land!" and why idiots who just bring these animals to feel special and to have something that no one else has, end up with lots of cats and no land for them. They need to give at least half of them to zoos and start an actual breeding program (white tigers should not be breed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 well maybe thats why normally only zoos bring these animals in to the country, because they have the money and the brains to figure out "hey, if we bring in 40 big cats to this small lifestyle block, we are going to run out of land!" and why idiots who just bring these animals to feel special and to have something that no one else has, end up with lots of cats and no land for them. They need to give at least half of them to zoos and start an actual breeding program (white tigers should not be breed) zoos wouldn't take them, nearly all white tigers in the world are hybrids of bengal x siberian with very little recorded lineage it wasn't so much the original number of cats but the indiscriminate breeding of them at least the pens are better than the originals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted August 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 They still look pretty much like that Livingart, except since the accident they've put a smaller fence around it again to stop people getting too close. Yeah, it was kinda heart breaking to see these incredible animals in tiny cages just lying there, the fulla said they get active at night and I thought "active doing what exactly?" Apparently the farm is 126 acres, he also said they on purposely breed the white and bengal tigers together to get more white tigers which I thought was wrong some how, though I can't put my finger on why. The cheetahs especially concerned me, these guys need to run.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 because every white tiger in the world is basically related, look up mohan http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/rewa.html the white tiger is not a sub species of the bengal it is just a recessive gene this gene is also related to dwarfism, hip and spinal problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted August 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Aye, the fulla said that, the white lions are the same, it's a gene not a separate species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneeyedfrog Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Hi, we have visited twice. The first time we saved up as we thought that we might never get the chance again to see these beautiful animals up close like this. The 2nd time we got in cheap with the home school group. Yay! I think they said there are only 90 white tigers in the world and they had 9 of them. Did you notice all the young white tigers were cross eyed? We too asked if they got bored. I agree that the conditions are not optimal but at least they have as much space as they would have in the zoo and the spaces were clean. The animals looked well cared for and they were building more enclosures. Where else could they live? I think that spraying on people is their entertainment!! I do hope Zion get their act together soon as it could be really great. The tour guides seemed to know their stuff and really care about the animals. An English guy told us how he got grabbed on the leg by a lion while working in an English park. He slipped and the lion went for him. He was lucky he was saved by another keeper that was with him. The lionesses were stalking our kids too. They were following 6 yr old DD as she was running back and forth. She slipped over and lion apparently asleep at the back of the cage leapt across the cage in front of her in a mili second. It was scary how fast he was!! Now I know how a mouse feels!! A keeper was alone in the cage with 7 young white lions and tigers trying to remove a bowl attached to the fence. To get to the bowl he had to turn his back on them and bend down. As soon as he walked into the cage all the animals were jumping on him (playfully) and he had to fend them off. He would throw something and they would run after it then he would try to remove the bowl before they all ran back to him. If they caught him bending down or with his back to them they would jump on him. The ground was uneven and wet and we were thinking how silly he was to take such unnecessary risks. He just had to slip over and they could have ripped him to bits. It was his choice to be in there and take those risks but we weren’t keen to watch!! I am glad I got to see them. It’s so sad that there is no where safe left in the world for them to live wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 This is another interesting link. http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm Hopefully one day someone can step in and stop them from breeding the whites. A girl we spoke to at Hamilton zoo said that she would like to see the Bengal tigers given to the zoos so a real breeding program could be started. I have had a look at Zions web page and it is full of lies. The say that the white tiger is "endangered" and that it is a rare sub species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze-dragon Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Did you notice all the young white tigers were cross eyed? Where else could they live? all white tigers are cross eyed, if it shows or not. due to all the inbreeding. well they obviously cant be released to live in the wild now, as they are too comfortable around humans. and we agree livingart, no zoo would want to take those tigers even if they weren't white, they were still inbreed. makes me so SO angry what has happened to the "park", if they had just kept with breeding the Barbary lions maybe all this rubbish wouldn't have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 I went there a long long time ago, when they were near kaeo, and it was nice then. They had a small group of lions in a huge fenced grassy enclosure, like a big paddock. I thought it was lovely and they had so much more space than at the zoo. If they'd stuck to that i would have been a big fan, but it seems like so many other things its become too commercialised. The general public is more willing to pay to see 30 big cats in little cages than they would to see one little pride in a big pen, and people pay more to go to zion than the zoo so that they can see those 'rare and endangered' white tigers etc. The owners probably got caught into the catch 22 of thinking more cats = more visitors/$$ to build better pens, when its really more cats = higher overheads/more pens needed cheaply/more corners cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 and lol @ that pic mark, it looks like the person whited out is wearing a cartoon bear suit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 I thought it was the marshmallow man! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 it is the marshmallow man the pic was in a series of photos that showed some not nice activities so i took out the person for possible legal reasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzled Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 I went there a long long time ago, when they were near kaeo, and it was nice then. They had a small group of lions in a huge fenced grassy enclosure, like a big paddock. I thought it was lovely and they had so much more space than at the zoo. If they'd stuck to that i would have been a big fan, but it seems like so many other things its become too commercialised. The general public is more willing to pay to see 30 big cats in little cages than they would to see one little pride in a big pen, and people pay more to go to zion than the zoo so that they can see those 'rare and endangered' white tigers etc. The owners probably got caught into the catch 22 of thinking more cats = more visitors/$$ to build better pens, when its really more cats = higher overheads/more pens needed cheaply/more corners cut The park that was in Waipapa near kerikeri was originally started by a man named Bruce Cornelius, he had a few lions, a baboon and perhaps 1 other big cat. I think from memory they were all ex circus animals. He didn't charge an arm and a leg to get in and the enclosures were bigger and nicer. Unfortunately, Bruce passed away and his widow Mihi passed the animals (and perhaps land, not sure) on to "the lion man" Bruce wanted to give the ex circus animals a better retirement and as far as I am concerned Busch has done the exact opposite. Whilst I would love to experience being so close to those majestic animals I will NEVER set foot in Zion gardens on the sheer principle that busch is a wife and animal beating mongrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze-dragon Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxjxa Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 I read all the links posted in this thread, as well as looking up my own and I feel terrible. My family and I used to watch "The Lion Man" tv series regularly and were all delighted about the new baby white tigers. I can safely say that won't be happening again as we are all against inbreeding - especially when there's no good reason for it! (Looks/Money/Popularity are not good reasons IMO) It makes me feel sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 no one would listen when he was the in thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 We have been told by a lot of people that we are mean and should not be horrible when we say we don't like him. It is surprising how everyone likes him till they do their research and find out what he is actually doing. we have been told a few things by some very gullible people that they have been told by SIR busch (that quite frankly make me laugh) some very ridiculous things that make little sense to people who live in the real world. SIR= seriously intellectually retarded (kinda like the white tigers he breeds) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 there is an old saying 'that if you give a man enough rope he will hang himself' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 I have locked this topic, it is getting to personal in regard to some of the posts, which have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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