Swimming With Tigers
20 Oct
One of those things which always turns up on various ’50 things to do before you die’ lists is swimming with Dolphins but that is just so last year. This year it’s all about swimming with Tigers.
A centre in Miami called The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or TIGERS has trained it’s tame tigers to swim with people in a specially designed pool. Personally I prefer the idea of swimming with Tigers to swimming with Dolphins, those smiles creep me out. Having said that I would worry that I might end up being little more than a light snack and a gory video clip on Youtube.
Bhagavan Antle, the Director of TIGERS has said:
“At the institute we feel that swimming with the big cats gives them a closer bond between the animal and their human companions. We found that in the water people and tigers were on a more equal footing when the tiger was swimming around on the top.”
wow. cats hate water. but these tigers don’t hate water.
amazing.~~:-)
Beautiful tigers swimming in a pool, seems harmless right?
Not so. The DR, is recognized as one of the top for breeding, but he is not a part of any recognized species survival program. We already have thousands of tigers (and some go unwanted year after year) here in the US. So what is he breeding for.? To use the tigers as entertainment and not conservation. He uses baby tigers season after season while his growing number of adults are behind the scenes. Notice the white, the tabby, the lighter orange tigers often made by poor genes/inbreeding. At a time in which we need to protect and save the tiger, exploitation like this is sending there wrong message and I would bank on the money the “DR.”, makes is not going to saving the wild tiger, but to further his own business. This is a short video on the tiger cub business.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9AJVnw8tY
i always use Swimming as may daily exercise, it is much better than jogging and running,”‘
WOW! This is something I have to do. I have swam with dolphins but this takes it to a whole new level.
Brian you are completely wrong! The color of the animals (such as the golden tabby!) are not the result of poor breeding! Those are real breeds of tigers and you don’t know that because they are very rare! These people are conserving these types of tigers that are becoming instinct. Get your facts right before you say hurtful things. Oh and i’ve been to this place (partly why i know this) and im sorry to say that you only get to actually swim with these amazing animals if you work at the Preservation Station. If you are just there visiting you observe the trainers swimming with the tigers.
Yes, Brain, you are completely wrong! John is right the beautiful golden tabby tigers are just very rare and are not from bad breeding! They need to be conserved as the beautiful animals they are. This reserve is a truly wonderful place where the trainers bond and help the public to gain more knowledge to conserve these animals. Thank you John for your comment! which is very true. Yes,John is also right. I have been to this preserve (it was so amazing, and experience you will never forget. The land was gorgeous and the animals-breathtaking and i am a lover of animals) but you cannot swim with the tigers. That is a privilege of the trainers. You only observe the brilliance throught a specially designed see-through pool. The trainers are specially trained to be able to do this and live with the animals, it may be dangerous for people to swim with the animals because they don’t know about them. This place is absolutely wonderful and I love it. I Want to go back again!
Oh, Lee, yes most cats do hate water. But it is different for tigers. (They are big cats though!) They are known for loving water and taking swims to cool down in the wild. So swimming in these pools is very enjoyable for them.
And just for your further knowledge, lions don’t like water! And they are also in the big cat family with the tigers. Ironic, huh?