Some parents like to shower their children with physical toys and gifts. I like to share experiences with the hope that the kid will take something from it and pay it forward to someone or something else.

During the summer, we grabbed our annual passes and drove up the road to Busch Gardens Tampa. Busch Gardens is a zoo and amusement park all in one. Its two of our favorite things to do and at times, we spend more hours with the animals than on the rollercoasters.

For part of the teenager’s birthday celebration, we added on the tiger insider program for the day. The Tiger Insider tour gives guests the opportunity to go behind the scenes into the Malayan and Bengal tigers habitats. The tiger keepers taught us how they care, train and work with the six tigers at Busch Gardens Tampa every day. We even got to see the tigers up close!

The Tiger Insider tour is just one of many ways to learn more about the wildlife that calls Busch Gardens home. In addition to just viewing the animals there are tours (which is what we did) and animal encounters. The animal encounter options at Busch Gardens in Tampa are:

1. Animal Feeding Opportunities
2. Animal Care Center
3. Animal Connections

Here visitors can hand-feed some feathered & furry friends throughout the park or observe animal care first-hand in this state-of-the-art facility. We actually also got to see the doctors giving physical therapy to an injured hawk. We were told that the hawk was brought in from being hit on the highway. The hawk had surgery the previous day and was approved to begin rehabilitation. This is something you wouldn’t normally be able to partake. Such an amazing opportunity for someone like the teenager who wants to be a veterinarian. Other type of available tours are penguin, elephants, cheetah, and a few more.

If you have a chance to experience any of the animal encounters, I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as we did.

~knh