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I havent seen mention of it here, but have on FB, that Tiger Island will also be getting a refurb/remodelling as the park moves away from keeper interaction with the tigers - i.e no longer doing presentations etc. If that is the case, and its basically set to be become a zoo exhibit, then for mine they may as well get rid of it. Tiger Island since day one was about the interaction between tigers and handlers visible to the public, about understanding their natural instincts and behaviours in the wild (as much as possible in a controlled setting). If what we are getting is just a couple of tigers sitting in a smaller location than what is current, i'd be done with it and use the land for better purpose - and thats coming from someone who LOVES tigers.
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Dreamworld has lost its “tiger king”, with the shock departure of the man who set up the Gold Coast theme park’s iconic Tiger Island attraction more than a quarter of a century ago. Patrick Martin-Vegue left the park earlier this month after being made redundant following 27 years in the job. The world-renowned tiger expert was poached from the US in 1995 to set up Dreamworld’s Tiger Island attraction, which quickly became one of Queensland’s top tourism drawcards. His sudden departure has rocked current and former staff amid concerns the theme park is focusing more on its rides than its animal attractions after being slammed by the pandemic and the 2016 Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy in which four tourists died. Dreamworld was recently embroiled in controversy when it was revealed the park’s owners, Ardent Leisure, had “repurposed” almost $3 million in taxpayer funds earmarked for a major koala research facility for its new $32 million Steel Taipan rollercoaster. “There’s been concern for a while at the direction of the park,” a Dreamworld insider said. “They’re so focused on the rides that they’ve forgotten about the animals. They don’t even have an in-house vet.” The park has lost several experienced animal staff in recent years, including respected former life sciences manager Al Mucci and two tiger handlers. It’s understood the park’s next most senior handler, Simon Murray, only recently returned to work after being injured in an incident on Tiger Island. Dreamworld is believed to have recently hired three rookie tiger handlers and insiders say there are concerns about how Tiger Island will be managed with the loss of Mr Martin-Vegue. Arden Leisure chairman Gary Weiss told The Courier-Mail last month that Dreamworld could have shut permanently or been sold off at a “knockdown price” as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the company’s bottom line. “They were very dark days for us,” Dr Weiss said, adding that only a $67 million lifeline from the Palaszczuk Government and federal JobKeeper payments had saved the park. Mr Martin-Vegue was the face of Tiger Island, one of only two interactive tiger exhibits in the world when it opened. Over the years, he oversaw the arrival of a series of new Bengal and Sumatran tiger cubs born in captivity at Dreamworld as well as adult tigers brought from other zoos in Australia and overseas as part of worldwide conservation and breeding programs. A Dreamworld spokeswoman confirmed Mr Martin-Vegue was “no longer with the business and we wish him the best with his future endeavours”. “Tiger Island continues to operate as normal and long-standing Tiger Island supervisor Simon (Murray) has been promoted to a senior supervisor role,” she said. Originally published as Shock as Dreamworld loses man behind Tiger Island attraction
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Dreamworld's new tiger cubs have arrived and are able to be viewed by the public, although they seem very sleepy. The Tiger Cubs are available in a group session that goes for 20 minutes where you are able to get close to the tigers and have photos taken. This comes at a 140 dollar price tag. They can be seen near the end of pandemonium and the tiger island shop. This comes after Dreamworld introduced the "get close" to the tigers experience where guests can get close to the tigers through a glass wall experience. This sounds like a report but oh well
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Get up-close to our majestic tigers in this spell-binding and romantic star-lit setting while enjoying a sumptuous three-course meal and three-hour premium beverage package. Other highlights include an exclusive tiger presentation and a special gift for each couple. 3 COURSE DINNER MENU: Entrée: Antipasto and seafood plater for two: prawns, oysters, Moreton-Bay bugs, smoked Salmon, prosciutto, salami, chorizo, pickled vegetables and assorted artisan breads. Mains: Roasted beef tenderloin, potato rosti, wilted baby spinach, carrot puree and horseradish jus or Baked Atlantic salmon, wild rice, bok-choy, roasted cauliflower and lemon butter sauce. Dessert: Assorted selection of petit fours and pastries for two. 3 HOUR PREMIUM BEVERAGE PACKAGE: Wine: Venue D’Argent NV, Kapuka Sauvignon Blanc, St Hallet Gamekeepers Shiraz. Beer: Boags Light, Peroni Leggera, Corona, Peroni Nastro. Soft options: Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Lemonade, Solo, Cool Ridge water, orange juice. Spirits: available on cash basis. By attending this special evening, you will also be supporting the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation as a portion of all tickets sold and 10% of all merchandise sold in Tiger Bazaar, will be donated to DWF.
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http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/06/21/426411_gold-coast-news.html