ointing at the handy map and concierge being helpful as ever, we were off!After getting lost a few times, no, really, the poor driver had to get directions from various people and turn around a few times, we made it to the destination, Harbin's Siberian Tiger Park.
While purchasing a ticket for the bus ride through the park, I noticed that you could buy various live animals, from chickens to cows to be feed for your entertainment to the Tigers. A domestic duck was 100 yuan, or about $15 dollars and a cow was 1,500 yuan, or about $238.
I did not have 1,500 yuan on me. Bugger.
But I did get to see what happens when you release a bird to 30 tigers, via someone else's purchase, but more on that later.
Ticket in hand, I made way to the waiting building which had various tourist trinket
s in one area, and a tiger 'exhibit' in the other, with skeleton and skeleton with bits of tendons etc still attached to it, preserved in fluid.English use! Ah, Americans! They had worked out whom to pay to get your photo taken while holding a baby tiger on your lap. I was tempted, but the poor little bugger looked a bit shellshocked at being manhandled so much, plus I still couldn't work out where to pay for the experience.
Eventually, my ticket number came up and we were herded onto a bus to be taken through the park. Now, as I later found out, there were two types of buses on the park, one sort had metal mesh inside so you could have the windows open and stick your cameras out. The other sort had no mesh, and the windows remained shut.
So, the windows on the bus were completely covered in ice from the inside a
nd we spent the first 5 minutes of the tour furiously trying to scrape off the ice, or use your hands to warm it up to water and wipe it off. This was a battle you had to fight for the entire tour, and given ice also started to form on the outside, it wasn't the best view.Still, when the image of a tiger came through your blurry little view hole, it was just about worth it. The parklands themselves are fenced in, and compartmentalised quite a bit so while the tigers do get some space, you do see the bulk of the moving ones just pacing up and down the fences.
Oddly, no doubt to increase the appeal for what they have, there was even some who had their own field out in the snow. I wouldn't know if they can insulate themselves against the cold, but it just seemed wrong.
Near the end of the bus tour, we stopped and I think one of the cars that roam the enclosures must have released a live something. As the tigers started roaring and everyone ran to the front of the minibus to see what was going. If you were seated from the middle of the bus back, you'd have no chance of seeing what happened as some of the more 'pro gear' camera guys were very pushy. I was near the very back.
Still, bus tour ended we were directed to a series of elevated walkways, that wound around some pens housing tigers, as well as a lion, a cheetah, a jaguar and a panther. Needless to say, still bummed about the small spaces for these animals and the cold they had to be in.
The walkways were fully caged and you were given the opportunity to buy some meat to feed to the tigers that happened to be close. Fully stretched up a tiger could just touch the meat and so we all got shots of the tiger doing so, though through heavy fencing.
Most people continued on through the walkways as they wound around and to the exit. However I went up some stairs to the platforms where it wasn't caged and you could then way out to a platform over one of the larger fields full of tigers. I spent ages up there, got some really good shots and the tigers had much more space to play with. I saw other tour buses go through and eventually a bus came up with a armoured car behind it.
The tigers were suddenly interested and crowded the car, the guy opened his door to shoo them off and then released a duck into their midst. The duck must have had it's wings clipped but it made a good go of flying off, almost making it to the roof of the tour bus, with about 30 tigers just pawing at it and the bus. Now that would have been exciting to be inside!
Eventually it just could not make it and fell back into the pack of tigers and a tiger emerged victorious with a meal.
A little later another duck was released and this one had less time to live as the tigers got it much quicker, with again, a single one running off with a meal. On the other side of the platform was another field and a busload there got to see a bird released, this one made it all the way to the tree line, close to the platform, before it succumbed.
I must have been up there for a hour, it was the best way to see the tigers with out a doubt. The buses would probably be a better way during the summer time, as I imagine the park comes alive then too.
Plus you can see out of them then.
Back into the car park area, there was a globe of the earth showing where the park was, two themed parks where one had a 'fun' tiger kids theme, and the other was a more somber themed one, more educational I'd imagine.
A video screen was playing showing a documentary with subtitles about the park, and it was only as I was about to leave did the end credits show who produced it. It was a Foreign Correspondent from 2007 produced by our very own ABC.
It can be found here http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/video_archive_2007.htm I think.
All up the park was so-so, the animals are magnificent and were great to see, but like with most zoos, you're half thrilled to see them, half bummed out they're there. But as per the Lonely Planet book mentions, the park is doing a good job at breeding these rare tigers, so maybe it's for the best until things improve in the wild.
Worth a visit for sure.
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