Customized Land Rover
Defenders Seat 18 For Busch Gardens' 'Rhino Rally' Adventure
Beginning
April 30, visitors to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Fla. will
be able to climb aboard special, 18-seat Land Rover Defender 110s
for "Rhino Rally," billed as the world's boldest off- road safari
and wild-river adventure. The fully-operating, customized Land
Rovers will take guests on an innovative tour through 16 acres
of the park's world-renowned "Serengeti Plain," giving them a
close-up look at free-roaming rhinoceroses, elephants, Cape buffalo,
crocodiles, zebra, flamingoes and other exotic African species.
"Land Rovers
have been universal symbols for off-road adventure and safari
for over 50 years," said Howard Mosher, president and CEO of Land
Rover North America, Inc. "These fully-operating Defender 110s,
customized in-house by Land Rover, will add greatly to the authenticity
and excitement of the Busch Gardens 'Rhino Rally' experience.
We're proud to be an integral part of the adventure."
Rhino Rally
is an eight-minute or longer, two-part adventure ride that lets
up to 17 guests view more than 100 exotic African animals in an
on-land safari -- that is, before their Land Rover Defender is
swept away in a raging flash of whitewater from which it must
"escape."
"Rhino Rally
cannot be compared to any other attraction in the global theme
park industry," said Mark Rose, vice president of design and engineering
for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. "The up-close animal experiences,
coupled with the Land Rover journey and surprise elements, including
a water ride, make Rhino Rally the most innovative attraction
in the world."
The working
Land Rover Defenders used in the Rhino Rally are modified extensively
to seat up to 17 passengers and one driver. Their 110-inch wheelbases
have been stretched to 147 inches to accommodate the passengers.
Four roof-mounted fog lamps illuminate the terrain of the park's
"Serengeti Plain." A full complement of off-road equipment, including
spare tires, a tire jack, ladders and full brush bars add to the
authenticity of the vehicles.
Snorkels --
elevated air intake mounts attached to many Land Rovers used in
extreme off-road adventures -- allow the vehicle's engine to take
in air during the wild-river portion of the Rhino Rally adventure.
The Defender vehicles, of which 16 were built for Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay's Rhino Rally, were manufactured in the United Kingdom
by Land Rover and modified in-house by Land Rover Special Vehicles,
an operation that builds specialty one-off and fleet vehicles
for individuals and government organizations, including militaries.
Since it opened
in March 1959, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has been a pioneer in wildlife
conservation and preservation. More than two dozen endangered
and threatened exotic species from around the world reside at
the park. In 1965 it became the world's first zoo featuring free-roaming
herds of majestic African species. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is
one of the Anheuser Busch Adventure Parks.
Busch
Gardens safeguards animals from foot-and-mouth
Busch Gardens
of Tampa is taking extraordinary steps to protect its animals
from humans who might be carrying the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease
that is creeping into continental Europe.
The theme
park confirmed Wednesday that it is barring tourists from countries
affected by the virus from getting too close to its animals.
Busch Gardens
won't let them on "safari" tours where people can feed and touch
exotic animals.
The attraction
also is keeping giraffes in its main zoo areas away from places
where the animals come into contact with people.
Busch is the
first major zoo in this country to take such measures against
the disease, which has devastated livestock herds in Britain.
"We're under
a very real threat," spokesman Gerard Hoeppner said. "We have
more international ports than any other state. . . . Our primary
objective is not only to our guests but to ensure the health and
well-being of our animals."
Others zoos
so far aren't following suit, though they're closely monitoring
the situation, said Jane Ballentine, spokeswoman for the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Disney World's
Animal Kingdom doesn't let tourists come in contact with its animals,
except in a small petting zoo. The 500-acre park, home to 1,000
animals, has a safari ride, but guests aren't allowed to touch
or feed the animals.
"We don't
believe that extra precautions are warranted, but obviously we
reserve the right to change that should the United States Department
of Agriculture or the American Zoo and Aquarium Association issue
further precautions," Disney spokeswoman Diane Ledder said.
Like many
zoos, Animal Kingdom takes standard precautions to protect its
animals from disease, such as requiring employees to wear protective
footwear and placing all new animals in quarantine for up to 30
days.
Although not
dangerous to humans, foot-and-mouth is deadly for livestock and
highly contagious, capable of being spread even by wind. The disease
afflicts cloven-hoofed animals, from cattle, sheep and pigs to
antelopes, elephants and giraffes.
Contagion
spreads in Europe
Earlier this
month, the United States ordered a temporary ban on imports of
livestock and fresh meat from the European Union, following reports
of outbreaks of the disease in France and Britain, where thousands
of animals are being destroyed.
On Wednesday,
Netherlands officials confirmed that four cows there had been
infected.
Customs officials
have redoubled inspections of Europeans traveling to the United
States, though there have been no outbreaks in this country.
In Florida,
prevention efforts have concentrated on Sanford and Orlando airports,
which are among main ports of entry for travelers from Europe,
state officials said. Miami and Tampa are also under increased
oversight.
Busch Gardens
said the park's precautionary steps began Friday and will continue
indefinitely.
Customers,
including Americans, who have visited the United Kingdom, France
and South America within five days are being asked not to take
a safari tour. Scientists think the disease can be carried in
humans' nasal-passage tissue for as many as five days.
All but two
South American countries, Chile and Uruguay, have detected cases
of the virus, and beef exports from Argentina have been suspended.
Busch Gardens'
most popular tour, The Serengeti Safari Tour, takes 100 people
a day. So far, only four customers have been turned away. They
were offered preferred seating in shows and special access to
the park's rides.
Busch Gardens'
sister park, SeaWorld Orlando, which is owned by Busch Entertainment,
said it isn't concerned. Its Clydesdale horses aren't affected
by foot-and-mouth, and three pigs in an animal show don't come
into close contact with humans.
Officials
at Green Meadows Farm, a petting farm in Osceola, and Central
Florida Zoo said they also weren't taking any special precautions.
Orlando
Sentinel
* Please
note - Foot & Mouth is not deadly for animals as stated
here. Affected livestock are more prone to infections, and their
productivity is reduced, but it is not a fatal disease. Livestock
here in the UK is being culled to prevent the spread of foot and
mouth - Joanne
Busch Gardens
is now operating a round-trip shuttle service from several
locations in Central Florida. There are 5 luxury coaches, each
accommodates 47 passengers & is air-conditioned, with video
entertainment. There are 5 different routes from 40 hotels in
central Florida, and also - Mercado Shopping Village, Kissimmee
Old Town Shopping Village, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Lake Buena
Vista Factory Outlet Mall. The shuttle costs $5 per person, but
is free to holders of the 5-Park Orlando Flex Ticket. The shuttle
picks up at 8am & 10:15am, & returns to Orlando at 5pm,
6pm, & 8pm. Reservations are recommended, & are required
for groups of six or more, call 800 - 511-2450.
Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay Sets New Zoological Standard With Enhanced Serengeti
Plain Animal Attraction
Stars of
Riverdance: The Show Drive Final "Golden" Railroad Spikes During
Dedication Ceremony
TAMPA, Fla.-
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay dedicated a dramatically enhanced 29-acre
portion of its Serengeti Plain animal attraction today, reopening
the one-of-a-kind habitat after more than nine months of renovation.
The Serengeti
Plain enhancement offers guests incredible, up-close encounters
with hundreds of exotic African animals. Performers from Riverdance:
The Show, the internationally acclaimed celebration of Irish music,
song and dance, participated in the park’s "Golden Spike" dedication,
stepping the final spikes of the attraction’s Serengeti Express
Railway into the ground during a signature dance. The performers
visited Busch Gardens while in Tampa as part of a United States
tour.
The attraction,
home to giraffes, zebra, gazelle, bongo, eland, impala, addax,
ostriches, and other African species, highlights majestic views
from its Serengeti Express Railway, Skyride, Serengeti Safari
truck tour and a number of adjacent walkways.
The enhanced
Serengeti blends portions of the Plain’s eastern and western habitats
into its southern acreage adjacent to the Edge of Africa animal
attraction, creating one seamless, 29-acre environment.
During the
dedication, park General Manager Robin Carson reaffirmed Busch
Gardens’ commitment to designing and maintaining world-class animal
habitats and offering guests memorable, up-close animal experiences.
"When
the Serengeti Plain opened 35 years ago, Busch Gardens set a new
standard in the way guests could experience African animals,"
Carson said. "This new Serengeti environment’s unparalleled combination
of rolling landscapes, elevated terrain, and seemingly barrier-free
views immerse guests even more intimately into the wonders of
the African savanna."
Additions
to the new environment include expansive berms, the largest of
which is four acres; tiered and open landscapes covered with native
and African grasses, scrub trees and shrubs; rock outcroppings
and bluffs replicating natural formations; and naturalistic creek
beds and mud banks. The Plain features nearly 700 trees including
26 species of Acacia, 7,000 shrubs such as Cape Honeysuckle and
Burgundy Fringe Flower, and more than 21,000 short and tall grasses.
A number of bamboos including Arrowleaf and Henon Timber also
cover the acreage. More than 150 species of vegetation are represented.
"The
Serengeti’s meticulous design including expansive landscaping,
diverse topography and hundreds of animals, provides unforgettable
animal encounters for our guests and affords our animals incredibly
naturalistic habitats," Carson said. In addition to landscape
enhancements, a new behind-the-scenes 3,600-square-foot giraffe
barn has been constructed and connected to a 10,000-square-foot
habitat designed for additional animal care. The habitat also
features an off-view 6,000-square-foot hoofstock habitat.
Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay Announces New Attraction Blending Bold Off-Road Safari
With Wild River Adventure
TAMPA, Fla.-
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will redefine ‘real’ adventure in spring
2001 with Rhino Rally, an off-road safari river adventure through
the wilds of Africa. Rhino Rally will blend up-close animal encounters
with an unpredictable off-road safari competition that ends with
a raging river thrill ride. Busch Gardens’ guests braving Rhino
Rally will be recruited from mere spectators into 17-member team
"ralliers" to challenge Africa’s Serengeti region and compete
for the world’s ultimate off-road trophy. While traversing a rugged,
sparsely-marked "course" in free-driving Land Rover vehicles,
rally teams will stray into encounters with elephants, white rhinos,
antelope, alligators, cape buffalo, warthogs and other exotic
African species.
As competitors
trek across the 16-acre attraction’s hazardous regions, the adventure
abruptly shifts from splashing through a washed-out riverbed to
facing a terrifying flash flood. Clinging to the edges of a washed-out
pontoon bridge section, the vehicles and crews spiral down a turbulent
river.
"Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay is crossing a new frontier in entertainment with Rhino
Rally which will combine the many adventures our park offers into
one unforgettable off-road safari competition," said Robin Carson,
executive vice president and general manager of Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay.
"We have designed
this totally unique attraction to incorporate up-close animal
encounters and a raging river thrill ride in a way guests have
never seen or experienced." Before boarding their off-road Land
Rover vehicles, adorned with sponsorship graphics, drivers choose
guest "navigators" assigned to keep ralliers on course. Teams
then plunge into the wilds of the Serengeti in their vehicles,
unaware of the thrills that await them.
Seconds into
the eight-minute rally, any thoughts of finishing quickly suddenly
shift to finishing at all. An unexplored route steers teams directly
into a majestic group of Asian elephants, seen from above and
below, as the herd circles around vehicles passing by on the undulating
course.
Drivers press
on, maneuvering over a massive plain traversed by gazelle, zebra,
antelope and hundreds of other hoofed animals. As the terrain
intensifies, vehicles grind through watering holes and mud wallows.
Ralliers then cross dry riverbeds inhabited by endangered white
rhinos, carefully maneuvering around the 2-ton inhabitants while
struggling to follow the sporadic course. Before escaping the
area, competitors discover an imposing group of alligators wading
in a large watering hole which the vehicles must cross.
Safe haven
of the finish line awaits down one side of a fork in the road
which team drivers fail to choose in lieu of an alleged "short
cut." Instead, an unmarked course and teeming rain blurs the route
until ralliers spot a small pontoon bridge. Driver hesitation
on the bridge proves catastrophic as a thunderous flash flood
catapults down the river, ripping the bridge from its moorings.
What began as an off-road adventure ends as a fight for survival
aboard an out-of-control slab of bridge hurtling down a river.
While still
in their vehicles, teams are shot through a narrow canyon and
doused by a waterfall before the tattered pontoon structure snags
on a collapsed bridge. A fleeting window of escape allows drivers
to regain control long enough to flee the raging river. Ralliers
safely cross yet another suspicious bridge, the final obstacle
to their finish line triumph.
Rhino Rally
Fact Sheet
TYPE OF ATTRACTION
- Rhino Rally will transport guests aboard an off-road adventure
through the wilds of Africa, blending up-close animal encounters
with an unpredictable safari competition ending in a raging river
thrill ride.
ELEMENTS -
Internationally-themed rally plaza Rally driver team characters;
Off-road safari course through remote African terrain; Five distinct
animal habitats; Raging river thrill ride aboard a washed out
pontoon bridge; 16-passenger free-driving vehicles manufactured
by Land Rover and covered with sponsorship logos
ANIMALS -
Asian elephants, cape buffalo, white rhinoceros, alligators, antelope,
zebra, warthogs, gazelle, wildebeest, flamingoes and hundreds
of hoofed animals.
DURATION -
Approximately 8 minutes
SIZE/LOCATION
- 16-acre attraction on the western portion of the Serengeti Plain
OPENING -
Spring 2001
CAPACITY -
Approximately 1,600 guests per hour
