Another white lion born in Subic Freeport

Another white lion was born at the Zoobic Safari animal theme park here recently, the third time that such birth was recorded in this free port.

Zoobic Safari owner Robert Yupangco said the white lion was born last April 3 and is now one and a half months old.

The lion cub was named Christian Amando as a tribute to former Zoobic Safari staff Christian Hon, who died before its birth, and Australian ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely, who visited the theme park recently.

Currently, Christian Amando consumes some 72 ounces of kitten milk replacer (KMR) every day to complete the prescribed food for nursing kittens.

Yupangco said that lion cubs need supplemental feeding after being breastfed by their mothers for the first three days. They also need colostrum for strengthening of their immune system.

“If ever, Christian Amando will be the first white lion bottle-feed survivor,” said Noe Pasilan, the park’s zoology supervisor, who helped deliver the cub at Zoobic Safari.

Amando’s parents, Tisay and JB, both came from a white lion family imported from the Middle East.

The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion. They were thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was in 1938.

White lions in the area of Timbavati are of the same subspecies as the tawny Southeast African lion (Panthera leo krugeri) found in some wildlife reserves in South Africa, and in zoological parks around the world.

Until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced into the wild, it was widely believed that the white lion could not survive in the natural environment. It is for this reason that a large part of the population of white lions now reside in zoos. (Camille Pelagio/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO
Christian Amando, a white lion cub born at Zoobic Safari in the Subic Bay Freeport and the first white lion cub to be bottle-fed by animal keepers at the park, sucks on the finger of a visitor. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

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Zoobic reopens famous night safari

The animal theme park Zoobic Safari has again opened one of its famous attractions, the Night Safari, at this premier Freeport on Saturday.

The Night Safari will give tourists a glimpse of how animals interact during night time. Zoomanity Group President and CEO Robert Yupangco led tourists and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials to a tour around the facility.

Howls and growls were the first greetings tourists got during their tour. The growling intensified during the Tiger Safari where they rode a reinforced jeepney inside a tiger enclosure.

“It was quite exhilarating to see tigers with their eyes glowing in the dark. Our guide even fed them, putting them face to face with us,” said SBMA Chairman Martin B. Diño who took part of the tour.

Aside from the Tiger Safari, they were also treated to a Greyhound Walk were they tried to maneuver themselves across a woodland path being led by greyhounds. Bred for races, these greyhounds are now guides at night here.

After a brisk walk, visitors were treated to a presentation by Aetas as they told how important the preservation of the environment is to humanity. They also told how they talked to the trees and the animals, showing that both humans and animals can coexist in nature.

Animals were also paraded to tourists while fire dancers and musicians rocked the crowd during a stage play at the amphitheater of the theme park. Workers of the theme park themselves performed live, teaching how to take care of the environment.

“It really is a wonderful experience, it does not only give you a thrilling ride, but will also teach you the importance of eco-preservation,” Diño stated.

The night safari is held only during Saturday nights and is open to everybody. Yupangco said that this is the time that many predators hunt and display their skills. He added that Night Safari has been an annual event, stressing that is a one-of-a-kind event in the country. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

Photo:
Zoomanity Group President Robert Yupangco with SBMA Chairman Martin Dino together with Ms. Tourism candidates as they feed a very rare white tiger cub during Night Safari. Chairman Dino highly recommends Night Safari as a must try unique experience in Subic.

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White tigers born in Subic theme park

Two tiger cubs are now the stars of the show in an animal theme park here: the first white tigers to be born in captivity at Zoobic Safari, one of the most popular tourist attractions in this premier free port.

According to Veterinary Doctor Cherique Favor-Smith, Titan and Apollo, both males, were born on March 16 at Zoobic Safari’s veterinary clinic and are currently in good health.

(Clockwise from left) [1] Titan, one of two white tigers born in Subic last month, is carried by an animal

caretaker at the Zoobic Safari in Subic Bay Freeport. [2] Apollo and Titan, two white tigers cubs born in
captivity last month, are now the stars of the show of the theme park. [3] Apollo sleeps peacefully under the
watch of veterinarian Dr. Cherique Favor-Smith.

The newly-born white tigers are part of a pack that consists of only three other adult white tigers. Currently, there are more than 40 Bengal tigers inside Zoobic Safari, and only five are white.

According to Smith, white tigers are usually born in captivity and the color of their fur is not an abnormality.

Both Titan and Apollo, she added, are products of inbreeding, with parents Icy and Snowy, female and male, respectively. The result was the two cute balls of fur.

The other white tiger in the pack is Mate, who was also donated by a prince from the United Arab Emirates.

The so-called white tiger is a pigmentation variant of the Bengal tiger, which is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Sunderbans, and especially in the former State of Rewa.

The white Bengal tigers are distinctive due to the color of their fur, which is caused by the lack of the pigment pheomelanin, which gives the orange fur color of the Bengal tigers.

Compared to the ordinary Bengal tigers, the white Bengals tend be somewhat bigger at birth and as fully grown adults, grow faster and heavier.

Animal experts consider white Bengal tigers to be fully grown when they are two to three years of age. White male tigers reach weights of 200 to 230 kilograms and can grow up to three meters long.

As with all tigers, the white Bengal tiger’s stripes are like fingerprints, with no two tigers having the same pattern. The stripes of the tiger are a pigmentation of the skin; if an individual were to be shaved, its distinctive coat pattern would still be visible. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

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WATCH: 'Ligers' and 'Tiglons' at Zoobic Safari

This most visited tourist destination in Central Luzon will likely capture more curious visitors and animal lovers with the arrival here of four specimens of two "new” breeds of big cats, the so-called “ligers” and “tiglons.”

View @ SBMA's official Youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gaM5R55FnY

Read More: http://subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2015/06/exotic-breeds-of-big-cats-are-subic.html

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Exotic breeds of big cats are Subic theme park’s new residents

This most visited tourist destination in Central Luzon will likely capture more curious visitors and animal lovers with the arrival here of four specimens of two "new” breeds of big cats, the so-called “ligers” and “tigons.”

The Zoobic Safari theme park, which already houses various exotic animals from all over the world, welcomed on Friday the new residents who were flown in from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the new attractions at Zoobic Safari will tremendously boost tourism in the Freeport, as they are reputed to be among the few specimens in the country today.

“There are really lots of new things to see and experience in Subic,” he said. “Now, we have rare animals that you can only see in just a few places in the world, and Subic is one of them.”

According to Dr. Norilyn Molleno, the resident veterinarian at Zoobic Safari, ten crates of animals arrived on Thursday by plane from the UAE. The crates contained three lions, three lionesses, and the new breeds—two “ligers” and two “tigons”, all about two years old on the average.

Molleno explained that “ligers” are offsprings of a male lion and a female tiger, while tigons are crossbreeds of a male tiger and a female lion.

“They also have names. The tigons are ‘Togo’ and ‘Baby,’ while the ligers are ‘Neema’ and ‘Princess’,” she said.

Ligers may weigh up from 800 to 1,000 kilograms in adulthood at about three years old. They are bigger than the tigons, which weigh only from 500 to 800 kilograms. But both are bigger, however, than purebred tigers and lions.

Molleno added that the big cats are donations from a sheikh in the UAE who wishes to remain anonymous.

The sheikh donated the animals to Zoobic Safari in Subic for educational purposes, but only after confirming that the facility has the capability to handle and take good care of the animals.

“Accidental crossbreeding happens in the wild, and it is a good idea that the public should know that it is possible to happen,” she said, adding that these animals need facilities to house them.

The lady veterinarian added that Subic is lucky to have the animals since they could easily adapt to the local environment, which has almost the same temperature as that of the Middle East.

Two years ago, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum also donated lions and lionesses for the theme park, which are now among the major attractions here.

Zoobic Safari is located in the 25-hectare Forest Adventure Park at the former Naval Magazine area of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The theme park houses the Zoobic Park, a two-hectare forest full of exotic, wild and semi-domesticated animals in their simulated natural habitat; Savannah, a wildlife sanctuary that contains ostriches, potbellies, wild boars, and guinea fowls; and Tiger Safari, a closed area of full-grown tigers on the loose. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] A “liger,” which is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger, lets out a roar before emerging from the crate during its arrival at the Zoobic Safari theme park in Subic Bay Freeport on Friday. Two “ligers” and two “tigons”, along with six lions, were donated by a sheikh from the United Arab Emirates, and will be part of the theme park’s “Kings of the Jungle” exhibit. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] “Neema,” one of two ligers that arrived at the Zoobic Safari theme park in Subic Bay Freeport on Friday, is coached into its pen at the park. Two “ligers” and two “tigons”, along with six lions, were donated by a sheikh from the United Arab Emirates, and will be part of the theme park’s “Kings of the Jungle” exhibit. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Zoobic Safari opens zipline ride through tiger den

Zoobic Safari, a theme park in the Subic Bay Freeport that is famous for its menagerie of tigers and other wild animals, has opened a zipline ride that takes you over a den of tigers.

Aptly named as Kamikazoo, the heart-stopping 130-meter ride puts tourists inside a metal capsule hanging on a zipline that slowly makes its way above a den of tigers.

The extraordinary ride, apparently the first of its kind in the world, opened here on Saturday as the latest attraction in the popular park.

According to park owner Engr. Robert Yupangco, the metal capsule has a capacity of eight persons and will have dressed chickens dangling on the side of the cage to attract the tigers. From a height of 10 meters, the capsule will drop down to about one foot from the ground.

“Watch as the tigers try to eat the chicken from the sides of the cage. This will test the courage of those taking the ride,” Yupangco pointed out.

Aside from the zipline, Zoobic Safari has other attractions that will keep tourists occupied and entertained during their stay here, like the famous Tiger Safari where visitors ride a truck with metal grilles around an enclosure filled with tigers.

Other attractions include a serpentarium, petting zoo, and “Croco Loco” which features a pit full of crocodiles.

The safari also has the only black camel in the country, and pigmy donkeys that can only be found here.

Yupangco said despite the wild attractions, the company assures that safety of their visitors is their utmost concern. He said that there are emergency response teams standing by in every ride, and first aid outposts are found around the facility.

With the influx of tourists coming to Subic Bay Freeport this summer, it's no wonder that Zoobic Safari has found a great number of audience to educate and instil in them the concept of wildlife conservation. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Zoomanity Group COO Delia de Jesus is joined by newscaster Mario Dumawal (right) in the ceremonial cutting of ribbon to formally launch the “Kamikazoo” zipline capsule ride, the latest attraction at the Zoobic Safari theme park in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] Visitors hover above a tiger enclosure while taking the “Kamikazoo” zipline capsule ride, the latest attraction at the Zoobic Safari theme park in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which opened last Saturday. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Zip through the tigers, Zoobic dares visitors

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Zoobic Safari has opened a zipline cage that takes visitors over a den of tigers, the first ever in the world to have this kind of ride.

Aptly named as Kamikazoo – a play on kamikaze, the Japanese term for suicide aerial attacks – the heart-stopping 130-meter ride puts tourists inside an enclosure made of metal that resembles a cage then
slowly zips them through a den of tigers.

Owner Robert Yupangco said the metal capsule has a capacity of eight persons and will have dressed chickens dangling on the cage’s side. From a height of 10 meters, the capsule will drop down to about one feet from the ground. “This will test the bravery of the tourists,” he added.

Aside from the zipline, Zoobic Safari has so many attractions that will keep tourists occupied and entertained.

The theme park also has the only black camel in the country, and pigmy donkeys that can only be found here.

The company has ensured that safety is its utmost concern, adding that there are emergency response teams on standby in every ride. First aid outposts are also found around the facility. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
A group of tourists ziplines through a den of tigers at the Zoobic Safari in Subic Bay Freeport. Kamikazoo, the newest attraction in Zoobic Safari, puts tourists inside an enclosure that ziplines thru a den of tigers. (Jonas Reyes)

http://www.mb.com.ph/zip-through-the-tigers-zoobic-dares-visitors/

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Subic gears up for summer sports crowd

Subic Bay is now gearing up for the summer crowd with tourist spots enhancing the fun factor with not just the usual leisure amenities but hardcore sports facilities, as well.

One of the many great tourist destinations here is the Zoobic Safari. Tigers, lions, crocodiles, and other exotic wildlife are found at the facility, making the experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see animals that are not endemic in the country. A ride on a caged jeepney lets you peek into the tigers’ habitat as they roam around in an enclosed area.

Another great place to go to in Subic is the Ocean Adventure Marine theme park. Dolphins, sea lions and other aquatic animals will entertain you while educating you on the importance of wildlife preservation.

And if thrill is what you’re seeking, then you could always go to Tree Top Adventure. Tree Top Adventure boasts of having the first motorized zipline in Asia, making sure that safety is the facility’s number one concern.

But in recent years, Subic’s many beautiful beaches are attracting more and more health buffs with major triathlon events held here. Camayan Beach Resort for one has been the area for the country’s prestigious triathlon event Yellow Cab Challenge Philippines.

International triathletes were at awe over the pristine waters of Subic Bay and vowed to return to the area next time Yellow Cab Challenge Philippines is held here. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
SPORTS TOURISM — Local and international triathletes hit the water in Subic Bay at the recent 2015 Yellow Cab Challenge Philippines Subic-Bataan. Subic Bay Freeport is poised to become the triathlon capital of the country, assuring that sports tourism is alive here. (Jonas Reyes)

http://www.mb.com.ph/subic-gears-up-for-summer-sports-crowd/

More photos:

A maintenance worker plows through a heap of fallen leaves during a clean-up drive by the SBMA Maintenance Department at the Mini-Golf Course in the central business district of the Subic Bay Freeport on Friday (March 6). The clean-up project is in anticipation of the influx of tourists this summer. (Jun Dumaguing)

Participants in the “Century Tuna Superbods Underpants Run” start the two-kilometer run at the Remy Field in the Subic Bay Freeport on Saturday morning (March 7). (Jun Dumaguing)

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Zoobic, saving wildlife inside the Freeport’s ‘Noah’s Ark’

Subic Bay Freeport, Zambales — A tiger’s roar can be heard occasionally, breaking the buzz of people rushing to the entrance of one of the newest attractions in Subic. Once inside, there’s a feel like one has traveled across continents to this jungle book-come-alive.

A visitor tells her company, “It feels like we’re not in Subic anymore,” perhaps because even the musky scent tells her she’s moving into the wild which no amount of perfume can conceal.

Then, the initial view of animal after animal — not the ones commonly seen in stretches of farmlands on a long drive to the provinces; but a collection of really wild species of animals completely foreign, except perhaps for he pot-bellied pigs.

Here, where the animal kingdom is well represented amid a landscape of diverse fauna, any man will easily second guess his top spot in the food chain.

For in this modern Noah’s Ark, the animals are the priority. With preservation in mind, this beautiful enclosure for animals is not only for entertainment, but education as well.

Aptly called Zoobic Safari, the area boasts of a biodiversity as well as an area that spans thousands of hectares of rainforest inside this premier Freeport zone.

THE “ZOOMANITARIAN”

The area was conceptualized by businessman Robert Yupangco, who takes pride in being a “Filipino Zoomanitarian.”

Yupangco started this endeavor during Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Felicito Payumo’s term just before the turn of the millennium. He envisioned an area where animals roam freely and interact with guests.

At his birthday here last Saturday, Yupangco’s love for animals, however, did not eclipse his heart for the people under his employ. They and their families – some from the Ayta community in Botolan – joined children from the Niños Pagasa in Olongapo City in an all-out treat at Zoobic Safari.

He gave them gifts and a share of his profits. In doing so, Yupangco believes, his employees will love their company, treasure their jobs more, and share his passion for animal conservation.

THE WILD CATS

Zoobic Safari already has more than 40 tigers, including white tigers and baby tigers that were bred inside the facility. The company has successfully bred the two tigers, but is still trying to produce more white tigers for their rarity.

Lions are also present in the facility, but are separated from the tiger enclosure due to cat fights. I guess we might still not see a liger in Subic Freeport.

There are only 4,000 tigers left in the wild. With one percent of the population of tigers found in Zoobic, there might come a time when the Filipinos will be the ones reintroducing the species to their original habitat.

At the start of the 20th century, it is estimated there were over 100,000 tigers in the wild, but the population has dwindled outside of captivity to between 1,500 and 3,500. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.

Demand for tiger parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine has also been cited as a major threat to tiger populations. The global wild tiger population was estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature at 3,200 in 2011.

CROCS AND MORE

Aside from the big cats, Zoobic Safari also has a crocodile safari that lets you feed a crocodile with a chicken part dangling on a pole. With powerful muscles, the crocodile can easily propel itself towards the bait. Visitors who are not fast enough get their baits eaten early by these giant reptiles.

A savannah for camels, ostriches, Wagyu or Japanese cows, pot-bellied pigs, mountain goats, ponies and other animals is found inside the facility. There is also a Serpentarium, Rodent World, Bird Walk and Aeta’s Trail here.

“But we will also be having a Kamikazoo where there will be a capsule on a zipline going towards a tiger enclosure. It will be the same as the Tiger Safari yet the difference is that the thrill of zipping thru a line is added in the tiger encounter,” Yupangco said.

All these ideas are what set him apart from zoo developers, making him, perhaps, a modern day Noah. He micromanages because he believes he is working towards his vision for the country – to be the last place on earth where endangered animals are safe. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTOS:
[1] CLOSE ENCOUNTER — A rare white tiger plays ‘fight’ with a golden tiger inside an enclosure at Zoobic Safari inside the Subic Freeport.

[3,4] KILLER LOOKS AND ZOOBIC CHARMS — A healthy python seems to beckon (left) as Aeta children, sons and daughters of employees of Zoobic Safari, receive gifts from wildlife advocate and park owner Robert Yupangco (fourth from right) on the occasion of his birth anniversary last Saturday at the Subic Freeport.

[2] CROCODILE APPEAL — Crocodiles stay in their zone for visitors to view their deadly appeal.

http://www.mb.com.ph/zoobic-saving-wildlife-inside-the-freeports-noahs-ark/

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Subic theme park to give orphans early Christmas treat

The Zoomanity Group, owner of Zoobic Safari and one of the leading companies in the theme park industry in the country, will be giving an early Christmas gift to orphaned children.

“Christmas is for children,” says Zoomanity Group CEO Robert Yupangco. “Because of this, we are taking the opportunity to give back happiness and blessings to less fortunate children during this season of sharing and thanksgiving.”

Yupangco said that this year, over 500 children will be given gifts and free entrance to all Zoomanity parks to enjoy one day of thrilling interaction with their favorite animals and other exciting animal shows.

He explained that the project to give orphans from different foundations the experience of one whole day of fun, love and care in the Zoomanity parks is part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility program.

The charitable activity, dubbed “Christmas Gift Giving”, will be held at Zip Adventure inside the Star City park in Manila on December 13; Zoocobia Fun Zoo in the Clark Freeport and Zoobic Safari in Subic on December 14; and Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite, and Residence Inn in Tagaytay on December 15.

“We will make sure that these less-fortunate children will really feel the essence of Christmas, and that is to be loved and cared for,” Yupangco also said.

Meanwhile, Zoomanity also announced that it will continue to accept donations for victims of the Visayas earthquake and typhoon “Yolanda” until January 31, 2014 at all Zoomanity parks. These include Zoobic Safari, Zoocobia, Residence Inn Paradizoo, Zip Adventure, Zoocolate Thrill in Loboc, Bohol, and the Virtual and Actual Zoo in Tutuban Mall.

It added that as its way of saying thank you to those who bring donation or gift in cash or kind, donors will be getting a 20-percent discount on regular park entrance. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Ayta tribesmen present a fire dance at the Zoobic Safari theme park in the Subic Bay Freeport. The theme park, which is one of three major theme attractions in Subic Freeport, offers “night safaris” every Saturday to showcase life inside the jungle at night time.

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Mali to Subic and back

HOLLYWOOD actress Pam Anderson, Paul McCartney and even Mayor Joseph Estrada cannot deny Mali a permanent home in the capital, said Manila C­ouncilor Don Juan Bagatsing.

While moving the pachyderm to a second country is discounted, he said no final deal has been made either to have the mammal transferred to Subic Freeport.

But Bagatsing, tourism committee chairman, said his sponsored resolution has been unanimously passed on “an ironclad public assurance” that the 39-year old elephant, should be returned safely to Manila Zoo immediately after its rehabilitation and modernization.

“Manila should take all necessary actions to ensure the elephant’s proper transport to the Subic facility, her suitable integration and assimilation unto new surroundings, and, more significantly, her definitive homecoming, back to her newly enhanced home in a much better Manila Zoo,” he said.

“We support, wholeheartedly, our President-Mayor’s recent pronouncements on Mali, especially in rejecting calls demanding for her lifelong relocation to a foreign habitat abroad,” he said.

“Nothing yet is set-in-stone as there remains much to be threshed and

fine-tuned on the supposed arrangement with the Subic-based park.”

Bagatsing said the city council has been left in the dark.

“No one from the Zoomanity-Zoobic Group has briefed the City Council, as well as the local Public Recreations Bureau,” Bagatsing wondered.

Zoobic Safari president Albert Yupangco asked city hall to allow his company to have Mali in its 50-hectare theme park in Subic Bay freeport.

Yupangco said the park was suitable to the elephant brought into the county at age three in 1977 from Sri Lanka as a gift to then First Lady and now Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

At the time, Bagatsing’s father, the late Mayor Ramon Bagatsing, sheltered the country’s only elephant, Vishwa Maali, her full name, at the city zoo.

“Amidst ruthless badgering of hard-line animal groups with super-celebrities, the Mayor of the City of Manila, His Excellency Joseph Ejercito Estrada, repeatedly has stood firm to keep the elephant permanently in the Manila Zoo,” Bagatsing said. (Macon Ramos-Araneta, Manila Standard Today)

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Mali going to Zoobic

MANILA - Mali the elephant is finally leaving the Manila Zoo, but only temporarily, and not for a sanctuary in Thailand.

The elephant will stay in a park in Subic once the renovation of the Manila Zoo starts.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada yesterday said he agreed to the request of Zoomanity Group (ZG) to allow the company to take care of Mali at least temporarily.

“It would be temporary because we will be constructing a world class Manila Zoo. While it’s being constructed we might give (Mali) to Subic... We will not let go of Mali,” he said.

ZG of the Yupangco Group of companies operates several farms and zoos including Zoocobia Fun Zoo at Clark Freeport, Zoobic Safari in Subic and the Paradizoo Theme Park in Cavite.

In a letter to Estrada, ZG said it could provide better care for the elephant.

The request came amid the campaign of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to transfer Mali, a gift from Sri Lanka to former first lady Imelda Marcos during the 1970s, to a sanctuary in Thailand.

PETA said Mali has been suffering from loneliness and a possibly fatal foot ailment.

Estrada has repeatedly rejected PETA’s call, adding that Mali would soon have company as two more elephants from Sri Lanka would be given to the city government. (Aie Balagtas See, Philippine Star)

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