Let the Subic Safari Begin!
Kind of reminds you of a certain soda company’s advertisement campaign during the holidays right?
This is where the fun really starts: the tour of the Zoobic Park. The tram toured us around the Zoobic Cave, which showcases stuffed animals in their habitat, the Forbidden Cave that houses their crocodiles, and the Tiger Safari which is the main attraction.
Jurassic park, except with tigers.
This is what I was here for: the Night Tiger Safari. I never did notice that I was THAT excited that day just right after when I told my companion to get the middle seats to get the best view and boy was it a great idea.
Feed me!
It was either premeditated or just dumb luck, but we found ourselves at the best seats – right where the tigers would be fed! Like house cats, tigers can be moody at times, so it took some time to court this beautiful beast before eating the chicken that was fed by the handler and then jumping on top of the jeep’s roof to join us until the end of the tour.
While you do need to shell out 200 pesos for the chicken, the expense can always be shared by the group.
Fun fact: Each tiger consumes 7 to 10 kilos of chicken a day!
A short play about nature and taking care of the environment.
When I thought that things could not get any better, we were told that it was almost time for the Night Safari Show, which only happens on Saturdays. As we were ushered to our seats, a small program was in store for us about our native’s beliefs, lifestyle, the symbiosis of man and animal and the love and respect for nature.
I placed a bet on #17 and lost.
A pageant was up next in, where the animals that can be found within Zoobic Safari was paraded for the guests. Ducks, miniature horses, civet cats, bear cats, snakes, lizards and the birds were displayed; but my favorite part was when they released the greyhounds that zoomed by in just a few seconds. It was like a Pokemon parade, but without the actual Pokemon.
As an animal lover, I was happy to see all of the animals during the show looking healthy, happy and not-stressed. It is always pleasing and good to know that they still have the space to roam around and that they are well taken care of. This was indeed one of the happiest places I’ve been to in the Philippines.
The star of the show.
Before the star of the show arrived, everyone was warned not to use photo flashes or make sudden movements or loud noises. After all, even though white tigers are born, raised and somewhat domesticated, they are still wild animals.
Yoga flame!
A spectacle of fire and music enthralled the crowd, as well. Some of the staff of the Subic Safari are our Aeta brothers and sisters. No exploitation here, though! I found out that almost all of the staff members were also the entertainers and most of them are locals of Olongapo! It surprised me that our guide also came out (not in picture) and led us to participate in a fun and interactive musical and lights show.
The President and owner, Mr. Robert Yupangco.
During dinner, we received a message that the owner and the mind behind this Subic Safari, Mr. Robert Yupangco, would be joining us. He was hands-on with everything and also sat amongst the crowd to oversee everything and feel their reaction. Not only did he ask us for criticisms on what we thought was missing, but he also educated us that the main idea of Zoomanity was pride for being a Filipino, championing local talents and the love and respect for nature.
This Subic Safari is one of those great destinations that is accessible to Manileños who want a weekend getaway with friends or family. For just PHP 700.00, you can enjoy the rides, the tour, the show and the dinner! That’s really cheap, considering PHP 700.00 is just a movie and a dinner back in Manila! Think about it.
If you want to see and take clear photos of the animals, though, I’d suggest going on the day tour instead.
You can also check out Ocean Adventure Subic Bay while you’re in Subic! 🙂
Zoobic Safari
Group I Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines
Telefax: (+6347) 252-2272; (+63) 929-7072222
www.zoobic.com.ph/
www.facebook.com/zoomanitygroup
