Dreamworld Tiger Island Show

Voted Most Popular Attraction 

Tiger Island today is a unique approach to the handling, interaction, and display of tigers. At Tiger Island the development of relationships, with our tigers, begins at birth and lasts throughout their lifetime. In developing a relationship of this depth with one of the world’s most formidable predators, there are no shortcuts. Being at ease with their human handlers allows the tigers far greater freedom, and this contact keeps the tigers mentally and physically agile. Park guests are at first astounded to see tigers and handlers playing together and find the fun of this interaction highly entertaining. Tigers are encouraged to demonstrate their natural behaviors and may body slam a handler sending them into a playful body roll across the island.

In April of 2004 Australian Life Sciences General Manager Kevin Bradley asked Ozworks Creative Director Mark Eady to visit Tiger Island as one of Dreamworld's guests and to report back what problems may exist from a guests perspective and recommendations on how to improve the guest experience. Particularly with a Live Show objective as an outcome.

  Tiger Island was established at Dreamworld back in the 1990s but when it was designed all thought was put into the Tigers facilities which are first class but little thought was put into how the guests would view the attraction.

 

The two main venue problems were;

1. There was no shelter from the sub tropical sun so guests felt uncomfortably hot or wet in the rain. 
2. The Tiger Island was set below the viewing platform so if you weren't in the first two rows against the moat fence you couldn't see anything. There was no seating.

From a guests perspective there was a number of issues;

1. Guests had to be lucky for anything to be happening on the island when they were there. Tigers like to sleep through the day and are more active at night so while the Tigers looked stunning asleep or awake it really isn't enough.
2.  Tiger Handlers who were always present on the island randomly spoke on microphone, but often didn't. Guests would see someone with a Microphone in his/her hand and expected them to say something. After 5 minutes or so many guests would give up waiting and leave.
3. When Tiger Handlers did eventually speak to the guests they wore sunglasses so never really connected with their audience.
4. No structure or planning in what they said.

Let's be clear, the Tiger Handlers at Dreamworld at the time were 100% professional animal carers and they looked after the cats very well. They loved their cats and enjoyed their work. BUT it is fair to say dealing with the guests and giving them what they wanted was a little more difficult and they needed guidance in that area.

 

The Tiger Behavioral  Shows are performed twice a day and demonstrate all the natural movements, strength and power of the Tigers. Almost as popular as the cats are the Tiger Handlers themselves. Fully trained to interact with Tigers and Guests, the trainers engage all audiences with their knowledge, experience and larger than life personalities.

Tiger Island is a world class attraction.

A unique show control system was created for the Presenter of the Show to operate all his/her own music cues without the audience even knowing.

Ozworks can offer other theme parks, Zoo and animal facilities a similar turn key option including all aspects of construction, themeing, Sound & Show Control Systems, Scripting, and Educational Talks and presenter training.

 

We first witness this behavior when a Peacock flew too low over Tiger Island...Poor Peacock :(

 

 

 

 

 

The very best and nothing less...