There is no end to the fun attractions and cool things to do when you’re vacationing at North Beach Plantation in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And with so many great options clamoring for your attention, it can be difficult to decide among them. The beach, the Boardwalk and the amusements are all great choices, but if you want a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, then you should check out Myrtle Beach Safari.
The safari tour takes place at a preserve operated by T.I.G.E.R.S., The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, a conservation and preservation organization dedicated to protecting endangered animals worldwide. The T.I.G.E.R.S. preserve in Myrtle Beach is a lush 50-acre tropical garden where you can see rare and beautiful animals living as though they were still in the wild – and almost all the animals at T.I.G.E.R.S. have been rescued and rehabilitated by the organization.
Imagine actually seeing a cheetah with the space and freedom to run at 60 mph! The books all say they can do it, but you’ll never get to see it happen in a zoo enclosure. You can see it at T.I.G.E.R.S., though! Ramses the resident cheetah loves his morning sprint!
Additional members of the animal family at T.I.G.E.R.S. include a 9,000-pound African elephant named Bubbles, an African fish eagle, and a liger, a cross between a lion father and a tiger mother. Ligers are huge cats! Hercules, the liger at T.I.G.E.R.S., is 900 pounds and stands at over 11 feet tall when he stretches up on his hind legs! Ligers are rare both in the wild and in captivity. There are thought to be only a handful in existence worldwide, and even rarer is the opportunity to see a liger living in something resembling its natural habitat!
The safari tour also includes a chance to see and interact with the baby tigers and wolves who have been born at the preserve. The babies are just like their domesticated counterparts – rolling, playing and full of fun!
You can meet the gibbon, an endangered species of ape, and marvel at the chimpanzees, who share 98% of our DNA and are our closest relatives in the animal world. You’ll also be able to see the T.I.G.E.R.S. chimps, who make usable tools out of items they find in their wild habitat and can even communicate using American Sign Language!
Your safari tour will be professionally photographed and videotaped so that not a single moment of this amazing adventure is missed, and you will certainly have some incredible memories to take home with you.
The safari tour has a minimum age of 6 years old to attend. For families with younger children, check out the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. Also supported by T.I.G.E.R.S., the Preservation Station features a number of different tiger breeds, including the world’s rarest breed, the Golden Tabby tiger. You can get nose-to-nose with these huge cats, and even get a photo op!
Proceeds from both the tour and Preservation Station are used to support the continued effort to provide sanctuary and to protect these magnificent species from further decline and extinction.
The Myrtle Beach Safari tour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, giving you a perspective on these beautiful endangered animals that you can’t get anywhere else – and you’re supporting a great cause at the same time! Visit myrtlebeachsafari.com to book your tour during your next South Carolina getaway at North Beach Plantation!
