Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My!)

© Alisa Clickenger / RumBum.com

It was a Monday and there wasn't a soul around. I started walking in what I thought was the right direction, and then, RRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRRR! RROOAARR. Roar. Now I knew which way to go.

Curious thing about travelers, we all like to share cool information. Another motorcyclist had told me of a place that someone had told him about, a place where one might be able to pet the tigers. “I'm in!” I declared, and I set off on the Internet to find out where to go.

Lujan Zoo is located outside Buenos Aires. Since I had time on my hands waiting for my passenger flight back to the USA (my motorbike had been shipped a few days prior) I decided to check it out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed I'd get a change to cuddle up to a tiger.

© Alisa Clickenger / RumBum.comBecause the zoo was virtually deserted, I was able to enter the habitat for almost an hour. At first I was extremely nervous being in a cage with four tigers. They were all about six months old, and had been habituated to humans since birth, I was told.

One male was super playful and an instigator – he kept trying to engage the others in play, but for the rest of his siblings it was nap time, so he soon followed suit. Being the odd human out, the handlers encouraged me to join them in the hay for a little cuddle. It was certainly against my instincts, but it was the experience of a lifetime.

Already feeling like I achieved more than I came for, I felt obliged to walk around the other animal areas just to see what else Lujan offered. The elephants were pretty neat, but the single strand of electric wire didn't do much to contain them when I started feeding them treats. I had to run out of the elephant area when they broke free. Lucky for me, the green grass was more enticing than the meager yucca I offered, and they galloped the other direction.

Next I was offered a ride on a camel, which I declined. Remembering the unruly elephants, I chose to feed them treats over the fence. Once the treats were gone we got down to the business of scratching them in their unreachable places, and in return I got a look into camel's soul through his liquid brown eyes.

After watching the ducks bathe in the camel waterer, and a stroll by the sedate tortoise exhibit, I saw the most disheveled goose in the world. Turns out that's her natural state of disorder, but for about half an hour I was convinced she got the raw end of the flock.

Next, I watched the sea lions swim in endless circles and occasionally bark for fish. Lucky for me I did not handle any of the fish because next up were the bears. Bears! Brown bears, cute as can be, acting most innocently begging for raisins. Great care was given even though they were quite tame, and we were not allowed to pet them, much less cuddle.

RROOOOOAAAAARRR I heard again. “Wow”, I said. “Would you like to see them?” the handler asked. “Of course”, I said, and next thing I knew I was up to my eyeballs, quite literally, in lions and tigers. Seven of them, in fact.

Before I had a chance to think about it I'd entered the community cage of the the two year-old cats. These felines were almost mature, and each over 500 pounds. Instinctively my hair stood on end. Goosebumps popped up, and my breathing quickened involuntarily. I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

The lioness and two male tigers decided to rub on me, and I'm no hero. I was scared. One wrong move on my part, and I would be tiger bait. The handler stayed close to me, but after about five minutes I asked to leave the cage. I worried my fear was palpable.

Buzzing on adrenaline, I floated out of the park and back to the bus stop. It was the perfect high note on which to end my trip. No matter what I'd lost at the border a few days ago in terms of physical possessions, nobody could steal this experience away from me.