Preservation Station T.I.G.E.R.S

My 8 year old son is really an animal lover! He wanted to do this for the longest time. It was a great experience! He got to hold a tiger cub, baby lemur, and a chimpanzee. The only downside is the price. It was kin of expensive for the amount of time you got but the smile on his face was priceless!

Sorry but this is just sad. When my girls had their pictures taken last year with a cub, I thought it was cute. But that was before all of the awareness that is going on with Cubs being taken from their moms at an early age for profits sake. Baby Cubs need bonding and nourishment from their mothers just like a human baby! Like a previous poster remarked, where are all of the animals going once they’re too big to hold. The owner only has 60 cats yet he has trained over 600??? please do some research about these businesses before you hand over your hard earned money in the name of «conservation». Look up Animal Defenders International, now they have the best interest of exotic animals at heart.

This place is not what you think it is.
The money doesn’t go to a real «preservation» (do your research!) and these baby animals are torn from their mothers to entertain humans and not live a natural life ever. Only 60 tigers live on the TIGERS property… Where have the rest gone??? Ask «Doc» that question.
And elephants are meant to live in groups, never alone! Bubbles is a sad sad elephant in real life. She will try to kill you and pull you into her hotwire if she has the chance. She is lonely and sad and exploited.
Don’t give this exploitive outfit your money. Use your brain and don’t be selfish and just want to hold a tiger. Think about how that action is enslaving that animal.

Kevin Antle (who calls himself «Doc) incessantly breeds tiger cubs solely to make money. When you pay money to go here & play/​take pictures with cute tiger cubs, you are allowing this man to profit from exploiting wild animals.
His business practice is dubious .“For the average consumer, it would seem like spending a couple of hours with a rare tiger while contributing to an establishment that does conservation work would be helping animals. The fact is, the animals at T.I.G.E.R.S are bred solely for profit and some of them are so unsuitable for reintroduction to the wild that their breeding actually has nothing to do with conservation.»

Rip off! People beware! $ 165 ($ 100 for the first person, $ 25 each additional — kids too, no discounts) for one 8 ½×11 photo and literally 5 seconds with 3 animals (baby white tiger, small tabby tiger, chimp) The animals are adorable, and you literally sort of hold them for about 5 seconds. Then that’s it. No tour, no education — done! The additional digital pics are $ 40 each. Really, they are digital and it costs them nothing! I am glad it supports the tiger preservation, and I would have been fine with the cost if the pictures of all 3 animals were include. That was another $ 100, and I feel terrible about the whole thing now. Ridiculous!

Was really disappointed. Called the number for the business, phone service doesn’t allow for you to talk to a person, but tells you there is a free walk through at barefoot landing. Even the Website says there are FREE walk-​through at the place at barefoot landing which is a lie. You have to spend either $ 300 per person for the VIP tour, $ 100 for a picture with a tiger. The place is difficult to find from the entrance. It’s well tucked in. Only available for two sessions from what was presented to us. The tour guide at the main booth at barefoot landing tried to get us a discount by having us try to attend /​purchase a time share the following morning for 3 hours, which I am not going to do while on vacation. I’m just trying to keep people from being scammed, especially if you have a tight budget. Even with the tour group of 6, she tried to lower it to $ 750 total, which is still very expensive. Stay far away and clear!!!

I’m physically incapable of rolling my eyes far enough to one side to properly convey the amount of disdain I have for a few of these reviews. Fortunately, the majority of the ‘agenda driven’ reviews seem to have been pushed to ‘not recommended.’
Before I even get going, let me preface this by saying these people clearly love their animals. They live with them and I have zero doubt they receive the very best of care. Just researching Bubbles the elephant will reveal a touching story of how she was saved by T.I.G.E.R.S.
founder. Say what you will about the prices, the experience, etc., but in fairness, one must acknowledge the love and respect they have for these animals.
Okay, love-​fest over. This is where I tap the breaks. My enthusiasm for the 299.00 VIP tour has waned over the years. Oh, and for the sake of this review, I’m going to concentrate on the VIP tour that’s actually held at the sanctuary. It’s an entirely different thing than the photo op that’s held at Barefoot landing.
My wife and I have been to this tour twice. Our fist visit was roughly 2.5 years ago and I had an amazing time. The second was within the last year and sadly it fell flat for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing the animals but having gone to this facility once before; I had a nice basis of comparison. If I had to put my finger on it I’d say one employee (guide) in particular just seemed as though working with our group was a little too much for her. I wish I could remember her name… Regardless, she just seemed completely burdened by the whole experience; as though it couldn’t be over soon enough. I found this particularly distracting since the rest of the team was as affable as I remembered.
Aside from that, the group was just entirely too large. You are packed shoulder to shoulder in this place. I felt like there was an assembly line of animals on my lap that was over before I knew it. Very mechanical and incredibly impersonal compared to my previous visit.
I also paid for the 100.00 picture package (you can’t bring your own camera) the first time I went and all the photos were excellent. The second time around was just a completely different experience. The pictures were poorly shot.
See what I’m getting at here? Just a completely different vibe the second time around. In a word — Unfortunate.
Having started this review by defending this outfit, I’m saddened by the fact that I just can’t give them anything more than 3 stars. The experience no longer feels price appropriate to me. At 299.00 a head, EVERY tour should be handled like it’s the first tour.
As a local, I’ve comfortable saying I’ve had my last visit here, but I’ll remain a fan of their work from afar. However, if I start to hear the same type of reviews that made me go in the first place, I may give them another try someday.
If you’re considering going and can swing it in the off season, you’ll probably find smaller crowds… my first visit was in the fall while the second was in the spring.
–Neil
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Omg the Tigers and monkeys here are so cute. It’s free to see them. If you want to take a picture holding them its $ 100. I just took pics of them and saw them for free

Although this is pricey it is totally worth it! You get the opportunity to interact with different animals. It is so worth it to pay the extra money to see all the animals (1 month old tiger, 4 month old tiger, 4 month old timber wolf and a chimpanzee). When you pay the additional fee for all 4 animals you also get a free 8×10 of the print of your choosing and a digital copy of all photos that they take (50−60ish). This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a must do while in myrtle beach.
They are only open for pictures from 6−8pm. All workers are volunteers and all your money goes towards the rescue fund for these animals. The reason I am giving it only 4 stars is because the time you spend with the animals is a little short and the cost is a bit high. However the money is going towards a good cause.

We went to barefoot landing specifically to see the tigers and they were awesome. The cage out front had two adult tigers wrestling and playing around which was fascinating. They were really playing hard. Then we paid the $ 80 to have our picture taken with a smaller tiger on our laps. That whole experience lasted a very short time (maybe 1 – 2 minutes of interaction) but the picture was VERY good. I probably wouldn’t have paid the 80 bucks if the money didn’t go towards a good cause. The line for hte picture was very long.

We had a picture taken with a baby tiger and a Gibbon, and although it was expensive, the experience was well worth the price. Next time we come back we will definitely do the all day excursion!

This is so worth it when you have 4 or 5 people. Our group had 4. With the price of the sitting (a little over $ 84 with coupon deducting $ 4 and the insane Myrtle Beach taxes added back), plus the price of the CD-​ROM (about $ 95 after taxes), the experience was $ 44.75 per person.
Yes, still pricey, but considering you get to actually hold the animals and interact with them (and how often can you hold a tiger cub or baby monkey?) The whole interaction was about 5 – 10 minutes. There was no line when we arrived on 7pm on a Saturday.
They do a little guilt trip on you if you comment about how expensive the price is. Boo…
But the highlight of the entire visit was when it came time for the baby monkey to leave. During his session, I kept playing with his feet. He must have made a connection with me, because he tried to give me a little hug as he was leaving. Awww! =)
Tips: Coupons are everywhere. I recommend stopping by the lobby of your hotel or the information center at Barefoot Landing to get the discount. It’s $ 4 off the group photo. Not a lot, but hey, every bit counts!

T.I.G.E.R.S. was probably the most amazing experience I have had in my entire life.
My husband and I took the VIP tour of the facility, where we got to cuddle with baby tigers, chimpanzees, gibbons, and oragantans. It was really awesome to meet the 900 lb liger and see the adult tigers run at top speed! We got to spend some time with Bubbles the elephant who, I learned, is the only African elephant in North America who has contact with the public. We got to feed her carrots and watch her eat a whole watermelon!
When you come here, you will definately want to order the photo CD and the DVD. These are memories you will want to show off for years to come. Also, the money you spend goes to benefit the animals, both here in the facility and in the wild. You can feel good knowing you helped, while also having the time of your life!

We heard about the TIGER Preserve through a friend and had to check it out when we were on vacation a couple weeks ago.
I’m ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ on our experience.
After reading the other reviews, it seems that the fee has increased quite a bit — it’s now $ 80 for up to five people and your choice of one animal. Pay an extra $ 20, add another animal. This works out to be a reasonable price when you have 4 or 5 people ($ 20/​each) but for one or two, it’s a rip-​off. So make sure you have 4 or 5 people.
As for the actual photo session, don’t let the line fool you. Most of the people hanging around the exhibit are just passers-​by. We waited a whole 30 seconds to get our pictures done. We bought the whole she-​bang and had a monkey and tiger in our photo. It was surreal to see them up close and then on your lap. We were giddy. Unfortunately the moment lasted about 30 seconds. They introduce you to the animal, plop them on your laps, the camera flashes and the animals are gone. They did bring another little tiger cub (seriously, it was maybe 2 months old and could fit in my purse) and took pictures of each of us with the little guy. Again, it lasted about 5 second each person. Kind of disappointing for the money we just spent.
The initial $ 80 includes one 8×10 photo of the group. Want additional copies? That’s another $ 20/​copy. I will note though, that if you are buying multiple copies like we did, they will give you an entire CD with all photos taken for $ 100. Again, makes sense if you have a group that wants their own photo. A rip-​off otherwise.
It was a cool experience and something we’ll probably never get the chance to do again, but it was definitely overpriced for the time involved.

This is my favorite thing I have EVER done in my entire life. First you go to Barefoot Landing where you can see some wild life and have your photo taken with orangutans and baby lions and tigers. For about 50 bucks you can feed one and get your or your group’s picture taken. I have done that a few times over the years. If you do, you get a small discount on a VIP tour which is off site. I did not take the VIP tour the first time, and whined about it all vacation. It did not stop there. I was consumed… and had to get back. A year later I went again and booked the VIP tour. It was ah-​mazing! I got to see hawks and falcons fly, hold baby tigers and lions, interact with Surya before she was imfamous, feed Bubbles the elephant, see a liger and a tigon, pet a stange popcorn smelling Binturong. I was in love. Call my boss, I am quitting, I am now a wildlife trainer, I will somehow give up meat and live on-​site. Well, I didn’t quite do that, but I do keep it as my back up career. I really hit the jackpot because my mother’s friend was along as she adores white tigers. She booked a private photo session with one of Doc Antle’s white tigers! This costs thousands… but the pictures were priceless! I would if I could. And Doc is a sweet and educated man. I do believe that they care about the animals and this is a legitimate wildlife preserve… no abuse. Still till this day people ask me about all of my super cool photos.

It is important to note that this company has two different attractions.
First and least expensive is a little exhibit in the afternoons at Barefoot Landing where you can see some of their animals and pay about $ 50 to have your picture taken with one. I did not go to this one.
Second is what they call the «VIP Tour» on their preserve which is near the airport. They do not disclose the address until you make a reservation so reviews of that location have to go on this page.
My girlfriend and I made a last minute reservation for the VIP Tour for a Saturday in mid July. Although the website was confusing and the price was high ($ 200 per person, $ 180 if you have a coupon which is easily found online), she was thrilled at the prospect of interacting with baby tigers and the reviews around the web were uniformly positive, so we shelled out.
Here is how it works:
You arrive by 9:15, at which point the gates open and everyone drives in and parks inside the gates. Our tour had about 80 people which were divided up into about 25 – 30 «photo groups» (families/​couples).
One of the staffers will take roll call and go over a few rules. No cameras, cell phones. Closed toes shoes only. Don’t bring in any food or water. They will then lead you into the very spacious and comfortable lodge where you will sign in and confirm your payment, and get a picture taken by a photographer so that they can organize the photos that are taken of each group. While waiting you can have some coffee and watch one of several TVs which show how the animals have been used on TV and in movies.
Then you will meet the two primary tour guides. We had a guy and a girl who had obviously rehearsed this very well. They have a whole little shtik they do complete with jokes they have probably told 5 times a week for the past few years. They talk a bit about the facility and then we go outside and start interacting with the animals.
First we met a huge liger which is the biggest of the big cats. They walk him back and forth and he looks very impressive. Everyone gets organized into a line by photo group and while one guide talks about the liger the other staffers have each group sit in front of the liger while a photographer snaps a picture. This is assembly lined and scripted down to the second and you will only spend about 3 seconds sitting down. (Rating — ⁴⁄₅. No real interaction but it is such an impressive animal)
Then everyone sat in a big semi circle and they brought out a Binturong and they put it on the first groups lap and it will walk around the entire semi circle, giving everyone a chance to have it walk over them and allow you to pet it briefly. (Individual rating — ⁴⁄₅. Really interesting animal and some brief interaction).
Then we walk over to a separate area under some tents and they do a demonstration of a couple of adult Lynx and show them chasing a huge cat toy, essentially. (Rating ³⁄₅ — The animals are fun to watch but no photo ops or interaction with them)
Then the real star of the show, the group gets split in half and everyone sits on the ground inside this little wooden enclosure with our backs to the wall, and one by one the staff starts bringing out baby animals. Two or three baby tigers, one tiger a little bit older, two baby lynx. They will carry them into the circle and drop then randomly in a persons lap, and then encourage them to walk around the entire circle. The staffers do their best to make sure everyone has some time with every animal, but the animals seem to take to certain people. Some animals I could spend a couple of minutes petting, some couldn’t wait to get away from me. There are three or four photographers inside the enclosure getting tons of shots of every interaction. We probably spent half an hour in here petting and playing with the baby animals. (Rating — ⁶⁄₅. This was awesome).
Then they have everyone stand up and they bring out a couple of adult wolves which they run around the circle and you can pet them a bit. (Rating — ²⁄₅. They are dogs.)
Break time. You go to a raised platform area with a bit of shade and breeze and there is tea, water, and snacks (chips, hummus, granola bars). Then you line up along the edges of the platform and look down into the lawn below. They will then bring out two or three adult tigers and do a demonstration of them running at ‘full speed’ at a target. They tried to give us the impression that we were witnessing the full potential of the killing power of an apex predator, but it was really a captive cat running half-​heartedly after a mop head on a string (Rating — ³⁄₅)
After this there is an opportunity to feed an adult elephant, and get a photo op with two different baby monkeys around your neck. The monkeys are just too cute. (4.5÷5)
Then we gather to watch a swimming demonstration with a trainer and tigers while snacking again. (⁴⁄₅).
I recommend the photo CD. $ 125 is pricey, but you will want evidence that you played with baby tigers to show your friends.

I just did the deluxe tour at their main facility about 15 miles from this place. It is a once in a lifetime experience and should not be missed. you actually get to pet tigers and tiger cubs, lynx, pumas, wolves, gibbons, monkeys, and much much more!!! It is pricey (200 $ per person) but is worth every penny.

A little spot along Barefoot Landing that hosts live tigers & monkeys. They’ll photograph you with a tiger across your lap for $ 40, sure that’s a good deal. This place is basically an advertisement for the real Preservation Station south of Myrtle Beach. Great spot to get a few cool pics though.