Jacob brought out a bucket of bloody meat. “Even if he lunges, he can’t get through the wire, but his claws can, so be careful… Here he comes.”
Oh my God.The tiger strolled up and seemed to look at each of them in turn. River was staggered to be so close.
“Hi, Luca,” Newt said. “Just so you know, Sol tastes better than me.”
River chuckled.
Alice skewered a piece of meat on the end of a stick. “Watch what I do and you can feed him after me. Stand square on. Keep your eyes on him. Stay alert. Hold the meat high or just straight out in front of you. Try not to let him take the stick as well.”
He’s bloody huge!
Alice held the meat high and River started as Luca jumped up. The tiger tore the meat from the stick and dropped down to eat it.
“Who wants to go first?” Alice asked.
“Sol,” Newt said.
River’s heart pounded with excitement as the tiger came up on his hind legs and loomed over him. One tug and the meat had gone. River pulled the stick back.
“If you shave tigers, you can still see their stripes,” Alice said. “The pattern is unique to each cat. Like human fingerprints.”
River watched Newt feed Luca and when Newt turned to him, his eyes were brimming. “Oh my God, that was amazing.”
When all the meat had gone, Luca paced in front of them for a while, then lay down alongside the fencing.
“If you’re careful, you can stroke him now,” Jacob said. “He likes being scratched on his neck. Take your glove off. We’d rather him eat fingers than plastic. If he turns his head, pull back. He’s fast. Faster than you. So not too close to his jaws.”
River could barely believe this was happening.I’m touching a fucking tiger!The fur was thick and silky smooth. Deeper down it felt soft and fluffy. The tiger was making a strange puffing sound with his mouth closed.
“He’s chuffing,” Alice said. “That breathy snort means he’s happy.”
River didn’t want to be doing this if Luca wasn’t happy.To touch an apex predator was…an honour. River felt awed and humbled. Even if he’d been able to risk speaking, he wasn’t sure he could have.
“Each tiger has a unique chuff,” Jacob said. “It’s a friendly greeting.They use it to communicate with each other, especially a mother with her cubs.This sort of non-threatening vocalisation helps tigers identify and greet each other.”
“Can we chuff to them?” Newt asked.
“Absolutely. Mouth closed, force the air out through your nose.”
Newt did it, the tiger chuffed back and Newt turned wide-eyed to River.
River tried too and to hear the tiger respond was just fantastic.
He and Newt took turns to stroke Luca. Newt didn’t stop talking the whole time, murmuring endearments and chuffing, quietly telling Luca how tasty Sol was. River could only manage the chuffing.
The experience was over too soon and they were taken inside to wash their hands.
“Thank you so much,” Newt said. “That was the best thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. Ah, no. Almost the best. Don’t ask me to tell you what was the best. But this was definitely a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We loved it.”
“Thanks,” River croaked. “So…good.”
“You’re welcome.” Alice smiled at them. “You two are the first guests not to take dozens of photographs.”
“We don’t need to,” Newt said. “How could we forget a second of this?”
Once they were back in the main body of the park, Newt said, “Do you want to look around or leave?”
“Awd… a…round.”
