Throughout 2015, "The Greatest Hands-On Animal Experience in the World", the Myrtle Beach Safari, is celebrating a milestone! Since 2005, visitors from around the globe have been transformed through an awe-inspiring and emotional encounter with the world's most beautiful and endangered wild animals. The excitement of being able to help save these threatened animals builds as you watch your family experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime, daring adventure together. Each year, the Myrtle Beach Safari, T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve, and T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Stations creates new and innovative ways for each member of your family to get a "feel" for these rare and endangered animals. Each and every time you visit you will create new memories and learn about the newest conservation efforts taking place here and around the world.     

For our 10th Birthday Bash, we would like to invite you to visit Preservation Stations at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach or take the "Wild Encounters" tour at our 50-acre preserve, home to over 100 animals including tigers, monkeys, wolves, falcons, and Bubbles the elephant. Throughout the tour, the Safari staff will be taking professional quality photos and videos allowing you to relive and share this once-in-a-lifetime encounter. T.I.G.E.R.S. has provided more than $200,000 to wildlife conservation efforts in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Money from photos, tours and gift shop sales goes directly to grassroots wildlife programs and to help support researchers in the field.        

 Myrtle Beach Safari

More Than Just Tourism and Monkey Business

This is a "Must See" video for anyone who has been to the Myrtle Beach Safari or anyone considering a visit. Robert Johnson, Senior Trainer at the Myrtle Beach Safari, speaks about the true human association with wildlife. With less than 3,200 tigers found in the wild, Robert offers a fascinating connection between earth's precious environments and each of our conscious daily decisions.   

Thank you to the website SayNoToPalmOil.com for their wealth of information on the important topic of palm oil deforestation. Rapid palm oil development is a complex issue with many contributing factors and can sometimes be hard to wrap your head around. The SayNo organization has created many resources that can allow you to gain a deeper understanding of this important issue.  

Malaysia was the world's largest producer of palm oil by the mid 20th century and this stayed true until the Indonesian government began investing into the industry in the 1970s. This expansion officially pushed the country into the lead spot for top producer in 2007 and the nation now supplies the majority of the world's growing demand for this cheap edible oil.

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit, grown on the African oil palm tree. Oil palms are originally from Western Africa, but can flourish wherever heat and rainfall are abundant. Today, palm oil is grown throughout Africa, Asia, North America, and South America, with 85% of all palm oil globally produced and exported from Indonesia and Malaysia; but most of the time not using sustainable measures. The industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses in the countries where it is produced, as the land and forests must be cleared for the development of the oil palm plantations. According to the World Wildlife Fund, an area the equivalent size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production. This large-scale deforestation is pushing many species to extinction, and findings show that if nothing changes species like the orangutan could become extinct in the wild within the next 5-10 years, and Sumatran tigers less than 3 years.

In total, 50 million tons of palm oil is produced annually, supplying over 30% of the world's vegetable oil production. This single vegetable oil is found in approximately 40-50% of household products in countries such as United States, Canada, Australia and England. Palm oil can be present in a wide variety of products, including: baked goods, confectionery, shampoo, cosmetics, cleaning agents, washing detergents and toothpaste.

So, what can you do? According to Say No To Palm Oil, as a consumer, you can help to reduce your contribution to conflict-palm oil through making some simple lifestyle changes. They recommend focusing on four main areas of your home: refrigerator, pantry, bathroom, and laundry. Research the ingredients of each product so you are aware of the items you've purchased that contain palm oil. In our example of Cheez-It vs. Goldfish, always remember to Eat Goldfish and Save an Orangutan!      

 


When was the last time your family went on a daring adventure together? Visit Myrtle Beach Safari and be part of a tiger running at full speed or swimming across a clear pool, great apes sliding through a jungle canopy, an elephant just a breath away. Discover the excitement of helping to preserve these magnificent animals for generations to come. There is something unique about being in the presence of tigers and other beautiful creations of nature. Allow us to transform the way you see yourself and the world around you forever. Learn more about conservation efforts for chimpanzees, lynx, elephants, tigers, ligers, orangutans, gibbons, apes and more through the Rare Species Fund. To see these amazing species up close and personal, visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com/signup to get started on your own interactive tour!