Small ape triggers tiger escape at Miami's Jungle Island

A 500-pound Bengal tiger leapt over a tall fence, dozens of frantic visitors ran for their lives, and park workers labored to lure the predatory animal back into a holding cage. A day after the frenzy, it became increasingly clear that a small ape had triggered the unusual sequence of events at the Watson Island animal park.

Read the full article here. Wow, how does this even happen? Luckily, no one was injured or hurt. Anybody have a video of the event?

Pictures from the Wilds: Part 3 Bactrian Camels

Moving on with our tour, at the next stop we find the Bactrian Camels (camelus bactrianus), an endangered species from Mongolia. You can tell they are Bactrian camels because they have two humps just like the letter B! Do you know what is inside of those two humps? If you guessed water, sorry, that is incorrect and a common misconception. The two large humps store fat which allows the camel to survive long periods of time without food or water. There are less than a thousand of these animals left in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting. If you visit the Wilds, chances are you'll see these camels up close. They often like to scratch themselves on the tour buses. Stay tuned for the next stop on our tour!

Pictures from the Wilds: Part 2

One of the first animals species we got to see up close at the Wilds was the Greater One-Horned Asian Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis). Their current status in the wild is endangered due to human encroachment and poaching. They are found in the countries of Bhutan, India, and Nepal. "Unlike the white rhino, this one-horned species is mostly solitary, except when a female is raising her young. Their prehensile (adapted to grasp) upper lip allows them to pick up a grass stem or other food item and bring it to their mouth." Stay tuned for part 3 and, of course, the upcoming video.

Pictures from the Wilds: Part 1

In the coming weeks I plan on sharing all of my wonderful pictures and videos of the Wilds in southern, starting with part one today. These are a few views of the park from the visitor center. It gives you an idea of how vast (and green!) the area is. You can also catch a peek of one of the safari transport buses.

Pictures from the Wilds coming soon!

The Wilds was awesome! Full review along with pictures and video coming soon!

Future Updates

If everyone goes according to plan I will be heading out to the Wilds this weekend. Follow me on Twitter for live updates from the park and be sure to check back later for a full report including pictures, videos, a review, and more!