Issaquah, Wash. — When you arrive at Cougar Mountain Zoo, you'll be greeted with a "Hello, how are you" from Kiwi the Macaw. You may get to share a banana with a lemur or an apple with a reindeer. Cougars and wolves are just steps away.
But the newest "Close Encounter" offered at the Issaquah zoo stands eight feet tall.
"What better way to appreciate an animal like this when you can really get up close to 'em....see how big they are...really look into their eyes and actually have a moment with them," says Director Jarod Munzer.
The Tiger feeding encounter allows visitors to feed raw meat to an eager Bengal tiger. A feeding pole is loaded with a chunk of meat then fed right to the tiger's mouth through the fence.
Kids as young as four can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime brush with a critically endangered species.
"Y'know we wanted kids to be able to experience this more than anything. Cuz that's who's really gonna have a lasting impression. Y'know something they're not gonna forget ever," Jarod says.
